Altered Dendritic Integration in Hippocampal Granule Cells of Spatial Learning-Impaired Aged Rats

Abstract

Glutamatergic transmission at central synapses undergoes activity-dependent and developmental changes. In the hippocampal dentate gyrus, the non- N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor component of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) increases with age in Fischer-344 rats. This effect may not depend on the animal's activity or experience but could be part of the developmental process. Age-dependent differences in synaptic transmission at the perforant path-granule cell synapse may be caused by changes in non-NMDA and NMDA receptor-mediated currents. To test this hypothesis, we compared whole cell excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in dentate granule cells evoked by perforant path stimulation in young (3–4 mo) and aged (22–27 mo) Fischer-344 rats using a Cs+-based intracellular solution. Aged animals as a group showed spatial learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze. Using whole cell recordings, slope conductances of both non-NMDA and NMDA EPSCs at holding potentials −10 to +50 mV were significantly reduced in aged animals and the non-NMDA/NMDA ratio in aged animals was found to be significantly smaller than in young animals. In contrast, we detected no differences in basic electrophysiological parameters, or absolute amplitudes of non-NMDA and NMDA EPSCs. Extracellular Cs+ increased the fEPSP in young slices to a greater degree than was found in the aged slices, while it increased population spikes to a greater degree in the aged rats. Our results not only provide evidence for reduced glutamatergic synaptic responses in Fischer-344 rats but also point to differential changes in Cs+-sensitive dendritic conductances, such as Ih or inwardly rectifying potassium currents, during aging.