The Japanese Journal of Pharmacology - ۱۹۹۵

The effects of ethanol and crocin on the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) were investigated in the CA۱ region of rat hippocampal slices in vitro. Ethanol (۵۰-۷۵ mM) suppressed the LTP induced by strong tetanic stimulation (۵۱ pulses at ۱۰۰ Hz). Crocin (۲۰ μM) did not affect the baseline synaptic responses, but significantly prevented the LTP-suppressing action of ethanol. This effect of crocin was concentration dependent (۱۰ - ۳۰ μM). Crocin (۲۰ μM) alone did not affect the potentiation induced by weak tetanic stimulation (۱۱ pulses at ۱۰۰ Hz). These in vitro observations suggest that crocin directly prevents the LTP-suppressing action of ethanol within the hippocampus.