Long-term potentiation of perforant path synapses in hippocampal CA1 in vitro

This paper reports a study of long-term potentiation (LTP) of perforant path synapses in CA1. Using rat hippocampal slices with CA3 and the dentate gyrus removed, stimulation of the perforant path evoked a population excitatory postsynaptic potential (pEPSP) that was negative-going in s. lacunosum-moleculare of CA1. High-frequency conditioning stimulation of the perforant pathway induced LTP of the perforant path pEPSP in slices disinhibited by the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (20 microM). Conditioning of the perforant pathway in normal medium, however, failed to induce LTP. Potentiation of the perforant path pEPSP in the presence of bicuculline lasted at least 1 h, was specific to the tetanized pathway, and based on a threshold property, appeared associative in nature.