Issue Archive

Noradrenaline release by activation of #kappa#--bungarotoxin--sensitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptors participates in long--term potentiation--like response induced by nicotine

Yu Jianping, He Jin, Liu Dan, Deng Chunyu, Zhu Xiaonan, Wang Xuelan, Wang Yong, Chen Ruzhu

Experimental Teaching Center,Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University.Guangzhou 510080,Guangdong；China；Research Center of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital.Guangzhou 510080,Guangdong；Depar

Abstract

Nicotine enhances the function of learning and memory, but the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. Hippocampal long-term potentiation （LTP） is assumed to be a cellular mechanism of learning and memory. Our previous experiments showed that with the single pulses evoking 80% of the maximal population spike （PS） amplitude, nicotine （10 #mu#mol/L） induced LTP-like response in the hippocampal CAI region. In the present study, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor （nAChR） subtypes and relevant neurotransmitter releases involved in LTP-like response induced by nicotine were investigated by extracellularly recording the PS in the pyramidal cell layer in the hippocampal CAI region in vitro. LTP-like response induced by nicotine was blocked by mecamylamine （1 #mu#mol/L） or #kappa#-bungarotoxin （0.1 #mu#mol/L）, but not by dihydro-#beta#-erythtroidine （DH#beta#E, 10 #mu#mol/L）. Moreover, it was inhibited by propranolol （10 #mu#mol/L）, but not by phentolamine （10 #mu#mol/L） or atropine （10 #mu#mol/L）. The results suggest that noradrenaline release secondary to the activation of #beta#-bungarotoxin-sensitive nAChRs participates in LTP-like response induced by nicotine in the hippocampal CAI region.

Key words: Long-term potentiation;#kappa#-bungarotoxin;nicotinic acetylcholine receptors;Noradrenaline;Hippocampus

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 　　E-mail:

Citing This Article：

Yu Jianping, He Jin, Liu Dan, Deng Chunyu, Zhu Xiaonan, Wang Xuelan, Wang Yong, Chen Ruzhu. Noradrenaline release by activation of #kappa#--bungarotoxin--sensitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptors participates in long--term potentiation--like response induced by nicotine. Acta Physiol Sin 2007; 59 (6): 814-820 (in Chinese with English abstract).