SYNAPSE ALTERATION IN HIPPOCAMPAL CA3 FIELD FOLLOWING ENTORHINAL CORTEX LESION

To model one aspect of the neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer's d isease and to investigate the synaptic alteration of the hippocampus a ssociated with entorhinal cortex lesion, ibotenic acid was used to pro duce selective unilateral neuronal loss in rat entorhinal cortex. Immu nohistological and microdensitometrical analyses confirmed ibotenic ac id lesion of the entorhinal cortex after 3 months and showed a decreas e of synaptophysin-immunoreactive substances in the stratum lucidum of the CA3 field. This study demonstrates that entorhinal cortex lesion can lead to synaptic alterations and cause damage to presynaptic termi nals with projecting area in the disruption of the entorhinal cortex h ippocampus relay passage. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.