α2* Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors influence hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in adolescent mice
Abstract
The absence of α2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in oriens lacunosum moleculare (OLM) GABAergic interneurons ablate the facilitation of nicotine-induced hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation and impair memory. The current study delineated whether genetic mutations of α2* nAChRs (Chrna2L9'S/L9'S and Chrna2KO) influence hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and CA1 synaptic plasticity. We substituted a serine for a leucine (L9'S) in the α2 subunit (encoded by the Chrna2 gene) to make a hypersensitive nAChR. Using a dorsal hippocampus-dependent task of preexposure-dependent contextual fear conditioning, adolescent hypersensitive Chrna2L9'S/L9'S male mice exhibited impaired learning and memory. The deficit was rescued by low-dose nicotine exposure. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated that hypersensitive α2 nAChRs potentiate acetylcholine-induced ion channel flux in oocytes and acute nicotine-induced facilitation of dorsal/intermediate CA1 hippocampal long-term potentiation in Chrna2L9'S/L9'S mice. Adolescent male mice null for the α2 nAChR subunit exhibited a baseline deficit in learning that was not reversed by an acute dose of nicotine. These effects were not influenced by locomotor, sensory or anxiety-rel...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Anemia
Anemia develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. Anemia of inflammation (AI, also called anemia of chronic disease) is a common, typically normocytic, normochromic anemia that is caused by an underlying inflammatory disease. Here is the latest research on anemia.
Blood And Marrow Transplantation
The use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or blood and marrow transplantation (bmt) is on the increase worldwide. BMT is used to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Here is the latest research on bone and marrow transplantation.
Allergy and Asthma
Allergy and asthma are inflammatory disorders that are triggered by the activation of an allergen-specific regulatory t cell. These t cells become activated when allergens are recognized by allergen-presenting cells. Here is the latest research on allergy and asthma.