Decline of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat auditory cortex in vivo during postnatal life: Involvement of NR2B subunits

Development of network oscillations through adolescence in male and female rats

The primary aim of this research was to study the developmental trajectory of oscillatory synchronization in neural networks of normal healthy rats during adolescence, corresponding to the vulnerable age of schizophrenia prodrome in human. To monitor the development of oscillatory networks through adolescence we used a "pseudo-longitudinal" design. Recordings were performed in terminal experiments under urethane anesthesia, every day from PN32 to PN52 using rats-siblings from the same mother, to reduce individual innate differences between subjects. We found that hippocampal theta power decreased and delta power in prefrontal cortex increased through adolescence, indicating that the oscillations in the two different frequency bands follow distinct developmental trajectories to reach the characteristic oscillatory activity found in adults. Perhaps even more importantly, theta rhythm showed age-dependent stabilization toward late adolescence. Furthermore, sex differences was found in both networks, more prominent in the prefrontal cortex compared with hippocampus. Delta increase was stronger in females and theta stabilization was completed earlier in females, in postnatal days PN41-47, while in males it was only completed in late adolescence. Our finding of a protracted maturation of theta-generating networks in late adolescence is overall consistent with the findings of longitudinal studies in human adolescents, in which oscillatory networks demonstrated a similar pattern of maturation.

Brain-Generated 17β-Estradiol Modulates Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in the Primary Auditory Cortex of Adult Male Rats

Neuron-derived 17β-estradiol (E2) alters synaptic transmission and plasticity in brain regions with endocrine and non-endocrine functions. Investigations into a modulatory role of E2 in synaptic activity and plasticity have mainly focused on the rodent hippocampal formation. In songbirds, E2 is synthesized by auditory forebrain neurons and promotes auditory signal processing and memory for salient acoustic stimuli; however, the modulatory effects of E2 on memory-related synaptic plasticity mechanisms have not been directly examined in the auditory forebrain. We investigated the effects of bidirectional E2 manipulations on synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat primary auditory cortex (A1). Immunohistochemistry revealed widespread neuronal expression of the E2 biosynthetic enzyme aromatase in multiple regions of the rat sensory and association neocortex, including A1. In A1, E2 application reduced the threshold for in vivo LTP induction at layer IV synapses, whereas pharmacological suppression of E2 production by aromatase inhibition abolished LTP induction at layer II/III synapses. In acute A1 slices, glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor-mediated currents were sensitive to E2 manipulations in a layer-specific manner. These findings demonstrate that locally synthesized E2 modulates synaptic transmission and plasticity in A1 and suggest potential mechanisms by which E2 contributes to auditory signal processing and memory.

NMDARs Containing NR2B Subunit Do Not Contribute to the LTP Form of Hippocampal Plasticity: In Vivo Pharmacological Evidence in Rats

Synaptic plasticity is the key to synaptic health, and aberrant synaptic plasticity, which in turn impairs the functioning of large-scale brain networks, has been associated with neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. The best known and most studied form of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity remains long-term potentiation (LTP), which is controlled by glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors (NMDAR) and considered to be a mechanism crucial for cellular learning and memory. Over the past two decades, discrepancies have arisen in the literature regarding the contribution of NMDAR subunit assemblies in the direction of NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity. Here, the nonspecific NMDAR antagonist ketamine (5 and 10 mg/kg), and the selective NR2B antagonists CP-101606 and Ro 25-6981 (6 and 10 mg/kg), were administered intraperitoneally in Sprague Dawley rats to disentangle the contribution of NR2B subunit in the LTP induced at the Schaffer Collateral-CA1 synapse using the theta burst stimulation protocol (TBS). Ketamine reduced, while CP-101606 and Ro 25-6981 did not alter the LTP response. The administration of CP-101606 before TBS did not influence the effects of ketamine when administered half an hour after tetanization, suggesting a limited contribution of the NR2B subunit in the action of ketamine. This work confirms the role of NMDAR in the LTP form of synaptic plasticity, whereas specific blockade of the NR2B subunit was not sufficient to modify hippocampal LTP. Pharmacokinetics at the doses used may have contributed to the lack of effects with specific antagonists. The findings refute the role of the NR2B subunit in the plasticity mechanism of ketamine in the model.

Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity, Spatial Memory, and Neurotransmitter Receptor Expression Are Profoundly Altered by Gradual Loss of Hearing Ability

Sensory information comprises the substrate from which memories are created. Memories of spatial sensory experience are encoded by means of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Hippocampal dependency on sensory information is highlighted by the fact that sudden and complete loss of a sensory modality results in an impairment of hippocampal function that persists for months. Effects are accompanied by extensive changes in the expression of neurotransmitter receptors in cortex and hippocampus, consistent with a substantial adaptive reorganization of cortical function. Whether gradual sensory loss affects hippocampal function is unclear. Progressive age-dependent hearing loss (presbycusis) is a risk factor for cognitive decline. Here, we scrutinized C57BL/6 mice that experience hereditary and cumulative deafness starting in young adulthood. We observed that 2–4 months postnatally, increases in the cortical and hippocampal expression of GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor occurred compared to control mice that lack sensory deficits. Furthermore, GABA and metabotropic glutamate receptor expression were significantly altered. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity was profoundly impaired and mice exhibited significant deficits in spatial memory. These data show that during cortical adaptation to cumulative loss of hearing, plasticity-related neurotransmitter expression is extensively altered in the cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, cumulative sensory loss compromises hippocampal function.

Peripheral Sensory Deprivation Restores Critical-Period-like Plasticity to Adult Somatosensory Thalamocortical Inputs

Recent work has shown that thalamocortical (TC) inputs can be plastic after the developmental critical period has closed, but the mechanism that enables re-establishment of plasticity is unclear. Here, we find that long-term potentiation (LTP) at TC inputs is transiently restored in spared barrel cortex following either a unilateral infra-orbital nerve (ION) lesion, unilateral whisker trimming, or unilateral ablation of the rodent barrel cortex. Restoration of LTP is associated with increased potency at TC input and reactivates anatomical map plasticity induced by whisker follicle ablation. The reactivation of TC LTP is accompanied by reappearance of silent synapses. Both LTP and silent synapse formation are preceded by transient re-expression of synaptic GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are required for the reappearance of TC plasticity. These results clearly demonstrate that peripheral sensory deprivation reactivates synaptic plasticity in the mature layer 4 barrel cortex with features similar to the developmental critical period.

Gating of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the thalamocortical auditory system of rats by serotonergic (5-HT) receptors

The neuromodulator serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) plays an important role in controlling the induction threshold and maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the visual cortex and hippocampus of rodents. Serotonergic fibers also innervate the rodent primary auditory cortex (A1), but the regulation of A1 plasticity by 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) is largely uncharted. Thus, we examined the role of several, predominant 5-HT receptor classes (5-HT_1ARs, 5-HT₂Rs, and 5-HT₃Rs) in gating in vivo LTP induction at A1 synapses of adult, urethane-anesthetized rats. Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) applied to the medial geniculate nucleus resulted in successful LTP induction of field postsynaptic potentials (fPSPs) generated by excitation of thalamocortical and intracortical A1 synapses. Local application (by reverse microdialysis in A1) of the broad-acting 5-HTR antagonist methiothepin suppressed LTP at both thalamocortical and intracortical synapses. In fact, rather than LTP, TBS elicited long-term depression during methiothepin application, an effect that was mimicked by the selective 5-HT₂R antagonist ketanserin, but not the 5-HT_1AR blocker WAY 100635. Interestingly, antagonism of 5-HT₃Rs by granisetron selectively blocked LTP at thalamocortical, but not intracortical A1 synapses. Further, in the absence of TBS, granisetron application resulted in a pronounced increase in fPSP amplitude, suggesting that 5-HT₃Rs play an important role in regulating baseline (non-potentiated) transmission at A1 synapses. Together, these results indicate that activation of 5-HT₂Rs and 5-HT₃Rs, but not 5-HT_1ARs, exerts a clear, facilitating effect on LTP induction at A1 synapses, allowing 5-HT to act as a powerful regulator of long-term plasticity induction in the fully matured A1 of mammalian species.

Effects of Patterned Sound Deprivation on Short- and Long-Term Plasticity in the Rat Thalamocortical Auditory System In Vivo

Postnatal sensory experience plays a significant role in the maturation and synaptic stabilization of sensory cortices, such as the primary auditory cortex (A1). Here, we examined the effects of patterned sound deprivation (by rearing in continuous white noise, WN) during early postnatal life on short- and long-term plasticity of adult male rats using an in vivo preparation (urethane anesthesia). Relative to age-matched control animals reared under unaltered sound conditions, rats raised in WN (from postnatal day 5 to 50–60) showed greater levels of long-term potentiation (LTP) of field potentials in A1 induced by theta-burst stimulation (TBS) of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN). In contrast, analyses of short-term plasticity using paired-pulse stimulation (interstimulus intervals of 25–1000 ms) did not reveal any significant effects of WN rearing. However, LTP induction resulted in a significant enhancement of paired-pulse depression (PPD) for both rearing conditions. We conclude that patterned sound deprivation during early postnatal life results in the maintenance of heightened, juvenile-like long-term plasticity (LTP) into adulthood. Further, the enhanced PPD following LTP induction provides novel evidence that presynaptic mechanisms contribute to thalamocortical LTP in A1 under in vivo conditions.

Metaplastic up-regulation of LTP in the rat visual cortex by monocular visual training: requirement of task mastery, hemispheric specificity, and NMDA-GluN2B involvement

"Metaplasticity" is defined as an alteration of synaptic plasticity properties or mechanisms by a priming event without actual changes in synaptic strength. For example, visual discrimination training of rats leads to a facilitation of the subsequent induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) between the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the primary visual cortex (V1). Here, rats received visual discrimination training in a modified water maze, with one eye occluded during training to create monocular viewing conditions; 63% of rats acquired the task under these conditions. Following training, in vivo electrophysiology was used to examine LTP of field postsynaptic potentials (fPSPs) in V1 elicited by LGN stimulation. Rats that had successfully learned the task showed significantly greater LTP in the "trained V1" (contralateral to the open, trained eye) relative to the "untrained" hemisphere. Rats that underwent training but failed to acquire the task did not show this lateralized plasticity enhancement and had similar levels of LTP in both cerebral hemispheres. Cortical application of the NMDA receptor-GluN2B subunit antagonist Ro 25-6981 (2 mM) reversed the training-induced LTP facilitation without affecting LTP in the untrained V1. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of V1 (layers II/III) pyramidal cells in vitro demonstrated that pharmacologically isolated NMDA currents exhibit a greater sensitivity to GluN2B blockade in the trained relative to the untrained V1. Together, these experiments reveal a surprising degree of anatomical (only in the hemisphere contralateral to the trained eye) and behavioral specificity (only in rats that mastered the task) for the effect of visual training to enhance LTP in V1. Further, cortical GluN2B subunits appear to be directly involved in this metaplastic facilitation of thalamocortical plasticity, suggesting that NMDA subunit composition or functioning is, at least in part, regulated by the exposure to behaviorally significant stimuli in an animal's sensory environment.

Chronic fluoxetine treatment suppresses plasticity (long-term potentiation) in the mature rodent primary auditory cortex in vivo

Several recent studies have provided evidence that chronic treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine can facilitate synaptic plasticity (e.g., ocular dominance shifts) in the adult central nervous system. Here, we assessed whether fluoxetine enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) in the thalamocortical auditory system of mature rats, a developmentally regulated form of plasticity that shows a characteristic decline during postnatal life. Adult rats were chronically treated with fluoxetine (administered in the drinking water, 0.2 mg/mL, four weeks of treatment). Electrophysiological assessments were conducted using an anesthetized (urethane) in vivo preparation, with LTP of field potentials in the primary auditory cortex (A1) induced by theta-burst stimulation of the medial geniculate nucleus. We find that, compared to water-treated control animals, fluoxetine-treated rats did not express higher levels of LTP and, in fact, exhibited reduced levels of potentiation at presumed intracortical A1 synapses. Bioactivity of fluoxetine was confirmed by a reduction of weight gain and fluid intake during the four-week treatment period. We conclude that chronic fluoxetine treatment fails to enhance LTP in the mature rodent thalamocortical auditory system, results that bring into question the notion that SSRIs act as general facilitators of synaptic plasticity in the mammalian forebrain.

Presynaptic gating of postsynaptic synaptic plasticity: a plasticity filter in the adult auditory cortex

Sensory cortices can not only detect and analyze incoming sensory information but can also undergo plastic changes while learning behaviorally important sensory cues. This experience-dependent cortical plasticity is essential for shaping and modifying neuronal circuits to perform computations of multiple, previously unknown sensations, the adaptive process that is believed to underlie perceptual learning. Intensive efforts to identify the mechanisms of cortical plasticity have provided several important clues; however, the exact cellular sites and mechanisms within the intricate neuronal networks that underlie cortical plasticity have yet to be elucidated. In this review, we present several parallels between cortical plasticity in the auditory cortex and recently discovered mechanisms of synaptic plasticity gating at thalamocortical projections that provide the main input to sensory cortices. Striking similarities between the features and mechanisms of thalamocortical synaptic plasticity and those of experience-dependent cortical plasticity in the auditory cortex, especially in terms of regulation of an early critical period, point to thalamocortical projections as an important locus of plasticity in sensory cortices.

Muscarinic and nicotinic modulation of thalamo-prefrontal cortex synaptic plasticity [corrected] in vivo

The mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MD) is a rich source of afferents to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Dysfunctions in the thalamo-prefrontal connections can impair networks implicated in working memory, some of which are affected in Alzheimer disease and schizophrenia. Considering the importance of the cholinergic system to cortical functioning, our study aimed to investigate the effects of global cholinergic activation of the brain on MD-mPFC synaptic plasticity by measuring the dynamics of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) in vivo. Therefore, rats received intraventricular injections either of the muscarinic agonist pilocarpine (PILO; 40 nmol/µL), the nicotinic agonist nicotine (NIC; 320 nmol/µL), or vehicle. The injections were administered prior to either thalamic high-frequency (HFS) or low-frequency stimulation (LFS). Test pulses were applied to MD for 30 min during baseline and 240 min after HFS or LFS, while field postsynaptic potentials were recorded in the mPFC. The transient oscillatory effects of PILO and NIC were monitored through recording of thalamic and cortical local field potentials. Our results show that HFS did not affect mPFC responses in vehicle-injected rats, but induced a delayed-onset LTP with distinct effects when applied following PILO or NIC. Conversely, LFS induced a stable LTD in control subjects, but was unable to induce LTD when applied after PILO or NIC. Taken together, our findings show distinct modulatory effects of each cholinergic brain activation on MD-mPFC plasticity following HFS and LFS. The LTP-inducing action and long-lasting suppression of cortical LTD induced by PILO and NIC might implicate differential modulation of thalamo-prefrontal functions under low and high input drive.

Thalamocortical inputs show post-critical-period plasticity

Experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain has clinical potential for functional rehabilitation following central and peripheral nerve injuries. Here, plasticity induced by unilateral infraorbital (IO) nerve resection in 4-week-old rats was mapped using MRI and synaptic mechanisms were elucidated by slice electrophysiology. Functional MRI demonstrates a cortical potentiation compared to thalamus 2 weeks after IO nerve resection. Tracing thalamocortical (TC) projections with manganese-enhanced MRI revealed circuit changes in the spared layer 4 (L4) barrel cortex. Brain slice electrophysiology revealed TC input strengthening onto L4 stellate cells due to an increase in postsynaptic strength and the number of functional synapses. This work shows that the TC input is a site for robust plasticity after the end of the previously defined critical period for this input. Thus, TC inputs may represent a major site for adult plasticity in contrast to the consensus that adult plasticity mainly occurs at cortico-cortical connections.

About similar characteristics of visual perceptual learning and LTP

Perceptual learning is an implicit form of learning which induces long-lasting perceptual enhancements. Perceptual learning shows intriguing characteristics. For example, a minimal number of trials per session is needed for learning and the interleaved presentation of more than one stimulus type can hinder learning. Here, we show that these and other characteristics of perceptual learning are very similar to characteristics of long-term potentiation (LTP), the basic mechanism of memory formation. We outline these characteristics and discuss results of electrophysiological experiments which indirectly link LTP and perceptual learning.

Developmental changes of TrkB signaling in response to exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor in primary cortical neurons

Neocortical circuits are most sensitive to sensory experience during a critical period of early development. Previous studies implicate that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and GABAergic inhibition may control the timing of the critical period. By using an in vitro maturation model, we found that neurons at DIV (day in vitro) 7, around a period when functional synapses start to form and GABAergic inhibition emerges, displayed the most dynamic activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and CREB by exogenous BDNF. The BDNF-stimulated transcriptional up-regulation of CREB target genes was also the highest in DIV 7 neurons. The basal level of ERK1/2 and CREB activity, as well as the expression of CREB target genes, increased along with maturation, and neurons at DIV 13 and 22 displayed less dynamic responses to BDNF. Furthermore, we found that the developmentally regulated GABAergic inhibition correlated with the decline of BDNF-mediated signaling during maturation. BDNF stimulation along with suppression of GABAergic inhibition enhanced the activation of ERK1/2-CREB signaling and gene transcription in mature neurons. Conversely, BDNF stimulation along with enhancement of GABAergic inhibition reduced the overall induction of intracellular signaling in younger neurons. We propose that the less dynamic molecular changes may play a certain role in the loss of plasticity during maturation.

Transient changes of cortical interhemispheric responses after repeated caffeine administration in immature rats

Repeated postnatal caffeine treatment of rat pups led to transient developmental changes in cortical epileptic afterdischarges. To know if physiological cortical functions are also affected transcallosal evoked potentials were studied. Rat pups of the Wistar strain were injected daily with caffeine (10 or 20 mg/kg s.c.) from postnatal day (P) 7 to P11, control siblings received saline. Cortical interhemispheric responses were tested at P12, 18, 25 and in young adult rats. Amplitude of initial monosynaptic components was evaluated in averaged responses. Single pulses as well as paired and frequency (five pulses) stimulations were used. Developmental rules - highest amplitude of responses in 25-day-old rats, potentiation with paired and frequency stimulation present since P18 - were confirmed. Caffeine-treated rats exhibited transient changes: single responses were augmented in P25 if high stimulation intensity was used, paired-pulse and frequency responses were higher in experimental than in control animals at P12, the opposite change was observed in 18- and more markedly in 25-day-old rats. No significant changes were found in adult animals, monosynaptic transcallosal responses represent a simple and robust system. The developmental profile of described changes did not exactly correspond to changes in epileptic afterdischarges supporting the possibility that afterdischarges did not arise from early monosynaptic components of responses. In spite of transient nature of changes they can reflect delayed or more probably modified brain development.

Genetic variants of the NMDA receptor influence cortical excitability and plasticity in humans

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play crucial roles in glutamate-mediated synaptic transmission and plasticity and are involved in a variety of brain functions. Specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding NMDA receptor subunits have been associated with some neuropsychiatric disorders involving altered glutamate transmission, but how these polymorphisms impact on synaptic function in humans is unknown. Here, the role of NMDA receptors in the control of cortical excitability and plasticity was explored by comparing the response to single, paired, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulations of the motor cortex in 77 healthy subjects carrying specific allelic variants of the NR1 subunit gene (GRIN1 rs4880213 and rs6293) or of the NR2B subunit gene (GRIN2B rs7301328, rs3764028, and rs1805247). Our results showed that individuals homozygous for the T allele in the rs4880213 GRIN1 SNP had reduced intracortical inhibition, as expected for enhanced glutamatergic excitation in these subjects. Furthermore, individuals carrying the G allele in the rs1805247 GRIN2B SNP show greater intracortical facilitation and greater long-term potentiation-like cortical plasticity after intermittent -burst stimulation. Our results provide novel insights into the function of NMDA receptors in the human brain and might contribute to the clarification of the synaptic bases of severe neuropsychiatric disorders associated with defective glutamate transmission.

Pharmacological and deprivation-induced reinstatement of juvenile-like long-term potentiation in the primary auditory cortex of adult rats

Sensory cortices show a decline in synaptic plasticity (e.g., long-term potentiation, LTP) during postnatal maturation. We demonstrate a partial reversal of this decline in rat primary auditory cortex (A1) by pharmacological manipulations or modifications of the acoustic environment. In adult, anesthetized rats, field postsynaptic potentials (fPSPs) in A1 elicited by medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) stimulation consisted of two sequential peaks. Simultaneous application in A1 of a GABA(A) receptor agonist (muscimol) and GABA(B) receptor antagonist (SCH 50911), thought to result in a preferential inhibition of intracortical activity while preserving thalamocortical inputs, suggested that these two fPSP components largely reflect thalamocortical and intracortical synapses, respectively. Rats (postnatal day [PD]60-70) showed moderate LTP of fPSPs following theta-burst stimulation (TBS) of the MGN. Interestingly, repeated episodes (PD10-20 & 50-60) of patterned sound deprivation by continuous white noise exposure resulted in substantial LTP, an effect not seen with single exposure (PD10-20 or 50-60), or two episodes during adulthood (PD50-60 & 100-110). Thus, early sensory deprivation acts as a "prime," allowing subsequent deprivation to reinstate juvenile-like levels of LTP. Older (>PD200) rats that no longer exhibit LTP in A1 showed LTP of the first fPSP peak when TBS occurred during cortical zinc application. We conclude that the age-related decline of plasticity in A1 can be partially reversed by pharmacological techniques or manipulations of the acoustic environment during specific periods of postnatal life.

[Molecular biological aspects of neuroplasticity: approaches for treating tinnitus and hearing disorders]

Peripheral and central structures are involved in the onset of tinnitus. Neuronal plasticity is of special importance for the occurrence of central tinnitus and its persistent form. Neuronal plasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt its own structure (synapses, nerve cells, or even whole areas of the brain) and its organization to modified biological requirements. Neuroplasticity is an ongoing dynamic process. Generally speaking, there are two types of plasticity: synaptic and cortical. Cortical plasticity involves activity-dependent changes in size, connectivity, or in the activation pattern of cortical networks. Synaptic plasticity refers to the activity-dependent change in the strength of synaptic transmission and can affect both the morphology and physiology of the synapse. The stimulation of afferent fibers leads to long-lasting changes in synaptic transmission. This phenomenon is called long-term potentiation (LTP) or long-term depression (LTD). From the perspective of molecular biology, synaptic plasticity is of particular importance for the development of tinnitus and its persistence. Ultimately, the damage to the hair cells, auditory nerve, and excitotoxicity results in an imbalance between LTP and LTD and thus in changes of synaptic plasticity. After excessive acoustic stimulation, LTP can be induced by the increase of afferent inputs, whereas decreased afferent inputs generate LTD. The imbalance between LTP and LTD leads to changes in gene expression and involves changes in neurotransmission, in the expression of the receptors, ion channels, regulatory enzymes, and in direct changes on the synapses. This causes an increase of activity on the cellular level. As a result, the imbalance can lead to hyperactivity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, and in the auditory cortex and, later on, to changes in cortical plasticity leading to tinnitus.

Visual experience induces long-term potentiation in the primary visual cortex

Stimulus-specific response potentiation (SRP) is a robust form of experience-dependent plasticity that occurs in primary visual cortex. In awake mice, visual evoked potentials (VEPs) recorded in layer 4 of binocular visual cortex undergo increases in amplitude with repeated presentation of a sinusoidal grating stimulus over days. This effect is highly specific to the experienced stimulus. Here, we test whether the mechanisms of thalamocortical long-term potentiation (LTP), induced with a theta burst electrical stimulation (TBS) of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, are sufficient to account for SRP. First, we demonstrate that LTP similarly enhances the amplitude of VEPs, but in a way that generalizes across multiple stimuli, spatial frequencies, and contrasts. Second, we show that LTP occludes the subsequent expression of SRP. Third, we reveal that previous SRP occludes TBS-induced LTP of the VEP evoked by the experienced stimulus, but not by unfamiliar stimuli. Finally, we show that SRP is rapidly and selectively reversed by local cortical infusion of a peptide that inhibits PKMζ, a constitutively active kinase known to maintain NMDA receptor-dependent LTP and memory. Thus, SRP is expressed by the same core mechanisms as LTP. SRP therefore provides a simple assay to assess the integrity of LTP in the intact nervous system. Moreover, the results suggest that LTP of visual cortex, like SRP, can potentially be exploited to improve vision.

Environmental noise affects auditory temporal processing development and NMDA-2B receptor expression in auditory cortex

Auditory temporal processing is essential for sound discrimination and speech comprehension. Under normal developmental conditions, temporal processing acuity improves with age. As recent animal studies have shown that the functional development of the auditory cortex (AC) is impaired by early life exposure to environmental noise (i.e., continuous, moderate-level, white noise), here we investigated whether the normal age-related improvement in temporal processing acuity is sensitive to delayed development of the AC. We used a behavioral paradigm, the gap-induced prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex, to assess the gap detection threshold, and provide a comparison of temporal processing acuity between environmental noise-reared rats and age-matched controls. Moreover, because age-related changes normally occur in the relative expression of different N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits, we assessed the level of protein expression of NMDA-2A and 2B receptors (NR2A and NR2B respectively) in the AC after environmental noise-rearing. As hypothesized, rats reared in environmental noise showed (1) poor temporal processing acuity as adults (i.e., gap detection threshold remained elevated at a juvenile-like level), and (2) an increased level of NR2B protein expression compared to age-matched controls. This poor temporal processing acuity represented delayed development rather than permanent impairment, as moving these environmental noise-reared rats to normal acoustic conditions improved their gap detection threshold to an age-appropriate level. Furthermore, housing normally reared, adult rats in environmental noise for two months did not affect their already-mature gap detection threshold. Thus, masking normal sound inputs with environmental noise during early life, but not adulthood, impairs temporal processing acuity as assessed with the gap detection threshold.

Orexin-1 receptor mediates long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus area of freely moving rats

Orexin neurons, localized in the lateral hypothalamus area, synthesize two neuropeptides called orexin A and orexin B and send their axons to hippocampal formation including dentate gyrus (DG). Orexin A and orexin B act as endogenous ligands for two G-protein coupled receptors called orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptors (OX1R and OX2R). In the dentate gyrus (DG) region, OX1R, which has high affinity for orexin A, is expressed. Conflicting results have been reported regarding the effect of orexinergic system on synaptic plasticity. When given alone, SB-334867-A, a non-peptide OX1R antagonist, is a suitable drug to assess the natural and physiological significance of endogenous orexins. In the present research, we studied the effects of DG-OX1Rs antagonization on long-term potentiation (LTP) using two different high frequency stimulation (HFS) protocols i.e. 200 and 400 Hz in freely moving rats. The results showed that inactivation of DG-OX1Rs impair LTP induction in both HFS protocols which lasts beyond 24 h. This occurs with respect to both the population excitatory post-synaptic potential slope and population spike amplitude. Our findings suggest that endogenous orexins are involved in the expression of LTP, at least through DG-OX1Rs.

Selective Vulnerabilities of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) Receptors During Brain Aging

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are present in high density within the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and play an important role in learning and memory. NMDA receptors are negatively affected by aging, but these effects are not uniform in many different ways. This review discusses the selective age-related vulnerabilities of different binding sites of the NMDA receptor complex, different subunits that comprise the complex, and the expression and functions of the receptor within different brain regions. Spatial reference, passive avoidance, and working memory, as well as place field stability and expansion all involve NMDA receptors. Aged animals show deficiencies in these functions, as compared to young, and some studies have identified an association between age-associated changes in the expression of NMDA receptors and poor memory performance. A number of diet and drug interventions have shown potential for reversing or slowing the effects of aging on the NMDA receptor. On the other hand, there is mounting evidence that the NMDA receptors that remain within aged individuals are not always associated with good cognitive functioning. This may be due to a compensatory response of neurons to the decline in NMDA receptor expression or a change in the subunit composition of the remaining receptors. These studies suggest that developing treatments that are aimed at preventing or reversing the effects of aging on the NMDA receptor may aid in ameliorating the memory declines that are associated with aging. However, we need to be mindful of the possibility that there may also be negative consequences in aged individuals.