Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 170, Issue 4, pp 522–531 | Cite as

Properties of long-term synaptic plasticity and metaplasticity in organotypic slice cultures of rat hippocampus

  • Christian Mellentin
  • Morten Møller
  • Henrik Jahnsen
Research Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether synaptic plasticity and metaplasticity in slice cultures of the young rat hippocampus were comparable to previously reported synaptic plasticity and metaplasticity in acute adult hippocampal slices. This is relevant since differences do exist between the preparations as a result of age and the ex vivo maintenance. We prepared and maintained slice cultures from 5- to 6-day-old rats according to the porous membrane method. After 12–16 days in vitro, extracellular low-frequency stimulation (LFS) and high-frequency stimulation (HFS) protocols were applied to the Schaffer collaterals, and extracellular field potentials were recorded in area CA1. LFS and HFS induced long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP), respectively. LTP could be reversed by LFS, as could LTD by HFS 60 min after induction. Plotting the amount of LTD and LTP versus stimulation protocol demonstrated frequency-dependence of the sign and extent of plasticity. Priming activation of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) with DHPG facilitated subsequent LTP, revealing a metaplastic effect similar to that observed in acute slices. Immunohistochemistry for group 1 mGluR subtypes mGluR1α and mGluR5 showed both receptors to be present in these cultures. We conclude that synaptic plasticity and mGluR-mediated metaplasticity are largely comparable to those effects found in acute in vitro techniques.

Keywords

Culture fEPSP LTP LTD mGluR 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor W.C. Abraham and Dr. D. Ireland for comments and Ursula Rentzmann for labelling assistance. The work was supported by The Danish Medical Research Council; Grant number: 22-02-0380 and INTAS; Grant number: 2000-0441 and The Obel Family Foundation.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  • Christian Mellentin
    • 1
  • Morten Møller
    • 2
  • Henrik Jahnsen
    • 1
  1. 1.Division of Neurophysiology, Department of Medical Physiology, Panum Institute, 16.5University of CopenhagenCopenhagen NDenmark
  2. 2.Institute of Medical Anatomy, Panum Institute, 18.2University of CopenhagenCopenhagen NDenmark

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