[3H]phorbol ester binding sites and neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus following entorhinal cortex lesions

Entorhinal cortex lesioning (ECL) produces a loss of more than 80% of the synapses in the outer molecular layer of the hippocampus. However, the loss of synapses is transient. Beginning a few days after denervation, new synapses are formed, virtually replacing the lost inputs within 2 months. Synaptic remodelling induced by ECL is associated with specific modifications of neurotransmitters, hormones and growth factors. Particularly, protein kinase C (PKC) plays important functional roles in receptor-mediated transmembrane signal transduction. PKC is also involved in various aspects of synaptic plasticity, such as cellular growth and differentiation. To investigate further the potential roles of PKC in synaptic plasticity observed in the ECL model, [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) binding, a putative marker of PKC, was examined at different times post-lesion. [3H]PDBu binding sites transiently decreased bilaterally at 2 and 8 days post-lesion (20%) in different laminae and sub-fields of the rostral hippocampus but returned to control values at 14 and 30 days post-lesion. In caudal portion of the hippocampus, [3H]PDBu binding was also decreased at 2 days post-lesion but only on the contralateral side. Interestingly, [3H]PDBu binding sites in the cortex increased by up to 30% in the contralateral side while no significant change was observed in the ipsilateral side at any time post-lesion. It is known that PKC can be regulated by different systems following alterations of neuronal and glial activity. We suggest that these could be involved in the response of PKC and [3H]PDBu binding sites following ECL. Moreover, PKC seemed to be modified in different brain areas in neuronal inputs from the entorhinal cortex and the subsequent reinnervation process.