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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Improved Preparation and Preservation of Hippocampal Mouse Slices for a Very Stable and Reproducible Recording of Long-term Potentiation
Published on: June 26, 2013
Ghrelin induced memory facilitation implicates nitric oxide synthase activation and decrease in the threshold to
Valeria P Carlini1, Mariela F Perez, Estela Salde
1IFEC, CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, UNC, Córdoba, Argentina. vcarlini@mail.fcq.unc.edu.ar
Ghrelin (Ghr) enhances memory and learning in the hippocampus by increasing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity. Inhibiting NOS partially blocks this memory improvement, suggesting the NOS/NO pathway is crucial for Ghr
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The hypothalamus is traditionally viewed as the primary target for ghrelin (Ghr), mediating appetite-stimulating effects.
- Emerging research indicates Ghr administration to the hippocampus improves learning and memory, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Ghr modulates nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the hippocampus.
- To determine if inhibiting hippocampal NOS affects Ghr-induced memory facilitation.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral paradigms (inhibitory avoidance)
- Biochemical determinations of NOS activity
- Electrophysiological models (LTP in dentate gyrus)
Main Results:
- Intra-hippocampal Ghr administration dose-dependently increased NOS activity.
- Ghr reduced the threshold for long-term potentiation (LTP) generation in the rat hippocampus.
- Inhibiting NOS with NG-nitro-l-arginine (l-NOArg) partially blocked Ghr-induced memory enhancement and prevented Ghr's effects on NOS activity and LTP.
Conclusions:
- The nitric oxide (NO) pathway in the hippocampus is involved in Ghr's effects on memory consolidation.
- Ghr-induced memory facilitation is linked to the plasticity of the hippocampal circuitry via NOS activation.
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