[Effect of hydrocortisone on synaptic transmission in surviving slices of the olfactory cortex from the rat brain]

A study was made of the effect of bath-applied hydrocortisone (10(-4) M) on excitatory transmission of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT) - superficial pyramidal cell synapse of the rat olfactory cortex slice. Population EPSP and IPSP were depressed for 6-12 min., then they were increased (60 min.) by hydrocortisone. Recovery of evoked potentials was long (40-60 min.) at washing of slices hy a normal incubation medium. Habituation of synaptic potentials during LOT repeating stimulation was deteriorated by hydrocortisone application in perfusion solution. The data obtained were considered to be adaptive functions of the nervous system to a stressor.