Effects of congenital HCMV infection on synaptic plasticity in dentate gyrus (DG) of rat hippocampus

Abstract This study was carried out to investigate whether the congenital HCMV infection affect the induction and maintenance of LTP /DP. Rat models of Sprague–Dawley rats congenitally infected by HCMV were made. Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were recorded in the hippocampal slices of offspring rats (50–65 days) to study alterations of LTP /DP in area dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus after congenital infection. The Ca 2+ and mRNA level of calmodulin (CaM) in the hippocampus neurons of the experiment group (congenital infected by HCMV) and the control group were measured;The input/output (I/O) curves of the EPSP slope PS amplitude in area DG in experiment group were significantly depressed when compared to control group ( P F  = 25.29, P F  =74.33 P F  = 5.62, P F  =4.22, P 2+ ] and mRNA level of CaM in the hippocampus neurons of the experiment group were significantly increased than that of in the controls ([Ca 2+ ]: P P