Interaction between paired-pulse facilitation and long-term potentiation during the stimulation of the cannabinoid and vanilloid systems in the dentate gyrus.

Synaptic plasticity includes short-term and long-term changes in synaptic strength. Short-term plasticity can be used to assess the site mediating the long-lasting forms of synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation (LTP). The endogenous endocannabinoid systems can modulate LTP, and similarly, the activation of the vanilloid system has been shown to mediate synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. In this study, we examined the interaction between short-term and long-term plasticity during the stimulation of the cannabinoid and vanilloid systems in the hippocampus of rats in vivo. Forty male Wistar rats, divided into four groups, were treated with the following compounds: control (saline+dimethyl sulfoxide), WIN55,212-2, capsaicin, and WIN55,212-2+capsaicin. The animals were anesthetized with urethane and then recording and stimulating electrodes were positioned at the dentate gyrus(DG) and perforant pathway(PP), respectively. Population spike (PS) amplitudes were measured before and after the induction of LTP, which was induced with high-frequency stimulation (HFS). The paired-pulse ratio (PPR) was measured before and after the induction of LTP in all groups. We showed that WIN55,212-2 reduced the PS amplitude after HFS, whereas the vanilloid agonist increased the induction of LTP compared with the control treatment. In the present study, we found that in the presence of WIN55,212-2 and capsaicin, the induction of LTP changed the PPR. Additionally, we showed that the co-administration of cannabinoid and vanilloid agonists modulate the PPR. These findings suggest the presynaptic expression of this LTP form, and therefore, this form of LTP is caused by the increase of neurotransmitter release.