Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1993 Nov;70(5):1937-49.
doi: 10.1152/jn.1993.70.5.1937.

Short- and long-term synaptic depression in rat neostriatum

D M Lovinger  1 , E C Tyler, A Merritt
Affiliations

Short- and long-term synaptic depression in rat neostriatum

D M Lovinger et al. J Neurophysiol. 1993 Nov.

Abstract

1. We have examined plasticity at glutamatergic synapses on neurons in slices of neostriatum, a forebrain area involved in movement and cognitive function. 2. High-frequency stimulation of afferent inputs to neostriatal neurons induced depression of glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Depression could be induced using either prolonged trains or short repetitive bursts of high-frequency stimulation. Depression developed within seconds after such stimulation. Responses recovered to baseline levels within 10 min in most slices but persisted for up to 60 min in others. 3. Postsynaptic passive electrical properties and the ability to elicit action potentials by postsynaptic depolarization were not altered during depression. 4. The magnitude and time course of depression was similar whether postsynaptic responses were mediated by alpha amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type glutamate receptors. Depression was not altered by antagonism of AMPA or NMDA receptors or potentiation of AMPA receptor function with aniracetam. 5. Depression was blocked by treatments that increase transmitter release including increased extracellular Ca2+, application of 4-aminopyridine, or application of phorbol ester. 6. Our findings indicate that glutamatergic synapses in neostriatum are capable of expressing a form of synaptic depression that may involve decreased glutamate release.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources