G. Richterlevin et al., SPATIAL TRAINING AND HIGH-FREQUENCY STIMULATION ENGAGE A COMMON PATHWAY TO ENHANCE GLUTAMATE RELEASE IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS, Learning & memory, 4(6), 1998, pp. 445-450
We have measured depolarization-induced release of endogenous glutamat
e in synaptosomes prepared from the dentate gyrus after the induction
of LTP by high-frequency stimulation in anesthetized rats, and after t
raining in the water maze. Both spatial training and LTP in untrained
rats were accompanied by an increase in glutamate release from dentate
synaptosomes. The enhancement of synaptosomal glutamate release induc
ed by high-frequency stimulation was abolished in well-trained rats, a
nd was reduced in partially trained rats and in rats trained in a nons
patial task. However, the magnitude of LTP was similar in well-trained
and untrained groups. These results indicate that spatial training ac
tivates a glutamate release pathway that converges with that activated
in LTP, and demonstrate an unexpected dissociation between increased
glutamate release and LTP.