Age and experience dependence of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-independent long-term potentiation in rat visual cortex

Tomohisa Ohmura; Ren Ming; Yumiko Yoshimura; Yukio Komatsu

doi:10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00170-8

Age and experience dependence of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-independent long-term potentiation in rat visual cortex

Neurosci Lett. 2003 May 1;341(2):95-8. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00170-8.

Authors

Tomohisa Ohmura¹, Ren Ming, Yumiko Yoshimura, Yukio Komatsu

Affiliation

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 466-8550, Nagoya, Japan.

PMID: 12686374
DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00170-8

Abstract

Dark rearing prolongs the critical period for experience-dependent modification of visual cortical functions. To test whether long-term potentiation (LTP) could potentially underlie this modification, we studied the age and experience dependence of LTP, induced in layer 2/3 cells by layer 4 stimulation continued for 15 min at 2 Hz, in rat visual cortical slices. This LTP was independent of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activation, but it likely required Ni(2+)-sensitive Ca(2+) channel activation for induction. LTP occurred frequently during development, but rarely in adulthood. Dark rearing prevented this developmental decline. These age- and experience-dependent changes were demonstrated in both excitatory postsynaptic potentials recorded from pyramidal cells under a local blockade of inhibition and extracellular field potentials. These results suggest the possible involvement of NMDAR-independent LTP in the experience-dependent development of visual cortex.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / pharmacology
Aging*
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Bicuculline / analogs & derivatives*
Bicuculline / pharmacology
Darkness*
Electric Stimulation
Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / pharmacology
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / drug effects
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / physiology
GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
In Vitro Techniques
Long-Term Potentiation / drug effects
Long-Term Potentiation / physiology*
Nickel / pharmacology
Pyramidal Cells / drug effects
Pyramidal Cells / physiology
Quinoxalines / pharmacology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism*
Visual Cortex / anatomy & histology
Visual Cortex / cytology
Visual Cortex / drug effects
Visual Cortex / physiology*

Substances

Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
Quinoxalines
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
bicuculline methiodide
FG 9041
2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate
Nickel
Bicuculline