Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-induced potentiation of synaptic responses in Helix neurons

1. The effect of intracellularly injected cAMP on the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials was studied using identified neurons of the snail Helix pomatia. 2. In 25% of the experiments, postsynaptic cAMP elevation caused a pronounced augmentation of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitude, lasting up to 15-30 min. 3. The results suggest that a cAMP increase in the postsynaptic neuron may be involved in the enhancement of synaptic efficiency.