Diabetologia
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Comparative Study
Effects of insulin on long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices from diabetic rats.
Cognitive deficits occur commonly in diabetic patients. It is unclear whether these impairments result from hypoglycaemia during intensive insulin therapy, or from the diabetes itself. The aim of this study was to examine if impaired energy utilization resulting from insulin deficiency contributes to impaired long-term potentiation (reflecting impaired synaptic plasticity). As long-term potentiation is considered a candidate cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory, understanding how diabetes alters long-term potentiation may provide insight into mechanisms producing cognitive deficits in diabetes. ⋯ These observations suggest that impaired energy utilization from insulin deficiency, rather than the accompanying hyperglycaemia, impair long-term potentiation in diabetes. Impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity could contribute to learning and cognitive impairment in diabetic patients.