Effect of chronic stress on long-term potentiation of hippocampus and neurotransmitter of amino acid in rats
- VernacularTitle:慢性应激对大鼠海马长时程增强和氨基酸神经递质的影响
- Author:
Huana ZHANG
;
Hui ZHENG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research
2006;10(6):176-178
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Severe or prolonged stress is harmful to health and even induces many mental and physical disorders and then impairs cognitire functions of the organism.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of stress on the changes in amino acid and chronic stress on long-term potentiation (LTP) of hippocampus of rats.DESIGN: Completely randomized controlled experiment.SETTING: Mental Health Center of Shantou University.MATERIALS: The experiment was completed in the Medical College of Shantou University in December 2000. Totally 16 adult male SD rats were divided randomly into control group and stress group with 8 in each group.METHODS: Mice in stress group were swum compulsively for 4 weeds.Chronic stress model was established, and isolated hippocampal slice(500 μm) combined with electrophysiological technique was used to observe the changes of LTP in hippocampal CA1 field. High-frequency stimulation (HFS) was applied to Schaffer collaterals in hippocampus CA3, then the changes of PS amplitude and fEPSPs slope in CA1 pyramidal neurons were observed. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with UV detection was used for the quantificative analysis of hippocampal amino-acid neurotransmitters.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Population spike (PS) amplitude and field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) slope were used to indicate the changes of LTP. ② Changes of amino acid of hippocampus.RESULTS: One rat in stress group died because of drowning in the second week of experiment was supplied, and others entered the final analysis. ① The increases of PS amplitude and fEPSPs slope after HFS in control group were significantly higher than those in stress group (P＜ 0.05). ② The levels of aspartate and glutamate in control group were significantly lower than those in stress group [(2.425±0.211) μmol/g,(6.016±0.677) μmol/g. P＜ 0.01; (4.746±0.609) μmol/g. (8.094±1.035) μmol/g.P ＜ 0.01]; but there was no significant difference of γ-aminobutyric acid between control and stress groups [(4.229±0.449) μmol/g, (4.249± 0.463) μmol/g, P ＞ 0.05].CONCLUSION: It is suggested that chronic stress can inhibit the development of LTP in hippocampal CA1 field and increase the levels of hippocampal aspartate and glutamate, but does not affect the level of γ-aminobutyric acid. The accumulation of hippocampal excitatory amino acids induced by chronic stress may be the neurobiochemical basis of impairments in learning and memory abilities.
