Rapid effects of corticosterone on neuronal functioning in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex
| Effect | Receptor | Conc | Area | Delay in onset | Preparation | Signalling pathways | Remarks | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypothalamus | ||||||||
| mEPSC freq ↓ | Other | 100 nM | PVN and SON | 5 min | Rat, ex vivo | Gαs, cAMP-PKA, ECB, CB1 | (1), (3), NR | [1–4] |
| mIPSC freq ↑ | Other | 1 μM | PVN and SON | 5 min | Rat, ex vivo | Gβγ, NO release | (1), (3) | [2,4] |
| eEPSC freq ↓, eIPSC amplitude ↑ | Unknown | 1 μM | SON | 7 min | Rat, ex vivo | [4] | ||
| 2-AG and AEA levels ↑ | Unknown | 1 μM | Hypothalamus | 10 min | Rat, ex vivo | PKA | [3,4] | |
| Hippocampus | ||||||||
| mEPSC freq ↑ | mMR | 10 nM | CA1 & DG | 5 min | Mouse, ex vivo | ERK1/2 | (1), (2), (3), (4), R | [5–8] |
| IA current ↓ | MR | 100 nM | CA1 | 5 min | Mouse, ex vivo | G-proteins | (3), R | [6] |
| AMPAR mobility ↑ | mMR | 50 nM | CA1 | 2 min | Rat, embryonic culture | (1), (3) | [9] | |
| mIPSC freq ↑ | MR | 30 nM | Ventral CA1 | Not known | Rat, ex vivo | (3) | [10] | |
| MR at membrane | mMR | – | Hippocampus | – | Mouse, embryonic culture | IFM, WB on synaptosomal fractions | [7] | |
| Spine density ↑ | mGR | 100 nM | CA1 | 60 min | Rat, ex vivo | (2), (3) | [11] | |
| GR at membrane | mGR | – | Hippocampus | – | Mouse, ex vivo | WB on synaptosomal fractions | [11] | |
| Aspartate and glutamate levels ↑ | Other | 600 ng/ml local | Hippocampus | 20 min | Rat, in vivo | (2), (3) | [12] | |
| NMDA-dependent neurotoxicity ↑ | Other | 10 nM | Hippocampus | 15 min (+24 h) | Rat, postnatal culture | ERK1/2, NR2A | (1), (3) | [13] |
| LTP induction ↑ | Other | 100 nM | CA1 | 10 min | Mouse, ex vivo | (3) | [14] | |
| sIPSC freq ↑ | Other | 25 nM | CA1 | 5 min | Rat, ex vivo | G-proteins, NO | (1), (3) | [15] |
| NMDA-dependent current ↓ | Not GR | 100 nM | Hippocampus | Seconds | Rat, postnatal culture | cAMP-PKA | (1), (3), R | [16] |
| NMDA-dependent current prolonged | Not GR | 1 μM | Hippocampus | Seconds | Rat, postnatal culture | (1), (3), R | [17] | |
| AEA levels ↑ | Unknown | 3 mg/kg s.c. | Hippocampus | 10 min | Rat, in vivo | [18] | ||
| NMDA-dependent current ↓ | Unknown | 400 nM | CA1 | Seconds | Mouse, ex vivo | (1) | [19] | |
| Ca2+-currents ↓ | Unknown | 10 pM | CA1 | 4 min | Guinea pig, ex vivo | G-proteins, PKC | [20] | |
| Amygdala | ||||||||
| GR in membrane | mGR | – | BLA | – | Mouse | EM | [21] | |
| MR in membrane | mMR | – | BLA | – | Mouse | EM | [22] | |
| mEPSC freq ↑ | MmR | 100 nM | BLA | 15 min | Mouse, ex vivo | (1), (2), (3), (4), NR | [23] | |
| mEPSC freq ↓ | mGR | 100 nM | BLA | 15 min | Mouse, ex vivo | CB1 | (1), (2), (3), (4), NR only after stress | [23] |
| AEA levels ↑ | Unknown | 3 mg/kg s.c. | Amygdala | 10 min | Rat, in vivo | [18] | ||
| Prefrontal cortex | ||||||||
| Glutamate uptake ↑ | Unknown | 10 nM | Frontal cortex | 5 min | Rat, cultured synaptosomes | G-proteins | No nuclei present | [24] |
| Calmodulin dynamics ↑ | Unknown | 30 nM | Cortex | 15 min | Rat, cultered synaptosomes | No nuclei present | [25] |
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(1), Use of cort-BSA or dex-BSA; (2), not prevented by protein inhibitor; (3), use of MR and GR antagonists; (4), use of MR- and GR-knockout mice; ‘unknown’, receptor was not examined; ‘other’, not the MR or GR; eIPSC/EPSC, evoked IPSC/EPSC; AEA, anandimide; 2-AG, 2-arachidonoylglycerol; sIPSC, spontaneous IPSC; mMR/mGR, membrane-associated MR/GR; ECB, endocannabinoids; CB1, cannabinoid receptor type 1; NO, nitric oxide; NR2A, NMDA receptor 2A subunit; PKC, protein kinase C; WB, western blot; IFM, immunofluorescent microscopy; EM, electron microscopy; NR, non-reversible; R, reversible. References: [1], Di et al. 2003; [2], Di et al. 2005; [3], Malcher-Lopes et al. 2006; [4], Di et al. 2009; [5], Karst et al. 2005; [6], Olijslagers et al. 2008; [7], Qiu et al. 2010; [8], Pasricha et al. 2011; [9], Groc et al. 2008; [10], Maggio & Segal 2009; [11], Komatsuzaki et al. 2005; [12], Venero & Borrell 1999; [13], Xiao et al. 2010; [14], Wiegert et al. 2006; [15], Hu et al. 2010; [16], Liu et al. 2007; [17], Takahashi et al. 2002; [18], Hill et al. 2010; [19], Sato et al. 2004; [20], Ffrench-Mullen 1995; [21], Johnson et al. 2005; [22], Prager et al. 2010; [23], Karst et al. 2010; [24], Zhu et al. 1998; [25], Sze & Iqbal 1994.
