ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of chronic low dose soman on learning and memory and long term potentiation(LTP) of hippocampal slices. Methods Rat model was established by consecutive subcutaneous injection of soman(6-10 ?g?kg 1 , s. c, sig?14) for 14 days for Morris water maze test. Long term potential of synaptic transmission was observed in CA1 region by tetanization of the Schaffer commissural pathway in rat hippocampal slices. Results In the Morris water maze, latency to find a hidden platform was longer and the times of crossing the situation of platform and the time percent of swimming in northeast obviously decreased. In the experiment on hippocampal slice of rats in vitro by microelectrode method, the generation of long term potentiation was inhibited. Conclusion Chronic low dose soman may cause an evident learning and memory disturbance and decrease hippocampal synaptic plasticity.