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Volume 16, Number 10, Issue of May 15, 1996 pp. 3373-3380
Copyright ©1996 Society for Neuroscience

Low-Frequency Stimulation Cancels the High-Frequency-Induced Long-Lasting Effects in the Rat Medial Vestibular Nuclei

Received Feb. 6, 1996; accepted Feb. 28, 1996.

S. Grassi¹, V. E. Pettorossi¹, and M. Zampolini²

¹ Institute of Human Physiology, University of Perugia, I-06100 Perugia, Italy, and ² Rehabilitation Centre, Hospital of Trevi, I-06039 Trevi, Italy

In rat brainstem slices, we investigated the effects of low-frequency stimulation (LFS) of the primary vestibular afferents on the amplitude of the field potentials evoked in the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN). LFS induced long-term effects, the sign of which depended on whether the vestibular neurons were previously conditioned by HFS. In unconditioned slices, LFS evoked modifications of the responses that were similar to those observed after HFS but had a smaller extension. In fact, LFS caused long-lasting potentiation of the N1 wave in the MVN ventral portion (Vp) and long-lasting depression of the N2 wave in the MVN dorsal portion (Dp), whereas it provoked small and variable effects on the N1 wave. By contrast, when the synaptic transmission was already conditioned, LFS influenced the synaptic responses oppositely, reducing or annulling the HFS long-term effects. This phenomenon was specifically induced by LFS, because HFS was not able to cause it. The involvement of NMDA receptors in mediating the LFS long-term effects was supported by the fact that AP-5 prevented their induction. In addition, the annulment of HFS long-term effects by LFS was also demonstrated by the shift in the latency of the evoked unitary potentials after LFS. In conclusion, we suggest that the reduction of the previously induced conditioning could represent a cancellation mechanism, useful to quickly adapt the vestibular system to continuous different needs and to avoid saturation.

Key words: low-frequency stimulation; high-frequency stimulation; long-lasting effect; medial vestibular nucleus; NMDA receptor; field potential

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Grassi, C. Dieni, A. Frondaroli, and V. E. Pettorossi Influence of visual experience on developmental shift from long-term depression to long-term potentiation in the rat medial vestibular nuclei J. Physiol., November 1, 2004; 560(3): 767 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M. Broussard and C. D. Kassardjian Learning in a Simple Motor System Learn. Mem., March 1, 2004; 11(2): 127 - 136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Grassi, E. Francescangeli, G. Goracci, and V. E. Pettorossi Role of Platelet-Activating Factor in Long-Term Potentiation of the Rat Medial Vestibular Nuclei J Neurophysiol, June 1, 1998; 79(6): 3266 - 3271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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