Effects of the ephedra alkaloid methylephedrine on the basal evoked potential transportation and the long-term potentiation (LTP) in the rat hippocampal dentate granule cells in vivo

Objective The effect of the ephedra/ephedrine alkaloid methylephedrine(dl-methylephedrine hydrochloride for testing in this paper)on cognitive related synaptic plasticity was investigated by recording extracellular field evoked potentials and its LTP in hippocampal dentate granule cells in urethane-anaesthetized rats in vivo.Methods Single pathway recording of evoked field potentials was made from the dentate granule cells of hippocampal hemisphere in response to stimulation of the ipsilateral medial perforant path(MPP).Two parameters,the amplitude of population spike(PS amplitude)and the latency of the PS,were employed to evaluate the effects of drug on the overall changes in cellular responses.Results The present study show that methylephedrine 90 mg·kg-1 intraperitoneally,about 1/3 LD50,could increase the latency of the PS in hippocampal dentate granule cells by constant single stimulation of the MPP as the basal ransportation.However,the 30 mg·kg-1 and 10 mg·kg-1 dosage had no effect on the latency,and there are no influences of PS amplitude for all examinational groups.The methylephedrine 90 mg·kg-1 group significant enhanced the development of amplitude LTP in hippocampal dentate granule cells that induced by 60 Hz,60 pulses conditional tetanus in medial perforant path area.Also,the 30 mg·kg-1 group can promoted the maintenance of LTP induced by this tetanus,but no promotion on PS amplitude LTP appeared in this dosage and no any changes been found in 10 mg·kg-1 dosage group.Conclusions The ephedra/ephedrine alkaloid methylephedrine can modulate the synaptic plasticity in the lateral perforant path.A possible mechanism of methylephedrine on hippocampal LTP is been discussed.