Maglio Laura E, Martins Vilma R, Izquierdo Iván, Ramirez Oscar A
Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
Brain Res. 2006 Jun 30;1097(1):11-8. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.04.056. Epub 2006 May 30.
Cellular prion protein (PrP(c)) has been associated with some physiological functions in the last few years. In a previous paper, we have demonstrated an increased hippocampal synaptic transmission in adult mice lacking this protein. In the present study, we investigate the impact of aging on the generation and maintenance of hippocampal long-term Potentiation (LTP) in 9-month-old mice devoid of PrP(c) protein (Prnp(0/0)). We observed a lower threshold for inducing LTP in 9-month-old Prnp(0/0) mice compared to wild-type ones at the same age. The maintenance of dentate gyrus LTP was more persistent in hippocampal slices from Prnp(0/0) mice. Furthermore, the expression of mRNA for NR2A and NR2B subunits of the NMDA glutamatergic receptor in hippocampus of aged Prnp(0/0) animals showed an increase compared to the wild type. We propose that increased hippocampal glutamatergic transmission in Prnp(0/0) mice is related to the enhanced plasticity and persistence of the dentate LTP.
细胞朊蛋白（PrP(c)）在过去几年中已被发现与一些生理功能有关。在之前的一篇论文中，我们已经证明，缺乏这种蛋白质的成年小鼠海马体突触传递会增强。在本研究中，我们调查了衰老对9个月大缺乏PrP(c)蛋白（Prnp(0/0)）的小鼠海马体长时程增强（LTP）的产生和维持的影响。我们观察到，与同年龄的野生型小鼠相比，9个月大的Prnp(0/0)小鼠诱导LTP的阈值更低。齿状回LTP在Prnp(0/0)小鼠海马切片中的维持更持久。此外，与野生型相比，衰老的Prnp(0/0)动物海马中NMDA谷氨酸能受体的NR2A和NR2B亚基的mRNA表达增加。我们认为，Prnp(0/0)小鼠海马谷氨酸能传递增强与齿状回LTP的可塑性和持续性增强有关。
