An inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was tested for its effec
ts on the rapid kindling induced by a series of afterdischarges (ADs) trigg
ered in hippocampus over a 3-h period. Rats injected with vehicle prior to
the session had prolonged ADs in tests carried out 10 days later. This was
not the case for animals treated with the inhibitor. These findings support
the hypothesis that activity-driven proteolysis contributes importantly to
the production of long-lasting physiological changes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sc
ience B.V. All rights reserved.