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Lithium enhances synaptic transmission in neonatal rat hippocampus
A Valentín1, J J Garcia-Seoane, A Colino
1Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The effects of lithium on excitatory synaptic transmission were studied in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices taken from 14- to 30-day-old rats using extracellular recording techniques. Lithium (2-18 mM) reversibly increased the field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in a concentration-dependent manner. Application of lithium for 6-15 min had no effect on the synaptic input-output function, while application of lithium for 20-35 min shifted this curve to the left. Lithium reversibly increased the amplitude of the presynaptic fibre volley in a concentration- and calcium-dependent manner. Lithium decreased paired-pulse facilitation measured at 50-ms interstimulus intervals. The results indicate that lithium enhances excitatory synaptic transmission in CA1 pyramidal cells by at least two different actions.