Physiology and Pharmacology

en Doxepin improves stress-impaired long-term potentiation and gene expression of BDNF in the rat hippocampus Learning and Memory Neurophysiology/Pharmacology Experimental research article Experimental research article Introduction: Stress is associated with neurological and cognitive disorders. It has been suggested that doxepin, in addition to its influence on the content of neurotransmitters, has probable neuroprotective effects as well. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of doxepin on synaptic plasticity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression in the rat hippocampus following repeated restraint stress. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into the control, the stress and the stress-doxepin 1 and 5 mg/kg groups. Stress was induced 6 hours/day for 21 days. Rats received daily ip injection of doxepin before induction of stress. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced in hippocampal dentate gyrus following stimulation of perforant pathway and then field excitatory postsynaptic potential was evaluated. Hippocampal gene expression of BDNF was measured by Real-Time PCR. Results: Stress impaired LTP induction, but both doses of doxepin prevented those damages. Stress significantly decreased the expression of BDNF gene, but doxepin in both doses, increased it significantly. Conclusion: The present results suggested that doxepin can prevented the harmful effects of stress on synaptic plasticity which may be related to changes in BDNF gene expression. Doxepin, Stress, Hippocampus, Long-term potentiation, BDNF. 231 238 http://ppj.phypha.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-886-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Ahmad Azadbakht phy.4298@yahoo.com 3200319475328460016891 3200319475328460016891 No Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Nastaran Eidelkhani na.eidelkhani@yahoo.com 3200319475328460016892 3200319475328460016892 No Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Mohammad Kazemi m_kazemi@med.mui.ac.ir 3200319475328460016893 3200319475328460016893 No Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Maryam Radahmadi m_radahmadi@med.mui.ac.ir 3200319475328460016894 3200319475328460016894 No Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Parham Reisi p_reisi@med.mui.ac.ir 3200319475328460016895 3200319475328460016895 Yes Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran