Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 70, Issue 3 1255-1259, Copyright © 1993 by APS

ARTICLES

The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N-monomethyl-L-arginine blocks induction of a long-term potentiation-like phenomenon in rat medial frontal cortical neurons in vitro

A. V. Nowicky and L. J. Bindman
Physiology Department, University College London, United Kingdom.

1. Nitric oxide has been implicated in the production of long-term depression (LTD) in the cerebellum and in the production of long-term potentiation (LTP) and LTD in the hippocampus. We now provide evidence of its involvement in the induction of long-term synaptic potentiation in in vitro slices in the cerebral cortex of the rat. 2. Intracellular recordings were made from layer V neurons in the medial frontal cortex, and excitatory synaptic potentials (EPSPs) were evoked by electrical stimulation of layers II/III. Tetanic stimulation of this pathway may induce LTD or LTP or no change at these synapses. First we established experimental conditions under which a long lasting potentiation could be induced with a high incidence (> 60%), namely perfusion of slices with 1 microM bicuculline methiodide, second the use of increased shock duration in the tetanic conditioning stimuli, third and most important the addition of QX-314 to the microelectrode to reduce potassium conductances. Because the potentiation of the mean EPSP slope was significantly greater than the control at 40-min postconditioning, but was declining throughout this period, we refer to it for brevity as LTP, but strictly class it as an LTP-like phenomenon. 3. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor interfered with the production of LTP. In the control group of neurons (n = 13) the mean depolarizing slope of the EPSP at 30-min post-conditioning was 142.7 +/- 2% (mean +/- SE) of the prestimulation control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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