DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGE OF THE POTENTIATION OF NMDA RESPONSE BY SPERMINE

DEVELOPMENTAL change in the potentiation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA ) responses by spermine was investigated on the ventromedial hypothala mic neurones acutely dissociated from the rats aged between 5 and 21 d ays, using a nystatin perforated patch clamp recording in a whole cell mode. Spermine potentiated the NMDA response in a concentration depen dent manner between 10(-5) M and 10(-3) M at all ages examined. This p otentiation decreased significantly with age. On the other hand, sperm ine did not affect the kainate and AMPA responses at any age. This dev elopmental change of the modulation of NMDA responses might influence to or be influenced by the behavioural and neuronal changes related to the VMH in the early postnatal life.