Altered synaptic transmission in dentate gyrus of rats reared in complex environments: evidence from hippocampal slices maintained in vitro.

Pre- and postsynaptic responses to activation of medial perforant path (MPP) axons were examined in hippocampal slices taken from rats reared for 3-4 wk in relatively complex (EC) or individual cage (IC) environments. Three types of extracellular field potentials were recorded in the infrapyramidal blade of the dentate gyrus: 1) granule cell population spikes (PSs), which reflect the number and synchrony of discharging granule cells (2), 2) population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), which reflect the amount of excitatory synaptic current flow into dendrites (28), and 3) presynaptic fiber volleys (FVs), which reflect the number of activated axons (28). Stimulation of the MPP evoked significantly larger PSs in slices taken from EC rats. There was no significant effect of rearing environment on PS/EPSP relationships. The slopes of EPSPs recorded at the site of synaptic activation in the dentate molecular layer and at the major current source in the dentate granule cell layer were significantly greater in slices taken from EC rats. The presynaptic FV was recorded at the site of synaptic activation in the molecular layer. FV amplitude did not differ significantly as a function of rearing environment. To examine possible differences in tissue impedance, granule cells were activated by stimulating granule cell axons in the dentate hilus and recording the antidromic PS in the granule cell layer. Antidromic PS amplitude was not significantly affected by rearing environment. The relative permanence of the experience-dependent alterations in synaptic transmission was assessed by comparing slices taken from rats that had been reared for 4 wk in complex environments followed by 3-4 wk in individual cages with those from rats reared for 7-8 wk in individual cages. There were no significant differences in MPP synaptic transmission between these groups of animals. The results suggest that experience in a relatively complex environment is associated with greater MPP synaptic transmission arising from an increased synaptic input to granule cells; the greater MPP synaptic transmission associated with behavioral experience can occur independent of behavioral state, influences from extrahippocampal brain regions and intrahippocampal inhibitory activity; and the experience-dependent synaptic alterations in the dentate gyrus are transient, in contrast to experience-dependent morphological alterations described in occipital cortex. The possible relationship of these alterations to the phenomenon of long-term enhancement is discussed.