Conditioned taste aversion prevents the long-lasting BDNF-induced enhancement of synaptic transmission in the insular cortex: A metaplastic effect

• Published in: Neurobiology of learning and memory Vol. 130; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Rivera-Olvera, Alejandro, Rodríguez-Durán, Luis F., Escobar, Martha L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2016; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Animals; Avoidance Learning - physiology; BDNF; Brain; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - pharmacology; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - physiology; Conditioning, Classical - physiology; CTA; Insular cortex; LTP; Male; Metaplasticity; Neurobiology; Neuronal Plasticity - drug effects; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neurotransmitters; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Taste; Taste - physiology; Taste Perception - physiology; CTA; LTP; BDNF; Insular cortex; Metaplasticity
• ISSN: 1074-7427; 1095-9564
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.01.014

•CTA training prevents the long-lasting BDNF-induced enhancement of synaptic transmission in the insular cortex in vivo.•CTA training changes the synaptic strength of the Bla-IC pathway.•BDNF plays an important role on the behavioral-induced metaplasticity of the adult mammalian neocortex.
Homeostatic plasticity mechanisms dynamically adjust synaptic strengths to promote stability that is crucial for memory storage. Metaplasticity is an example of these forms of plasticity that modify the capacity of synapses to experience subsequent Hebbian modifications. In particular, training in several behavioral tasks modifies the ability to induce long-term potentiation (LTP). Recently, we have reported that prior training in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) prevents the subsequent induction of LTP generated by high frequency stimulation in the projection from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (Bla) to the insular cortex (IC). One of the key molecular players that underlie long-term synaptic plasticity is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Previous studies from our group reported that acute microinfusion of BDNF in the IC induces a lasting potentiation of synaptic efficacy at the Bla-IC projection. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyze whether CTA training modifies the ability to induce subsequent BDNF-induced potentiation of synaptic transmission in the Bla-IC projection in vivo. Accordingly, CTA trained rats received intracortical microinfusion of BDNF in order to induce lasting potentiation 48h after the aversion test. Our results show that CTA training prevents the induction of in vivo BDNF-LTP in the Bla-IC projection. The present results provide evidence that CTA modulates BDNF-dependent changes in IC synaptic strength.