Tonic inhibition in dentate gyrus impairs long-term potentiation and memory in an Alzhiemer’s disease model

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles are common pathological hallmarks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however reducing Aβ production failed to relieve the symptoms of AD patients. Here we report a high GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) content in reactive astrocytes in the dentate gyrus (DG) of a mouse model for AD (5xFAD) that results in increased tonic inhibition and memory deficit. We also confirm in human AD patient brains that dentate astrocytes have a high GABA content, suggesting that high astrocytic GABA level may be a novel biomarker and a potential diagnostic tool for AD. The excessive GABA in 5xFAD astrocytes is released through an astrocyte-specific GABA transporter GAT3/4, and significantly enhanced tonic GABA inhibition in dentate granule cells. Importantly, reducing tonic inhibition in 5xFAD mice rescues the impairment of long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory deficit. Thus, reducing tonic GABA inhibition in the DG may lead to a novel therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.