0000000000319664

AUTHOR

Peter Heusler

The superoxide anion is involved in the induction of long-term potentiation in the rat somatosensory cortex in vitro.

Abstract The involvement of the superoxide anion (O2−) in the induction of neocortical long-term potentiation (LTP) was examined in rat brain slices containing the primary somatosensory cortex. Field potentials evoked by stimulation in cortical layer IV were recorded from layer II/III. In control experiments, tetanic high-frequency stimulation (HFS) resulted in essentially input-specific, NMDA receptor-dependent LTP (20.2±3.0% increase in field potential amplitude). When the availability of intracellular O2− was reduced by application of the cell membrane-permeable O2− scavengers MnTBAP or CP-H (spin trap), HFS-induced LTP was attenuated to 12.0±1.7% and 8.7±3.1% increase, respectively. In …

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A repetitive intracortical microstimulation pattern induces long-lasting synaptic depression in brain slices of the rat primary somatosensory cortex.

Repetitive intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) applied to the rat primary somatosensory cortex (SI) in vivo was reported to induce reorganization of receptive fields and cortical maps. The present study was designed to exam- ine the effect of such an ICMS pattern applied to layer IV of brain slices containing SI on the efficacy of synaptic in- put to layer II/III. Effects of ICMS on the synaptic strength was quantified for the first synaptic component ( s1) of cor- tical field potentials (FPs) recorded from layer II/III of SI. FPs were evoked by stimulation in layer IV. The pattern of ICMS was identical to that used in vivo. However, stimula- tion intensity had to be raised to induce an a…

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Platelet-activating factor contributes to the induction of long-term potentiation in the rat somatosensory cortex in vitro

The contribution of platelet-activating factor (PAF) to the induction of neocortical LTP was examined in rat brain slices containing the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Field potentials evoked by single pulse stimulation in cortical layer IV were recorded from layer II/III. In control experiments, tetanic high frequency stimulation (HFS) resulted in input-specific, NMDA receptor-dependent LTP (21.1+/-3.2%; mean+/-SEM; n=15; P0.001). BN-52021 (5 microM), an antagonist at the extracellular PAF receptor, weakened the HFS-induced LTP to 12.4+/-2.7% (n=11; P0.05). In contrast, HFS-induced LTP was significantly enhanced to 29.4+/-2.3% (n=11; P0.05) when brain slices were superfused with ACSF c…

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