Changes in synaptic plasticity are associated with electroconvulsive shock-induced learning and memory impairment in rats with depression-like behavior

Abstract

Background

Accompanied with the effective antidepressant effect, electroconvulsive shock (ECS) can induce cognitive impairment, but the mechanism is unclear. Synaptic plasticity is the fundamental mechanism of learning and memory. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ECS on synaptic plasticity changes in rats with depression-like behavior.

Methods

Chronic unpredictable mild stress procedure was conducted to establish a model of depression-like behavior. Rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: control group with healthy rats (group C), rats with depression-like behavior (group D), and rats with depression-like behavior undergoing ECS (group DE). Depression-like behavior and spatial learning and memory function were assessed by sucrose preference test and Morris water test, respectively. Synaptic plasticity changes in long-term potentiation (LTP), long-term depression (LTD), depotentiation, and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) were tested by electrophysiological experiment.

Results

ECS could exert antidepressant effect and also induced spatial learning and memory impairment in rats with depression-like behavior. And, data on electrophysiological experiment showed that ECS induced lower magnitude of LTP, higher magnitude of LTD, higher magnitude of depotentiation, and lower magnitude of PTP.

Conclusion

ECS-induced learning and memory impairment may be attributed to postsynaptic mechanism of LTP impairment, LTD and depotentiation enhancement, and presynaptic mechanism of PTP impairment.

Keywords:

• electroconvulsive therapy
• learning
• memory
• synaptic plasticity
• electrophysiology

Acknowledgments

The authors are most grateful to Jingyuan Chen, PhD, of the Department of Anesthesiology of The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China, for providing useful suggestions in this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant (No 81271501), as well as a grant from National Key Clinical Specialty Construction Project (No 2011-170) and Chongqing Medical Key Discipline Construction Project (No 2007-2).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.