title: Lavandula angustifolia extract improves deteriorated synaptic plasticity in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with profound deficits in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP), an experimental form of synaptic plasticity, is intensively examined in hippocampus. In this study we evaluated the effect of aqueous extract of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on induction of LTP in the CA1 area of hippocampus. In response to stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals the baseline or tetanized field extracellular postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were recorded in the CA1 area.
  
  
  METHODS
  The electrophysiological recordings were carried out in four groups of rats; two control groups including the vehicle (CON) and lavender (CE) treated rats and two Alzheimeric groups including the vehicle (ALZ) and lavender (AE) treated animals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract inefficiently affected the baseline responses in the four testing groups. While the fEPSPs displayed a considerable LTP in the CON animals, no potentiation was evident in the tetanized responses in the ALZ rats. The herbal medicine effectively restored LTP in the AE group and further potentiated fEPSPs in the CE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The positive effect of the lavender extract on the plasticity of synaptic transmission supports its previously reported behavioral effects on improvement of impaired spatial memory in the Alzheimeric animals.
authors.affiliation: International Branch, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soheili
authors.affiliation: Proteomics Research Center, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa Rezaei
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tavirani
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salami
keywords: Hippocampus; LTP; Lavandula angustifolia; Synaptic transmission