title: Functional changes in piriform cortex pyramidal neurons in the chronic methamphetamine-treated rat.
abstract: Chronic treatment of rats with methamphetamine (MAP) causes a range of functional changes to the central nervous system (CNS), including a toxicity that is widespread throughout the brain (Frost and Cadet 2000; Fasihpour et al. 2013). In this report, we examined the effect of chronic MAP treatment on pyramidal neurons of the rat piriform cortex, an area involved in sensory processing, associative learning and a model system for studies on synaptic plasticity. MAP treatment significantly depolarized the membrane potential and decreased neuronal input resistance. Furthermore, the voltage-dependence of both AMPA and NMDA responses was disturbed by chronic MAP treatment, and the extent of long-term potentiation (LTP) was decreased. Morphological changes of MAP-treated rat pyramidal neurons were observed as blebbing of the dendrite trees. The changes we observed represent detrimental effects on the function of piriform cortical neurons further illustrating deficits in synaptic plasticity extend beyond the hippocampus. These changes may contribute to behavioural deficits in chronic MAP-treated animals.
authors.affiliation: Research Division for Life Sciences, Kumamoto Health Science University, Izumi 325, Kita-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto 861-5598, Japan. nobukun1935@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadota
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akaike
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D007858:Learning; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D066195:Piriform Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D008694:Methamphetamine