Browsing by Author "Sonntag, W. E."

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Open Access
Functional characterization of Des-IGF-1 action at excitatory synapses in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus
(American Physiological Society, 2005) Ramsey, M. M.; Adams, Michelle M.; Ariwodola, O. J.; Sonntag, W. E.; Weiner, J.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone play a major role in the growth and development of tissues throughout the mammalian body. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations peak during puberty and decline with age. We have determined that chronic treatments to restore plasma IGF-1 concentrations to adult levels attenuate spatial learning deficits in aged rats, but little is known of the acute actions of IGF-1 in the brain. To this end, we utilized hippocampal slices from young Sprague-Dawley rats to characterize the acute effects of des-IGF-1 on excitatory synaptic transmission in the CA1 region. We observed a 40% increase in field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) slope with application of des-IGF-1 (40 ng/ml) and used whole cell patch-clamp recordings to determine that this enhancement was due to a postsynaptic mechanism involving α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) but not N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Furthermore, the enhancement was completely blocked by the broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein (220 μM), and significantly reduced by the PI3K blockers wortmannin (1 μM) and 2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (10 μM), suggesting that the effect was predominantly dependent on PI3K activation. This characterization of the acute actions of des-IGF-1 at hippocampal excitatory synapses may provide insight into the mechanism by which long-term increases in plasma IGF-1 impart cognitive benefits in aged rats. Increases in AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission may contribute directly to cognitive improvement or initiate long-term changes in synthesis of proteins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor that are important to learning and memory.
Open Access
Growth hormone modulates hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in old rats
(Elsevier, 2012) Molina, D. P.; Ariwodola, O. J.; Linville, C.; Sonntag, W. E.; Weiner, J. L.; Brunso-Bechtold, J. K.; Adams, Michelle M.
Alterations in the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptor (AMPA-R) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) have been documented in aged animals and may contribute to changes in hippocampal-dependent memory. Growth hormone (GH) regulates AMPA-R and NMDA-R-dependent excitatory transmission and decreases with age. Chronic GH treatment mitigates age-related cognitive decline. An in vitro CA1 hippocampal slice preparation was used to compare hippocampal excitatory transmission and plasticity in old animals treated for 6-8 months with either saline or GH. Our findings indicate that GH treatment restores NMDA-R-dependent basal synaptic transmission in old rats to young adult levels and enhances both AMPA-R-dependent basal synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation. These alterations in synaptic function occurred in the absence of changes in presynaptic function, as measured by paired-pulse ratios, the total protein levels of AMPA-R and NMDA-R subunits or in plasma or hippocampal levels of insulin-like growth factor-I. These data suggest a direct role for GH in altering age-related changes in excitatory transmission and provide a possible cellular mechanism through which GH changes the course of cognitive decline. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.