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Synaptic plasticity in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal region of pre- and postnatally lead-exposed rats
M Gutowski1, L Altmann, K Sveinsson
1Department of Neurotoxicology, Medical Institute of Environmental Hygiene, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. altmannl@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Abstract:
The effects of low level lead exposure on synaptic plasticity in hippocampal regions CA1 and CA3 were determined in adult rats in vitro. In the CA3 region the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate)-independent mossy fiber-CA3 synapse potentiation was not influenced by chronic pre- and postnatal lead exposure, while in the same rats, in the CA1 region the NMDA-dependent long-term potentiation was slightly reduced as compared to controls. Paired-pulse facilitation was neither impaired in CA1 nor in CA3 region in the lead-exposed rats. These findings suggest that NMDA-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity are more susceptible to chronic low level lead exposure than NMDA-independent forms of potentiation or paired-pulse facilitation.