Selective impairment of learning and blockade of long-term potentiation by an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, AP5

Developmental changes in neuronal sensitivity to excitatory amino acids in area CA1 of the rat hippocampus

The laminar distribution of decreases in extracellular free calcium and concomitant field potentials induced by repetitive orthodromic stimulation, ionophoretic application of N-methyl-D-aspartate and quisqualate, was studied in the CA1 field of rat hippocampal slices, at two different stages during postnatal development. While stimulation-elicited and quisqualate-induced signals remain maximal in stratum pyramidale during the first postnatal month, the laminar profiles of responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) depend on age: the responses to this agonist are maximal in stratum pyramidale in 5-9-day-old rats and in stratum radiatum in 12-30-day-old rats. Our findings suggest that, during the second postnatal week, the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in area CAl become more sensitive to NMDA, which is expressed by big influxes of calcium at this level.

DBA/2Ibg mice are incapable of cholinergically-based learning in the Morris water task

In comparison to C57BL/6Ibg mice, DBA/2Ibg mice are slow to find a submerged platform in the Morris water task. Spatial learning in this task is known to be severely disrupted by treatments that reduce muscarinic cholinergic function. DBA mice were chronically treated with diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) in order to decrease muscarinic binding in the brain. Despite significant losses of binding sites in cortex, midbrain, hindbrain, hippocampus, and striatum, the mice failed to show an effect of DFP treatment on latency to reach the platform. Saline-treated DBA mice showed only marginal preference for searching the appropriate region of the pool during a probe trial in which the platform was absent from the pool. The pattern of search behavior was not altered by DFP treatment. These data are in strong contrast to data obtained previously with C57BL/6Ibg mice, which show accurate search behavior that is completely disrupted by DFP treatment. DBA mice thus appear incapable of true, cholinergically-mediated spatial learning. It is hypothesized that these mice lack normal function of the septo-hippocampal system.

Place navigation in rats is impaired by lesions of medial septum and diagonal band but not nucleus basalis magnocellularis

The role of forebrain cholinergic projections in place navigation learning was assessed in two experiments. Following surgery, rats were required to learn the spatial location of an underwater platform on the basis of distal room cues. Bilateral injections of ibotenic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis depleted choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) from the anterior and temporoparietal cortex but not the hippocampus. Separate histological studies confirmed the accuracy of the lesions and demonstrated a marked loss of cortical acetylcholinesterase. These rats subsequently showed no deficits in spatial learning or memory. In a second experiment, bilateral lesions of the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca and medial septum depleted ChAT from the hippocampus and posterior cortex but not the anterior cortex. Histological studies confirmed the accuracy of the lesion and showed a pronounced loss of acetylcholinesterase from the hippocampus. These rats were deficient in spatial learning and showed reduced spatial bias during transfer tests. The data are discussed in the light of the hypothesis that the cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus plays a key role in spatial reference memory processes involved in place navigation.

Intra-ventricular infusion of the NMDA antagonist AP5 impairs performance on a non-spatial operant DRL task in the rat

Rats were trained to lever press on a differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL-18 s) schedule. They were then allocated to four treatment groups. These were: hippocampal aspiration lesions [HIPP]; implantation of osmotic minipumps for intraventricular infusion of either (a) the NMDA receptor antagonist 30 mM D, L-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid [AP5] or (b) vehicle [VEH]; and an unoperated control group [UNOP]. In subsequent DRL testing, the HIPP group showed a profound and enduring loss of efficiency, resulting from an increased tendency to respond too early; the AP5 group showed a qualitatively similar, but less severe, impairment followed by full recovery once the minipumps had expired; the VEH and UNOP groups both maintained their pre-operative levels of efficiency. We conclude that AP5 infusion disrupts temporary memory storage in the hippocampus, and that the hippocampus is concerned with the retention of memories outside the purely spatial domain.

Glutamate transmission and toxicity in Alzheimer's disease

1. Despite intensive research, the cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. 2. Glutamate is the major excitatory transmitter of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and it appears to have an important role in learning and memory. In addition to its transmitter function, glutamate is a neurotoxin which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. 3. Glutamate toxicity may play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. 4. Disruption of glutamatergic neurotransmission may account, in part, for the learning and memory deficits of Alzheimer's disease. 5. Labeling of the glutamate receptor complex may allow in vivo diagnosis by positron emission tomography. 6. Glutamate receptor ligands may provide a means of therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer's disease.

Stable hippocampal long-term potentiation elicited by 'theta' pattern stimulation

The stability of long-term potentiation (LTP) elicited by a stimulation paradigm in which short high-frequency bursts of pulses were given in a 'theta' pattern (i.e. 5 bursts/s) was tested in a chronic recording study. Stimulation electrodes were implanted bilaterally in the Schaffer-commissural system while the recording electrode was placed in the apical dendritic field of the Ca1 zone of the hippocampus. Following 4 days of baseline testing, 'theta' stimulation was applied to one electrode for a total of 2 s (ten 30 ms bursts), after which testing was continued for 3 weeks or until the responses fell to below baseline levels. Data were collected from 25 animals and 3 types of results were obtained: (1) no LTP (n = 4), (2) LTP that decreased steadily from 24 h after high frequency stimulation onward (n = 4), and (3) LTP that was stable until recording was terminated or until the responses began a precipitous decrease to below baseline values (n = 17). The mean of the slopes of the curves relating degree of potentiation to days after 'theta' stimulation was less than 1%/day with a mean correlation coefficient of only 0.1 prior to the point at which the responses began their rapid decline. Control responses were unaffected by the induction of LTP in neighboring CA1 afferents and did not exhibit a reliable relationship with time. These results suggest that, for most rats, LTP elicited by theta pattern stimulation is stable until such time that stimulation-recording arrangements begin to deteriorate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A correlative study on hippocampal cation shifts and amino acids and clinico-pathological data in Alzheimer's disease

Amino acid transmitters and cations were assessed in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of 12 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 4 multi-infarct dementia (MID) patients, and 12 age-matched controls. In the hippocampus, but not in the frontal cortex of AD patients we observed an increase of sodium (Na) and a decrease of potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) content as compared to controls. Calcium (Ca) was not changed. These cation shifts were highly correlated with glutamate, which was significantly decreased in AD hippocampus. Hippocampal Na and K levels correlated also highly with gamma-aminobutyrate, cholineacetyltransferase and noradrenaline levels in the hippocampus and dementia scores. These results show that Na and K changes are sensitive markers for neurodegenerative processes in AD and suggest a loss of glutamatergic neurons in AD hippocampus.

L-homocysteic acid but not L-glutamate is an endogenous N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor preferring agonist in rat neocortical neurons in vitro

The effects of ionophoretically applied L-homocysteate (L-HCA), L-glutamate (L-Glu) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were compared in rat neocortical neurons recorded intracellularly in vitro. The firing pattern and the time course of membrane depolarization induced by L-HCA resembled those of NMDA responses. Action potentials evoked by NMDA and L-HCA were superimposed upon slow depolarizations in a burst-like pattern, while L-Glu elicited single spike discharges. Ionophoretically applied D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (2-APV) at doses sufficient to abolish NMDA responses, markedly reduced the L-HCA induced depolarizations but had no detectable effect on the L-Glu responses. The present findings are consistent with a possible role of L-HCA as an NMDA receptor preferring neurotransmitter in the rat frontal cortex.

Functional reconstitution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in artificial lipid bilayers

Functional reconstitution of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors was achieved by adding synaptic membranes from rat brain to large planar bimolecular lipid membranes (BLMs). The reconstituted receptors exhibited several properties of the NDMA receptors described using a variety of biochemical and electrophysiological techniques. Addition of NMDA at concentrations between 5 and 50 microM produced large, voltage-dependent increases in membrane conductivity. The selective antagonist of NMDA receptors, amino-2-phosphonopentanoate (AP-7), totally blocked the response of the bilayers to NMDA as did micromolar concentrations of magnesium; this latter effect was also voltage-dependent. These results indicate that BLMs can be used to study the ion channels and regulatory processes associated with NMDA receptors from adult brain in ways that could not be accomplished with conventional neurophysiological techniques.

Blockade of "NMDA" receptors disrupts experience-dependent plasticity of kitten striate cortex

Intracortical infusion of the "N-methyl-D-aspartate" (NMDA) receptor blocker D,L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) renders kitten striate cortex resistant to the effects of monocular deprivation. In addition, 1 week of continuous APV treatment (50 nanomoles per hour) produces a striking loss of orientation selectivity in area 17. These data support the hypothesis that crucial variables for the expression of activity-dependent synaptic modifications are a critical level of postsynaptic activation and calcium entry through ion channels linked to NMDA receptors.

MK-801 blocks NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and long term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices

The effect of the anticonvulsant and neuroprotective agent (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclo-hepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) has been studied on synaptic events in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. MK-801 blocked selectively the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated component of synaptic transmission, which can be recorded in response to single shock stimulation of the Schaffer collateral-commissural pathway in the absence of added Mg2+ to the perfusate. MK-801 also prevented the induction of long term potentiation, which is normally produced in this pathway by high frequency stimulation in the presence of Mg2+.

4-Aminopyridine inhibits synaptosomal plasma membrane protein phosphorylation in vitro: effect of the selective NMDA-antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate

Phosphorylation of synaptosomal plasma membranes from rat hippocampus in the presence of the convulsant drug 4-aminopyridine resulted in the inhibition of the phosphorylation of the nervous tissue specific protein kinase C substrate protein B-50 (48 kDa) and the alpha-subunit of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (50 kDa). Preincubation of SPM with 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate prevents the inhibition of B-50 phosphorylation by 4-aminopyridine, but had no effect on the inhibition of 50 kDa phosphorylation. 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate is known to be a specific N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist and has anti-epileptic activity in vitro and in vivo. Several other anti-epileptic drugs tested did not influence the 4-aminopyridine-induced inhibition of protein phosphorylation.

Sodium dependent D-[3H]aspartate binding in cerebral cortex in patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

The sodium dependent binding of D-[3H]aspartate to the high-affinity glutamate uptake system was used as a marker of glutamate-releasing terminals in the cerebral cortex of brains from patients with Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Sodium-dependent D-[3H]aspartate binding was reduced in the ATD patients but not in the PD patients. Within the PD patients no association was observed between sodium-dependent D-[3H]aspartate binding and the presence of dementia. In contrast choline acetyltransferase activity was reduced in both the ATD and the PD patients. The present results suggest that changes in the cortical cholinergic system can occur independently of the cortical glutamate system. The glutamatergic deficit in ATD may contribute to some of the clinical differences between the dementia of ATD and PD.

Selective memory impairment by phencyclidine in rats

Phencyclidine (PCP) users sometimes report lack of recall of events occurring while they are under the influence of the drug. The present experiment was designed to test whether rats remember information learned after PCP administration. Rats were trained to choose one arm of a T-maze to obtain a food reward. The following day they were injected with either PCP (1 mg/kg) or vehicle and trained to choose the opposite arm for a reward (reversal learning). A third group of rats received neither injections nor training on the second day. On the third day, all rats were tested for their preference of maze arms. Rats who had been injected with saline before reversal learning chose the arm rewarded during the reversal, while rats receiving PCP on the second day chose randomly. The rats which did not learn the reversal chose the arm learned on day 1. These results indicate that while PCP did not interfere with the rats ability to learn, it interfered with long-term storage of information.

Evidence for a role of the NMDA receptor in the frequency dependent potentiation of deep rat dorsal horn nociceptive neurones following C fibre stimulation

Ten nociceptive neurones located deep (greater than 640 microns) in the dorsal horn of the intact halothane anaesthetized rat were activated by transcutaneous electrical stimulation of their receptive fields producing short latency A beta and C fibre evoked activity. Repetitive C fibre stimulation (16 stimuli at 0.5 Hz) produced "wind up", an increase in the evoked activity with suceeding stimuli and consequently post discharges of the neurones. Direct application of aminophosphonovaleric acid (AP5) onto the cord surface (250 or 500 micrograms) produced minor changes in A and C fibre inputs onto the cells but reliably reduced "wind up" and the post discharges of the neurones. The results suggest an involvement of the NMDA receptor in this potentiation of dorsal horn nociceptive neurones.

Increase in [3H]glutamate release from slices of dentate gyrus and hippocampus following classical conditioning in the rat

The release of amino acids was examined in three hippocampal areas following classical conditioning. Paired or unpaired tone(CS)-shock(US) presentations were given to animals engaged in a previously acquired food-motivated lever-pressing task. Conditioned suppression of lever-pressing was the behavioural measure of conditioning. The dentate gyrus and areas CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampus were removed bilaterally from conditioned and pseudoconditioned animals, and slices cut and stored in liquid nitrogen for subsequent in vitro analysis of the release of radiolabelled glutamate and aspartate. K+-stimulated release of radiolabelled amino acids was analysed in the presence and absence of extracellular Ca2+. Potassium-stimulated, Ca2+-dependent release of [3H]glutamate was significantly greater in slices of dentate gyrus and area CA1 prepared from conditioned animals than from pseudoconditioned animals. This finding identifies a neurochemical change associated with classical conditioning which is similar to the increase in transmitter release seen in hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), and which is consistent with the hypothesis that an LTP-like mechanism is involved in mnemonic processes.

Behavioral stress impairs long-term potentiation in rodent hippocampus

A number of hormones secreted from the pituitary-adrenal system during stress affect learning and memory processes. The phenomenon of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is viewed by many as a putative mechanism of memory storage and has proved a most valuable model for study of neuronal plasticity at the cellular level. The present study was conducted to investigate the possibility that stressful events which occur prior (in vivo) to the preparation of brain slices may influence the electrophysiology of the in vitro hippocampal explant when tested for LTP. Adult male rats (Long-Evans male X Sprague-Dawley female) were pair-housed 1 week prior to testing. One animal in each pair was either placed in a restraining tube for 30 min and received no tail shocks (Restraint) or placed in a restraining tube and received tail shocks (1 microA, 1 s) every minute for 30 min (Restraint + Shock). The other animal in each pair was taken directly from the home cage and received no restraint or tail shock (Control). In vitro hippocampal slices were then prepared immediately from these animals according to standard methods. Our results demonstrate a marked impairment of LTP in hippocampal explants taken from rats exposed to stress. The significance of this result with respect to cellular mechanisms underlying the relationship between stress, cognition, and learning is discussed.

Characterization of an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor component of synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices

The involvement of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in synaptic transmission from Schaffer collateral-commissural fibres to CA1 neurons has been investigated in rat hippocampal slices. When the perfusion medium was changed from one containing 1 mM Mg2+ to one with no added Mg2+ there was a pronounced increase in the amplitude of the population spike, the appearance of secondary population spikes and in some slices spontaneous epileptiform discharges developed. The secondary and spontaneous population spikes were abolished by the selective N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate. The effects on the primary population spike depended on the strength of synaptic activation. At low intensities, the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist reduced or abolished this response whereas at high intensities the primary population spike was slightly increased in amplitude by this compound. Mg2+ had dose-dependent (20-500 microM) effects on synaptic responses which were identical to those of D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate. Increasing the Ca2+ concentration over a range of 1-3 mM also reduced or abolished secondary population spikes and, at low stimulus intensities, the primary population spike. At higher stimulus intensities, however, the primary population spike was insensitive to the Ca2+ concentration over this range. These results demonstrate the major extent to which N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors can contribute to synaptic transmission and epileptiform activity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. They also show that an important role of Mg2+ in this region is to prevent significant activation of this receptor system during low-frequency synaptic transmission.

Calcium dependent aspects of synaptic plasticity, excitatory amino acid neurotransmission, brain aging and schizophrenia: a unifying hypothesis

(1) The functional and structural reorganization of dendritic spines by calcium activated proteases is postulated to play a causal role in the production of the phenomenology of brain aging and in particular in the development of pathology and degeneration. Excitatory neurotransmission appears to be essential for the development of irreversible synaptic changes. (2) One of the genes modified in schizophrenia is postulated to be directly or indirectly linked to the control of excitatory neurotransmission; possibly the normal switching on of the expression of the adult form of the NMDA receptor is altered, resulting in an inappropriate functioning of this receptor. This genetic characteristic might explain the apparent resistance of schizophrenic brains to aging.

Postsynaptic long-term potentiation follows coupling of dendritic glutamate application and synaptic activation

Dendritic depolarization, which seems to be involved in the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP), was elicited by localized glutamate application. When paired to low frequency synaptic activation in the same area, the subsequent changes had features in common with LTP, expressed as an increased probability of firing and shorter spike latency. The EPSP was not significantly increased.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist desegregates eye-specific stripes

The optic tecta of surgically produced three-eyed tadpoles were chronically exposed to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist aminophosphonovaleric acid (APV), or to NMDA itself, to assess the influence of NMDA receptor/channels on the eye-specific segregation of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) terminals that occurs whenever two retinas innervate one tectal lobe. Exposure of the tectum to the active isomer of APV produces desegregation of the RGC terminals without blocking electrical activity in the afferents or altering their terminal arbor morphology. Exposure to the inactive isomer of APV causes no perturbation of the normal stripe pattern. APV-induced desegregation is completely reversible within 2 weeks of removal of the APV. In addition, exposure of the optic tectum to NMDA results in stripes with sharper borders and fewer forks and fusions than untreated animals. These results suggest that the NMDA receptor/channel plays a role in eye-specific segregation in the three-eyed tadpole.

Lasting changes in spontaneous multi-unit activity in the chick brain following passive avoidance training

Day-old chicks were trained on a one-trial passive avoidance task by pecking at a small, shiny bead coated with either a bitter-tasting substance (methylanthranilate) or water. The undifferentiated spontaneous multi-unit activity recorded bilaterally from anaesthetized chicks 1-13 h after training on the above task exhibited a significant increase in the methylanthranilate-trained over water-control chicks within three structures of the right hemisphere: the hyperstriatum accessorium (47%, P less than 0.05), the medial hyperstriatum ventrale (49.1%, P less than 0.02) and the medial portion of the paleostriatum augmentatum (47.5%, P less than 0.02). Within the multi-unit record obtained from both groups of chicks there were periods of short duration (15-20 ms) containing high-frequency (400-450 Hz) large-amplitude (greater than or equal to 200 microV; 450 microV max peak-to-peak) spikes. As a consequence of training, there was a massive increase in the occurrence of these bursting epochs in the medial hyperstriatum ventrale of both the left (320%, P less than 0.001) and right (350%, P less than 0.001) hemispheres in methylanthranilate-trained compared to water-trained chicks. In addition, the mean number of spikes per burst at this site increased by 66% (P less than 0.001) with no change observed in any other structure sampled. The statistically significant increase in activity within the right hyperstriatum accessorium and medial paleostriatum augmentatum and the non-significant increase in these structures in the left hemisphere was produced almost entirely by tonic spiking. Enhanced spontaneous multi-unit activity recorded under anaesthesia following passive avoidance training in the chick is shown here to be a feature common to several medial forebrain structures. The magnitude of the elevation in bursting frequency and the degree of localization of this effect to the medial hyperstriatum ventrale of methylanthranilate trained chicks would appear to offer strong support to previous biochemical and morphological evidence implicating this structure in the process of memory consolidation for this task. The data reported here represent the first evidence of electrophysiological changes occurring as a consequence of passive avoidance training in the domestic chick.

Brain spectrin, calpain and long-term changes in synaptic efficacy

This chapter discusses the possibility that proteolytic digestion of cytoskeletal proteins, in particular spectrin, is part of the mechanisms through which physiological activity elicits structural and chemical changes in brain synapses. Recent work from several laboratories has produced a description of the initial events that trigger the long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic responses that appears in hippocampus after brief episodes of high frequency electrical stimulation. A likely sequence is as follows: suppression of IPSPs, prolongation of EPSPs, activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, influx of calcium into target cells. After briefly describing the evidence for this triggering sequence, the review takes up the question of what types of calcium sensitive chemistries are available to synaptic region that could produce functional changes lasting for weeks (i.e., for LTP). It is argued that the partial degradation of spectrin by a calcium-activated protease (calpain) provides a mechanism of this type. Spectrin is a substrate for calpain and both it and a breakdown product comparable to that produced by calpain are found in postsynaptic densities. Moreover, there is substantial evidence that spectrin regulates the surface chemistry and morphology of cells and thus its partial degradation would be expected to produce pronounced and persistent modifications in synapses. To reinforce this point, the review discusses recent findings suggesting that calpain mediated proteolysis of spectrin and other cytoskeletal proteins produces substantial changes in the shape of blood-borne cells and the distribution of their surface receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Phencyclidine and related drugs bind to the activated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-channel complex in rat brain membranes

In functional studies, phenycyclidine (PCP) and similar drugs non-competitively antagonize neuronal responses to the excitatory amino acid, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Here we show that, in crude postsynaptic densities from rat brain, the binding of [3H]TCP (a PCP analogue) was enhanced almost 4-fold by L-glutamate and NMDA, but not by quisqualate, kainate or gamma-aminobutyric acid. The potencies of excitatory amino acid agonists and antagonists in the [3H]TCP binding assay closely paralleled their affinities for NMDA-sensitive L-[3H]glutamate binding sites. In contrast, dissociative anaesthetics and sigma-opiates inhibited [3H]TCP binding (with a profile characteristic of PCP binding sites), but had no effect on L-[3H]glutamate binding. These data indicate that PCP binding sites are linked to NMDA receptors, and that PCP and related drugs bind preferentially to the activated configuration of the NMDA receptor channel complex.

Spatial learning in the rat: impairment induced by the thiol-proteinase inhibitor, leupeptin, and an analysis of [3H]glutamate receptor binding in relation to learning

Rats were given continuous intraventricular infusion of saline or the thiol-proteinase inhibitor leupeptin, via subcutaneously implanted osmotic minipumps, while being trained on a spatial learning water task using spaced trials. Leupeptin caused overnight forgetting during training, but performance eventually reached asymptote in both groups. A retention test conducted 48 h later to assess spatial memory revealed no significant group differences, but did cause, in saline-treated rats only, a disruption of subsequent retraining back to the correct spatial location. The groups showed no differences in Cl-dependent [3H]glutamate receptor binding to hippocampal or entorhinal cortex membranes subsequent to training. In a second experiment, normal rats trained on the same task also showed no differences in Cl-dependent [3H]glutamate binding relative to rats exposed to the water task but given random spatial position training and handled controls. The results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis of Lynch and Baudry (Science (1984) 224, 1057-1063) that a calcium-dependent thiol proteinase is involved in memory formation through its ability to modify glutamate receptor distribution and dendritic spine shape.

Zinc selectively blocks the action of N-methyl-D-aspartate on cortical neurons

Large amounts of zinc are present in synaptic vesicles of mammalian central excitatory boutons and may be released during synaptic activity, but the functional significance of the metal for excitatory neurotransmission is currently unknown. Zinc (10 to 1000 micromolar) was found to have little intrinsic membrane effect on cortical neurons, but invariably produced a zinc concentration-dependent, rapid-onset, reversible, and selective attenuation of the membrane responses to N-methyl-D-aspartate, homocysteate, or quinolinate. In contrast, zinc generally potentiated the membrane responses to quisqualate or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate and often did not affect the response to kainate. Zinc also attenuated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity but not quisqualate or kainate neurotoxicity. The ability of zinc to specifically modulate postsynaptic neuronal responses to excitatory amino acid transmitters, reducing N-methyl-to-aspartate receptor-mediated excitation while often increasing quisqualate receptor-mediated excitation, is proposed to underlie its normal function at central excitatory synapses and furthermore could be relevant to neuronal cell loss in certain disease states.

Speculations on disease states induced by excitatory amino acids

There is much current interest in excitatory amino acids and their receptors because of their postulated involvement in several disorders of the nervous system. They function as neurotransmitters, but can act as neurotoxins in some situations. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cerebral hypoxic/ischemic and hypoglycemic damage, in epilepsy, in some degenerative diseases, and in some forms of neurotoxin-induced cerebral dysfunction. These diseases may reflect abnormality in a system which has evolved to provide synaptic plasticity essential for learning and memory. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ramifications of such a hypothesis.

NMDA receptors of dentate gyrus granule cells participate in synaptic transmission following kindling

In the mammalian central nervous system, receptors for the excitatory amino-acid neurotransmitters are divided into three subtypes depending on their sensitivity to three specific agonists: kainate, quisqualate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). The ionophores operated by NMDA are gated by Mg2+ in a voltage-dependent manner and allow passage of several cations, including Ca2+ which may be important in plastic alterations of neuronal excitability. Indeed, specific antagonists of NMDA receptors effectively block spatial learning, long-term potentiation and some animal models of chronic epilepsy. Despite their abundance on central neurons, NMDA receptors, with a few noteworthy exceptions, do not generally seem to be involved in low-frequency synaptic transmission. Here we report for the first time that NMDA receptors of the dentate gyrus, where they do not normally contribute to the generation of synaptic potentials, become actively involved in synaptic transmission following long-lasting neuronal changes induced by daily electrical stimulation (kindling) of the amygdala or hippocampal commissures. In contrast to controls, the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (e.p.s.ps) of granule cells in hippocampal slices obtained from kindled animals displayed characteristics typical of an NMDA-receptor-mediated component. The involvement of NMDA receptors in synaptic transmission may underlie the long-lasting changes in neuronal function induced by kindling.

Putative role of inositol phospholipid metabolism in neurons

Inositol phospholipids play a crucial role in the intracellular signal transduction in most cell types. Activation of an enzyme called phospholipase C or PIP2-phosphodiesterase (PIP2-PDE) leads to the production of two second messenger molecules, diacylglycerol (DG) and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). DG activates a kinase called protein kinase C, whereas IP3 mediates the release of Ca2+ from intracellular storage sites. The measurement of IP3 and its degradation products, inositol diphosphate (IP2) and inositol monophosphate (IP1) provides a way of assessing the extent to which this complex system has been activated. In the central nervous system (CNS) most of the studies on the neurotransmitter stimulated formation of inositol phosphates (IPs) have been performed on brain slices, a mixture of mainly neurons and glial cells. The recent development of pure neuronal cultures provides a means of determining which of these responses were of neuronal origin. The purpose of this review is to summarize the results obtained in neurons in primary culture together with a brief appraisal of the possible function of this second messenger system in neurons.

Ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia blocks consolidation of ocular dominance changes in kitten visual cortex

In the visual cortex of mammals, response properties of single neurons can be changed by restricted visual experience during early postnatal development. Covering one eye for four to eight hours when kittens are at the peak of the sensitive period is sufficient to weaken the influence of the occluded eye on cortical neurons resulting in a noticeable shift of ocular dominance towards the open eye. The underlying changes in synaptic connections do not occur so readily when a kitten is anaesthetized and paralysed. We report here that an ocular dominance shift is prevented in alert kittens that receive repeated brief monocular exposures when these are followed by ketamine-xylazine anaesthesia. This retrograde effect on cortical plasticity suggests that the process by which synaptic activity is converted into structural changes has been disturbed.

Dementia of the Alzheimer's type: changes in hippocampal L-[3H]glutamate binding

Glutamate or a related excitatory amino acid is thought to be the major excitatory neurotransmitter of hippocampal afferents, intrinsic neurons, and efferents. We have used an autoradiographic technique to investigate the status of excitatory amino acid receptors in the hippocampal formation of patients dying with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). We examined L-[3H]glutamate binding to sections from the hippocampal formation of six patients dying of DAT and six patients without DAT and found marked reductions in total [3H]glutamate binding in all regions of hippocampus and adjacent parahippocampal cortex in DAT brains as compared to controls. When subtypes of excitatory amino acid receptors were assayed, it was found that binding to the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-sensitive receptor was reduced by 75-87%, with the greatest loss found in stratum moleculare and stratum pyramidale of CA1. Binding to quisqualate (QA)-sensitive receptors was reduced by 45-69%. There were smaller reductions (21-46%) in GABAA receptors in DAT cases. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors assayed in adjacent sections of hippocampal formation were unchanged in DAT. Benzodiazepine receptors were reduced significantly only in parahippocampal cortex by 44%. These results suggest that glutamatergic neurotransmission within the hippocampal formation is likely to be severely impaired in Alzheimer's disease. Such impairment may account for some of the cognitive decline and memory deficits that characterize DAT.

Comparison of L-[3H]glutamate, D-[3H]aspartate, DL-[3H]AP5 and [3H]NMDA as ligands for NMDA receptors in crude postsynaptic densities from rat brain

L-[3H]Glutamate, D-[3H]aspartate, DL-[3H]2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5) and [3H]N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) were evaluated as radioligands using postsynaptic density (PSD) preparations from rat brain. L[3H]Glutamate had the highest affinity and greatest percentage specific binding, followed by D-[3H]aspartate greater than DL-[3H]AP5 greater than [3H]NMDA. The pharmacological specificity of the binding of each radioligand indicated an interaction with NMDA-preferring receptors, the order of potency of displacing compounds tested being L-glutamate greater than D-aspartate greater than D-AP5 greater than DL-AP5 greater than ibotenate greater than NMDLA greater than quisqualate. For L-[3H]glutamate, the data revealed an interaction with two sites, the major one having NMDA receptor characteristics and the minor one resembling the quisqualate-preferring receptor. Against L-[3H]glutamate binding, quisqualate showed a two-component inhibition profile with an affinity of 25 microM at the NMDA site and 0.19 microM at the quisqualate site. Thus, by using several radioligands possessing activity at NMDA receptors, we confirm that an NMDA receptor binding site is present in crude PSDs. Although it is less selective than D-[3H]aspartate, DL-[3H]AP5 and [3H]NMDA, L-[3H]glutamate remains, by virtue of its high affinity, the ligand of choice for the study of NMDA receptors in preparations where such sites predominate.

[3H]TCP binding sites in Alzheimer's disease

Quantitative autoradiography was used to determine the density and distribution of [3H]1-[1-(2-thienyl)-cyclohexyl]piperidine ([3H]TCP) binding sites in human hippocampal tissue sections from control and Alzheimer's disease patients. Some Alzheimer's cases showed no changes in binding site density while other cases showed substantial declines in the CA1 region. [3H]TCP binding in the CA1 region from Alzheimer's patients was reduced an average of 40% while the other hippocampal regions were unaffected. It is proposed that the loss of [3H]TCP sites in the hippocampal CA1 region of certain Alzheimer's cases is associated with the greater cell loss observed in cases of severe Alzheimer's disease.

Epileptiform activity induced by lowering extracellular [Mg2+] in combined hippocampal-entorhinal cortex slices: modulation by receptors for norepinephrine and N-methyl-D-aspartate

Reduction of extracellular Mg2+ concentration induced spontaneous and evoked epileptiform activity in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and dentate gyrus (DG) of combined hippocampus (HC)-EC slices. Extracellular field potentials, as well as changes in extracellular Ca2+ and K+ concentrations, were measured in EC and DG with ion-selective/reference electrodes during both repetitive and single stimuli. In the EC, lowering extracellular [Mg2+] induces both spontaneous and single stimulus evoked ictal events consisting of extracellular negative potential shifts (up to 5 mV, 30 sec), decreases in [Ca2+]0 and increases in [K+]0. In the DG, spontaneous events were much shorter, but similar changes in [Ca2+]0, [K+]0 and field potentials (FPs) could be evoked by brief high-frequency stimulation. In both areas, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist 2-aminophosphonovalerate (2-APV) completely blocked spontaneous as well as stimulus evoked epileptiform events. The neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), which has previously been shown to modulate long-term potentiation in the DG, was found to exhibit differential modulation of epileptiform activity in the EC and DG. In the EC, NE, acting via alpha 1-receptors, completely blocked low Mg2+-induced epileptiform activity. In contrast, in the DG, NE exhibited a beta-receptor mediated prolongation of the low Mg2+-induced ictal events, and enhanced the stimulus-induced ionic and field potential changes. From these results, we conclude that lowering extracellular [Mg2+], acting in large part through the removal of the Mg2+ voltage-dependent blockade of NMDA receptors, leads to induction of epileptiform activity in both the EC and DG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Density and distribution of NMDA receptors in the human hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease

We examined the distribution and density of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) displaceable L-[3H]glutamate binding sites in human hippocampal samples obtained postmortem from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and from age-matched controls. Binding to NMDA receptors was stable for at least 72 h postmortem, and the pharmacological profile corresponded to that described using electrophysiology. NMDA receptors were concentrated in the terminal fields of major hippocampal pathways including the perforant path, Schaffer collaterals and the hippocampal output to the subiculum, all of which are proposed to use an excitatory amino acid transmitter. Little if any change in hippocampal receptor density was observed in AD patients compared to age-matched controls except in one case where major hippocampal cell loss occurred. The distribution of NMDA receptors did, however, correspond to the predilection for neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in hippocampal subfields.

Glutamate-containing dipeptides do not modulate ligand binding at excitatory amino acid receptors

Dipeptides of the structure X-Glu (e.g. X = Phe, Leu) have been proposed as allosteric modulators of excitatory amino acid receptors in rat brain membranes. Here we report that these dipeptides reduce the binding of L-[3H]Glu (predominantly N-methyl-D-aspartate-sensitive sites) and of [3H]kainate to postsynaptic density preparations isolated from rat brain. However, several observations indicate that the effects of these dipeptides are mediated not by allosteric modulation, but by free L-Glu liberated by the actions of a membrane-associated aminopeptidase. The absolute and relative potencies of the dipeptides are similar at all acidic amino acid binding sites examined to date, suggesting the involvement of a factor with similar activity at each site (e.g. L-Glu). N-Acetyl-Met-Glu is a weak inhibitor of L-Glu and kainate binding, and N-blocked peptides are known to be poor substrates of aminopeptidases. Bestatin, an inhibitor of aminopeptidases, decreases or abolishes the effects of substrate dipeptides on L-Glu and kainate receptor binding, while having no effect itself.