The neuropeptide nociceptin is a synaptically released endogenous inhibitor of hippocampal long-term potentiation

Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synaptic transmission has been regarded as a cellular model of learning and memory. Its induction is regulated by many functional molecules at synapses, including the neuropeptide nociceptin, which is identified as an endogenous ligand for the orphan opioid receptor. Mutant mice lacking the receptor exhibit enhanced LTP and hippocampus dependent memory formation; however, the precise molecular and cellular mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we show that LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region is inhibited by nociceptin synaptically released from interneurons by tetanic stimulation. This endogenous nociceptin downregulates the excitability of pyramidal cells by the hyperpolarization induced by the activation of K+ channels, which are the common target shared with GABA(B) receptors, although the mode of action is considerably different. Interestingly, the modulation of LTP by endogenous nociceptin is not observed when theta-burst stimulation is used instead of tetanic stimulation, suggesting that relatively longer high-frequency synaptic activation is required for the release of endogenous nociceptin. These results indicate that, in addition to GABA, nociceptin released from interneurons by their high-frequency activation is a novel endogenous neuromodulator that negatively regulates LTP induction in the hippocampus through direct modulation of pyramidal cells.