Hyperpolarization following long-lasting tetanic activation of hippocampal pyramidal cells

Sex differences in the nicotinic excitation of principal neurons within the developing hippocampal formation

The hippocampal formation (HF) plays an important role to facilitate higher order cognitive functions. Cholinergic activation of heteromeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) within the HF is critical for the normal development of principal neurons within this brain region. However, previous research investigating the expression and function of heteromeric nAChRs in principal neurons of the HF is limited to males or does not differentiate between the sexes. We used whole-cell electrophysiology to show that principal neurons in the CA1 region of the female mouse HF are excited by heteromeric nAChRs throughout postnatal development, with the greatest response occurring during the first two weeks of postnatal life. Excitability responses to heteromeric nAChR stimulation were also found in principal neurons in the CA3, dentate gyrus, subiculum, and entorhinal cortex layer VI (ECVI) of young postnatal female HF. A direct comparison between male and female mice found that principal neurons in ECVI display greater heteromeric nicotinic passive and active excitability responses in females. This sex difference is likely influenced by the generally more excitable nature of ECVI neurons from female mice, which display a higher resting membrane potential, greater input resistance, and smaller afterhyperpolarization potential of medium duration (mAHP). These findings demonstrate that heteromeric nicotinic excitation of ECVI neurons differs between male and female mice during a period of major circuitry development within the HF, which may have mechanistic implications for known sex differences in the development and function of this cognitive brain region.

Differential contributions of Ca2+ -activated K+ channels and Na+ /K+ -ATPases to the generation of the slow afterhyperpolarization in CA1 pyramidal cells

In many types of CNS neurons, repetitive spiking produces a slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP), providing sustained, intrinsically generated negative feedback to neuronal excitation. Changes in the sAHP have been implicated in learning behaviors, in cognitive decline in aging, and in epileptogenesis. Despite its importance in brain function, the mechanisms generating the sAHP are still controversial. Here we have addressed the roles of M-type K+ current (IM ), Ca2+ -gated K+ currents (ICa(K) 's) and Na+ /K+ -ATPases (NKAs) current to sAHP generation in adult rat CA1 pyramidal cells maintained at near-physiological temperature (35 °C). No evidence for IM contribution to the sAHP was found in these neurons. Both ICa(K) 's and NKA current contributed to sAHP generation, the latter being the predominant generator of the sAHP, particularly when evoked with short trains of spikes. Of the different NKA isoenzymes, α1 -NKA played the key role, endowing the sAHP a steep voltage-dependence. Thus normal and pathological changes in α1 -NKA expression or function may affect cognitive processes by modulating the inhibitory efficacy of the sAHP.

Similar nicotinic excitability responses across the developing hippocampal formation are regulated by small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels

The hippocampal formation forms a cognitive circuit that is critical for learning and memory. Cholinergic input to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors plays an important role in the normal development of principal neurons within the hippocampal formation. However, the ability of nicotinic receptors to stimulate principal neurons across all regions of the developing hippocampal formation has not been determined. We show in this study that heteromeric nicotinic receptors mediate direct inward current and depolarization responses in principal neurons across the hippocampal formation of the young postnatal mouse. These responses were found in principal neurons of the CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus, subiculum, and entorhinal cortex layer VI, and they varied in magnitude across regions with the greatest responses occurring in the subiculum and entorhinal cortex. Despite this regional variation in the magnitude of passive responses, heteromeric nicotinic receptor stimulation increased the excitability of active principal neurons by a similar amount in all regions. Pharmacological experiments found this similar excitability response to be regulated by small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels, which exhibited regional differences in their influence on neuron activity that offset the observed regional differences in passive nicotinic responses. These findings demonstrate that SK channels play a role to coordinate the magnitude of heteromeric nicotinic excitability responses across the hippocampal formation at a time when nicotinic signaling drives the development of this cognitive brain region. This coordinated input may contribute to the normal development, synchrony, and maturation of the hippocampal formation learning and memory network. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates that small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels regulate similar-magnitude excitability responses to heteromeric nicotinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation in active principal neurons across multiple regions of the developing mouse hippocampal formation. Given the importance of nicotinic neurotransmission for the development of principal neurons within the hippocampal formation, this coordinated excitability response is positioned to influence the normal development, synchrony, and maturation of the hippocampal formation learning and memory network.

Sodium pump regulation of locomotor control circuits

Sodium pumps are ubiquitously expressed membrane proteins that extrude three Na⁺ ions in exchange for two K⁺ ions, using ATP as an energy source. Recent studies have illuminated additional, dynamic roles for sodium pumps in regulating the excitability of neuronal networks in an activity-dependent fashion. We review their role in a novel form of short-term memory within rhythmic locomotor networks. The data we review derives mainly from recent studies on Xenopus tadpoles and neonatal mice. The role and underlying mechanisms of pump action broadly match previously published data from an invertebrate, the Drosophila larva. We therefore propose a highly conserved mechanism by which sodium pump activity increases following a bout of locomotion. This results in an ultraslow afterhyperpolarization (usAHP) of the membrane potential that lasts around 1 min, but which only occurs in around half the network neurons. This usAHP in turn alters network excitability so that network output is reduced in a locomotor interval-dependent manner. The pumps therefore confer on spinal locomotor networks a temporary memory trace of recent network performance.

Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptors Mediate a Cell Type-Specific Plasticity in the Hippocampus

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) exert major control over neuronal activity by activating cannabinoid receptors (CBRs). The functionality of the eCB system is primarily ascribed to the well-documented retrograde activation of presynaptic CB1Rs. We find that action potential-driven eCB release leads to a long-lasting membrane potential hyperpolarization in hippocampal principal cells that is independent of CB1Rs. The hyperpolarization, which is specific to CA3 and CA2 pyramidal cells (PCs), depends on the activation of neuronal CB2Rs, as shown by a combined pharmacogenetic and immunohistochemical approach. Upon activation, they modulate the activity of the sodium-bicarbonate co-transporter, leading to a hyperpolarization of the neuron. CB2R activation occurred in a purely self-regulatory manner, robustly altered the input/output function of CA3 PCs, and modulated gamma oscillations in vivo. To conclude, we describe a cell type-specific plasticity mechanism in the hippocampus that provides evidence for the neuronal expression of CB2Rs and emphasizes their importance in basic neuronal transmission.

Functional segregation of voltage-activated calcium channels in motoneurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus

Calcium influx elevates mitochondrial oxidant stress (mOS) in dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) neurons that are prone to Lewy body pathologies in presymptomatic Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. In experimental PD models, treatment with isradipine, the dihydropyridine with the highest affinity to Cav1.3 channels, prevents subthreshold calcium influx via Cav1.3 channels into midbrain dopamine neurons and protects them from mOS. In DMV neurons, isradipine is also effective in reducing mOS despite overwhelming evidence that subthreshold calcium influx is negligible compared with spike-triggered influx. To solve this conundrum we combined slice electrophysiology, two-photon laser scanning microscopy, mRNA profiling, and computational modeling. We find that the unusually depolarized subthreshold voltage trajectory of DMV neurons is positioned between the relatively hyperpolarized activation curve of Cav1.3 channels and that of other high-voltage activated (HVA) calcium channels, thus creating a functional segregation between Cav1.3 and HVA calcium channels. The HVA channels flux the bulk of calcium during spikes but can only influence pacemaking through their coupling to calcium-activated potassium currents. In contrast, Cav1.3 currents, which we show to be more than an order-of-magnitude smaller than the HVA calcium currents, are able to introduce sufficient inward current to speed up firing. However, Kv4 channels that are constitutively open in the subthreshold range guarantee slow pacemaking, despite the depolarizing action of Cav1.3 and other pacemaking currents. We propose that the efficacy of isradipine in preventing mOS in DMV neurons arises from its mixed effect on Cav1.3 channels and on HVA Cav1.2 channels.

Emerging role of the KCNT1 Slack channel in intellectual disability

The sodium-activated potassium KNa channels Slack and Slick are encoded by KCNT1 and KCNT2, respectively. These channels are found in neurons throughout the brain, and are responsible for a delayed outward current termed I KNa. These currents integrate into shaping neuronal excitability, as well as adaptation in response to maintained stimulation. Abnormal Slack channel activity may play a role in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause for intellectual disability and inherited autism. Slack channels interact directly with the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and I KNa is reduced in animal models of Fragile X syndrome that lack FMRP. Human Slack mutations that alter channel activity can also lead to intellectual disability, as has been found for several childhood epileptic disorders. Ongoing research is elucidating the relationship between mutant Slack channel activity, development of early onset epilepsies and intellectual impairment. This review describes the emerging role of Slack channels in intellectual disability, coupled with an overview of the physiological role of neuronal I KNa currents.

A sodium-pump-mediated afterhyperpolarization in pyramidal neurons

The sodium-potassium ATPase (i.e., the "sodium pump") plays a central role in maintaining ionic homeostasis in all cells. Although the sodium pump is intrinsically electrogenic and responsive to dynamic changes in intracellular sodium concentration, its role in regulating neuronal excitability remains unclear. Here we describe a physiological role for the sodium pump in regulating the excitability of mouse neocortical layer 5 and hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Trains of action potentials produced long-lasting (∼20 s) afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) that were insensitive to blockade of voltage-gated calcium channels or chelation of intracellular calcium, but were blocked by tetrodotoxin, ouabain, or the removal of extracellular potassium. Correspondingly, the AHP time course was similar to the decay of activity-induced increases in intracellular sodium, whereas intracellular calcium decayed at much faster rates. To determine whether physiological patterns of activity engage the sodium pump, we replayed in vitro a place-specific burst of 15 action potentials recorded originally in vivo in a CA1 "place cell" as the animal traversed the associated place field. In both layer 5 and CA1 pyramidal neurons, this "place cell train" generated small, long-lasting AHPs capable of reducing neuronal excitability for many seconds. Place-cell-train-induced AHPs were blocked by ouabain or removal of extracellular potassium, but not by intracellular calcium chelation. Finally, we found calcium contributions to the AHP to be temperature dependent: prominent at room temperature, but largely absent at 35°C. Our results demonstrate a previously unappreciated role for the sodium-potassium ATPase in regulating the excitability of neocortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons.

The sodium-potassium pump controls the intrinsic firing of the cerebellar Purkinje neuron

In vitro, cerebellar Purkinje cells can intrinsically fire action potentials in a repeating trimodal or bimodal pattern. The trimodal pattern consists of tonic spiking, bursting, and quiescence. The bimodal pattern consists of tonic spiking and quiescence. It is unclear how these firing patterns are generated and what determines which firing pattern is selected. We have constructed a realistic biophysical Purkinje cell model that can replicate these patterns. In this model, Na(+)/K(+) pump activity sets the Purkinje cell's operating mode. From rat cerebellar slices we present Purkinje whole cell recordings in the presence of ouabain, which irreversibly blocks the Na(+)/K(+) pump. The model can replicate these recordings. We propose that Na(+)/K(+) pump activity controls the intrinsic firing mode of cerbellar Purkinje cells.

Ionic dynamics mediate spontaneous termination of seizures and postictal depression state

Epileptic seizures are characterized by periods of recurrent, highly synchronized activity that spontaneously terminates, followed by postictal state when neuronal activity is generally depressed. The mechanisms for spontaneous seizure termination and postictal depression remain poorly understood. Using a realistic computational model, we demonstrate that termination of seizure and postictal depression state may be mediated by dynamics of the intracellular and extracellular ion concentrations. Spontaneous termination was linked to progressive increase of intracellular sodium concentration mediated by activation of sodium channels during highly active epileptic state. In contrast, an increase of intracellular chloride concentration extended seizure duration making possible long-lasting epileptic activity characterized by multiple transitions between tonic and clonic states. After seizure termination, the extracellular potassium was reduced below baseline, resulting in postictal depression. Our study suggests that the coupled dynamics of sodium, potassium, and chloride ions play a critical role in the development and termination of seizures. Findings from this study could help identify novel therapeutics for seizure disorder.

Sodium pumps adapt spike bursting to stimulus statistics

Pump activity is a homeostatic mechanism that maintains ionic gradients. Here we examined whether the slow reduction in excitability induced by sodium-pump activity that has been seen in many neuronal types is also involved in neuronal coding. We took intracellular recordings from a spike-bursting sensory neuron in the leech Hirudo medicinalis in response to naturalistic tactile stimuli with different statistical distributions. We show that regulation of excitability by sodium pumps is necessary for the neuron to make different responses depending on the statistical context of the stimuli. In particular, sodium-pump activity allowed spike-burst sizes and rates to code not for stimulus values per se, but for their ratio with the standard deviation of the stimulus distribution. Modeling further showed that sodium pumps can be a general mechanism of adaptation to statistics on the time scale of 1 min. These results implicate the ubiquitous pump activity in the adaptation of neural codes to statistics.

Control of spontaneous firing patterns by the selective coupling of calcium currents to calcium-activated potassium currents in striatal cholinergic interneurons

The spontaneous firing patterns of striatal cholinergic interneurons are sculpted by potassium currents that give rise to prominent afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs). Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channel currents contribute to action potential (AP) repolarization; small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel currents generate an apamin-sensitive medium AHP (mAHP) after each AP; and bursts of APs generate long-lasting slow AHPs (sAHPs) attributable to apamin-insensitive currents. Because all these currents are calcium dependent, we conducted voltage- and current-clamp whole-cell recordings while pharmacologically manipulating calcium channels of the plasma membrane and intracellular stores to determine what sources of calcium activate the currents underlying AP repolarization and the AHPs. The Cav2.2 (N-type) blocker omega-conotoxin GVIA (1 microM) was the only blocker that significantly reduced the mAHP, and it induced a transition to rhythmic bursting in one-third of the cells tested. Cav1 (L-type) blockers (10 microM dihydropyridines) were the only ones that significantly reduced the sAHP. When applied to cells induced to burst with apamin, dihydropyridines reduced the sAHPs and abolished bursting. Depletion of intracellular stores with 10 mM caffeine also significantly reduced the sAHP current and reversibly regularized firing. Application of 1 microM omega-conotoxin MVIIC (a Cav2.1/2.2 blocker) broadened APs but had a negligible effect on APs in cells in which BK channels were already blocked by submillimolar tetraethylammonium chloride, indicating that Cav2.1 (Q-type) channels provide the calcium to activate BK channels that repolarize the AP. Thus, calcium currents are selectively coupled to the calcium-dependent potassium currents underlying the AHPs, thereby creating mechanisms for control of the spontaneous firing patterns of these neurons.

Slow Adaptation in Fast-Spiking Neurons of Visual Cortex

Fast-spiking (FS) neurons are a class of inhibitory interneurons classically characterized as having short-duration action potentials (<0.5 ms at half height) and displaying little to no spike-frequency adaptation during short (<500 ms) depolarizing current pulses. As a consequence, the resulting injected current intensity versus firing frequency relationship is typically steep, and they can achieve firing frequencies of ≤1 kHz. Here we have investigated the properties of FS neurons discharges on a longer time scale. Twenty second discharges were induced in electrophysiologically identified FS neurons by means of current injection either with sinusoidal current or with square pulses. We found that virtually all FS neurons recorded in cortical slices do show spike-frequency adaptation but with a slow time course (τ = 2–19 s). This slow time course has precluded the observation of this property in previous studies that used shorter pulses. Contrary to the classical view of FS neurons functional properties, long-duration discharges were followed by a slow afterhyperpolarization lasting ≤23 s. During this postadaptation period, the excitability of the neurons was decreased on average for 16.7 ± 6.8 s, therefore rendering the cell less responsive to subsequent afferent inputs. Slow adaptation is also reported here for FS neurons recorded in vivo. This longer time scale of adaptation in FS neurons may be critical for balancing excitation and inhibition as well as for the understanding of cortical network computations.

Topiramate hyperpolarizes and modulates the slow poststimulus AHP of rat olfactory cortical neurones in vitro

1. The effects of the novel antiepileptic drug topiramate (TPM) were investigated in rat olfactory cortex neurones in vitro using a current/voltage clamp technique. 2. In 80% of recorded cells, bath application of TPM (20 microm) reversibly hyperpolarized and inhibited neuronal repetitive firing by inducing a slow outward membrane current, accompanied by a conductance increase. The response was reproducible after washout, and was most likely carried largely by K(+) ions, although other ionic conductances may also have contributed. 3. In 90% of cells, TPM (20 microm) also enhanced and prolonged the slow (Ca(2+)-dependent) poststimulus afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) and underlying slow outward tail current (sI(AHP)). This effect was due to a selective enhancement/prolongation of an underlying L-type Ca(2+) current that was blocked by nifedipine (20 microm); the TPM response was unlikely to involve an interaction at PKA-dependent phosphorylation sites. 4. The carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor acetazolamide (ACTZ, 20 microm) and the poorly membrane permeant inhibitor benzolamide (BZ, 50 microm) both mimicked the membrane effects of TPM, in generating a slow hyperpolarization (slow outward current under voltage clamp) and sAHP enhancement. ACTZ and BZ occluded the effects of TPM in generating the outward current response, but were additive in producing the sAHP modulatory effect, suggesting different underlying response mechanisms. 5. In bicarbonate/CO(2)-free, HEPES-buffered medium, all the membrane effects of TPM and ACTZ were reproducible, therefore not dependent on CA inhibition. 6. We propose that both novel effects of TPM and ACTZ exerted on cortical neurones may contribute towards their clinical effectiveness as anticonvulsants.

Cellular mechanisms of long-lasting adaptation in visual cortical neurons in vitro

The cellular mechanisms of spike-frequency adaptation during prolonged discharges and of the slow afterhyperpolarization (AHP) that follows, as occur in vivo with contrast adaptation, were investigated with intracellular recordings of cortical neurons in slices of ferret primary visual cortex. Intracellular injection of 2 Hz sinusoidal or constant currents for 20 sec resulted in a slow (tau = 1-10 sec) spike-frequency adaptation, the degree of which varied widely among neurons. Reducing either [Ca(2+)](o) or [Na(+)](o) reduced the rate of spike-frequency adaptation. After the prolonged discharge was a slow (12-75 sec) AHP that was associated with an increase in membrane conductance and a rightward shift in the discharge frequency versus injected current relationship. The reversal potential of the slow AHP was sensitive to changes in [K(+)](o), indicating that it was mediated by a K(+) current. Blockade of transmembrane Ca(2+) conductances did not reduce the slow AHP. In contrast, reductions of [Na(+)](o) reduced the slow AHP, even in the presence of pronounced Ca(2+) spikes. We suggest that the activation of Na(+)-activated and Ca(2+)-activated K(+) currents plays an important role in prolonged spike-frequency adaptation and therefore may contribute to contrast adaptation and other forms of adaptation in the visual system in vivo.

Membrane mechanisms underlying contrast adaptation in cat area 17 in vivo

Contrast adaptation is a psychophysical phenomenon, the neuronal bases of which reside largely in the primary visual cortex. The cellular mechanisms of contrast adaptation were investigated in the cat primary visual cortex in vivo through intracellular recording and current injections. Visual cortex cells, and to a much less extent, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) neurons, exhibited a reduction in firing rate during prolonged presentations of a high-contrast visual stimulus, a process we termed high-contrast adaptation. In a majority of cortical and dLGN cells, the period of adaptation to high contrast was followed by a prolonged (5-80 sec) period of reduced responsiveness to a low-contrast stimulus (postadaptation suppression), an effect that was associated, and positively correlated, with a hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and an increase in apparent membrane conductance. In simple cells, the period of postadaptation suppression was not consistently associated with a decrease in the grating modulated component of the evoked synaptic barrages (the F1 component). The generation of the hyperpolarization appears to be at least partially intrinsic to the recorded cells, because the induction of neuronal activity with the intracellular injection of current resulted in both a hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and a decrease in the spike response to either current injections or visual stimuli. Conversely, high-contrast visual stimulation could suppress the response to low-intensity sinusoidal current injection. We conclude that control of the membrane potential by intrinsic neuronal mechanisms contributes importantly to the adaptation of neuronal responsiveness to varying levels of contrast. This feedback mechanism, internal to cortical neurons, provides them with the ability to continually adjust their responsiveness as a function of their history of synaptic and action potential activity.

Characterization of the electrogenic Na+-K+ pump in horizontal cells isolated from the carp retina

The electrogenic Na+-K+ pump current in horizontal cells acutely dissociated from the carp retina was investigated using a nystatin-perforated patch recording configuration under voltage-clamp conditions. In the presence of suitable blockers for known voltage-dependent Na+, K+ and Ca2+ conductances, the pump current was activated in a concentration-dependent manner by adding K+ ions to external solution. The EC50 value and Hill coefficient for the external K+ concentration were 0.66 mM and 1.39, respectively. The pump current did not show any significant voltage dependency at the physiological potential range between -90 and 20 mV either with or without external Na+ ions. In the presence of 120 mM external Na+ concentration, the addition of 3 mM K+ to the external solution induced a steady outward pump current even when the patch-pipette (internal) solution did not contain Na+. A large outward shift of the holding current was observed by removing external Na+. The result thus suggests that continuous Na+ influxes exist across the plasma membrane in the presence of external Na+. When Na+ was removed from both external and internal solutions, a transient outward pump current was observed by adding K+ to the external solution, thus indicating that the transient pump current was activated by the residual intracellular Na+ ions. The pump current was suppressed by ouabain in a concentration-dependent manner, and the ouabain-sensitive inhibition curve was fitted by two components. The IC50 values of high- and low-sensitive pump currents for ouabain were 20 nM and 10.4 microM, respectively, indicating the existence of at least two isoforms of the pump in the horizontal cells.

Characterization of electrogenic Na/K pump in rat neostriatal neurons

The electrogenic Na/K pump current (Ip) was studied in the dissociated neostriatal neurons of the rat by using the nystatin-perforated patch recording mode. The Ip was activated by external K+ in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC50 of 0.7 mM at a holding potential (VH) of -40 mV. Other monovalent cations also caused Ip and the order of potency was Tl+>K+, Rb+>NH4+, Cs+>>>Li+. The Ip decreased with membrane hyperpolarization in an external solution containing 150 mM Na+, while the Ip did not show such voltage dependency without external Na+. Ouabain showed a steady-state inhibition of Ip in a concentration- and temperature-dependent manner at a VH of -40 mV. The IC50 values at 20 and 30 degrees C were 7.1 x 10(-6) and 1.3 x 10(-6) M, respectively. The decay of Ip after adding ouabain well fitted with a single exponential function. At a VH of -40 Mv, the association (k+1) and dissociation (k-1) rate constants estimated from the time constant of the current decay at 20 degrees C were 4.0 x10(2) s-1 M-1 and 6.3 x 10(-3) s-1, respectively. At 30 degrees C, k+1 increased to 2.8 x 10(3) s-1 M-1 while k-1 showed no such change with a value of 1.8 x 10(-3) s-1. A continuous Na+ influx was demonstrated by both the Na+-dependent leakage current and tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ current, which resulted in the continuous activation of the Na/K pump. It was thus concluded that the Na/K pump activity was well-maintained in the dissociated rat neostriatal neurons with distinct functional properties and that the activity of the pump was tightly connected with Na+ influxes.

The Na+,K+ pump and muscle excitability

In most types of mammalian skeletal muscles the total concentration of Na+,K+ pumps is 0.2-0.8 nmol g wet wt(-1). At rest, only around 5% of these Na+,K+ pumps are active, but during high-frequency stimulation, virtually all Na+,K+ pumps may be called into action within a few seconds. Despite this large capacity for active Na+,K+ transport, excitation often induces a net loss of K+, a net gain of Na+, depolarization and ensuing loss of excitability. In muscles exposed to high [K+]o or low [Na+]o, alone or combined, excitability is reduced. Under these conditions, hormonal or excitation-induced stimulation of the Na+,K+ pump leads to considerable force recovery. This recovery can be blocked by ouabain and seems to be the result of Na+,K+ pump induced hyperpolarization and restoration of Na+,K+ gradients. In muscles where the capacity of the Na+,K+ pump is reduced, the decline in the force developing during continuous electrical stimulation (30-90 Hz) is accelerated and the subsequent force recovery considerably delayed. The loss of endurance is significant within a few seconds after the onset of stimulation. Increased concentration of Na+ channels or open-time of Na+ channels is also associated with reduced endurance and impairment of force recovery. This indicates that during contractile activity, excitability is acutely dependent on the ratio between Na+ entry and Na+,K+ pump capacity. Contrary to previous assumptions, the Na+,K+ pump, due to rapid activation of its large transport capacity seems to play a dynamic role in the from second to second ongoing restoration and maintenance of excitability in working skeletal muscle.

Comparison of the effects of serotonin in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex

Among the molecular, cellular, and systemic events that have been proposed to modulate the function of the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex (EC), one of the most frequently cited possibilities is the activation of the serotonergic system. Neurons in the hippocampus and in the EC receive a strong serotonergic projection from the raphe nuclei and express serotonin (5-HT) receptors at high density. Here we review the various effects of 5-HT on intrinsic and synaptic properties of neurons in the hippocampus and the EC. Although similar membrane-potential changes following 5-HT application have been reported for neurons of the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus, the effects of serotonin on synaptic transmission are contrary in both areas. Serotonin mainly depresses fast and slow inhibition of the principal output cells of the hippocampus, whereas it selectively suppresses the excitation in the entorhinal cortex. On the basis of these data, we discuss the possible role of serotonin under physiological and pathophysiological circumstances.

Role of intrinsic burst firing, potassium accumulation, and electrical coupling in the elevated potassium model of hippocampal epilepsy

Perfusing rat hippocampal slices with high-K+ (7.5 mM) saline induced brief population bursts originating in CA3 at 0.5-1 Hz and spreading synaptically into CA1. In 42% of the slices the brief bursts evoked in CA1 gave way every 0.5-2 s to sustained ictal (or seizure) episode with tonic and clonic components. Paired intra- and extracellular recordings in the CA1 pyramidal layer were used to characterize the synaptic and nonsynaptic mechanisms generating the brief and sustained epileptiform events. The interictal, tonic, or clonic primary burst response in CA1 comprised a spindle-shaped, tight cluster (170-180 Hz) of five to seven population spikes. Bursts evoked between sequential seizures (interictal bursts) were initially small and progressively increased in size. Concurrently, basal extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o] increased from 6.5 to 7.5 mM. The tonic event emanated from a large primary burst and comprised prolonged (> 1 s), self-sustained afterdischarge, associated with a rise in [K+]o to 12 mM. Bursts generated during the subsequent [K+]o decline (clonic bursts) also were large and followed by some afterdischarge. They became small during [K+]o undershoot to 6.5 mM. Intrinsically burst firing pyramidal cells (PCs) were recruited before or at the very onset of the primary population burst and fired repetitively during its course. Nonbursters were recruited > or = 10 ms after the beginning of the primary burst and fired, on average, only one spike. The PCs depolarized during the primary burst and subsequent afterdischarge. The primary depolarizing shift was larger in bursters than in nonbursters. Both bursters and nonbursters fired repetitively, albeit intermittently, during tonic and clonic afterdischarge. Throughout the interictal-ictal cycle intracellular spikes were time-locked to population spikes, indicating that PCs fire in tight synchrony. Differential recording of transmembrane potentials unmasked rapid (4-7 ms) transmembrane depolarizing potentials of up to 10 mV, coincident with population spikes. We conclude that in the high-K+ model of hippocampal epilepsy, the local generation of population bursts in CA1 is led by intrinsic bursters, which recruit and synchronize other PCs by synaptic, electrical, and K(+)-mediated excitatory interactions. The cycling between interictal, tonic, and clonic events appears to result from feedback interactions between neuronal discharge and [K+]o.

Serotonin blocks different patterns of low Mg2+-induced epileptiform activity in rat entorhinal cortex, but not hippocampus

Low Mg2+-induced epileptiform activity in the entorhinal cortex is characterized by an initial expression of seizure-like events followed by late recurrent discharges. Both these forms of activity as well as the transition between them were blocked by serotonin. In contrast, serotonin had little effect upon the epileptiform activity in areas CA3 and CA1 of the hippocampus. Both forms of epileptiform activity in the entorhinal cortex are sensitive to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists and it is shown here that serotonin blocked both types of epileptiform activity through an effective concentration-dependent reduction of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic potentials in deep layer entorhinal cortex cells. Serotonin also prolonged or even prevented the transition between the two types of epileptiform activity and we suggest that this may be through activation of the Na+/K+-ATPase. The resistance of epileptiform activity in CA1 and CA3 to serotonin was most likely related to the inability of serotonin to reduce Schaffer collateral-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Given the strong serotonergic inputs to both the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, the differential sensitivity of the two regions to serotonin suggests functional differences. In addition since the late recurrent discharges in the entorhinal cortex are resistant to all clinically used anticonvulsants, serotonin may open new avenues for the development of novel anticonvulsant compounds.

Presynaptic mechanism for heterosynaptic, posttetanic depression in area CA1 of rat hippocampus

Conditioning stimulation applied to afferent fibers in stratum radiatum or stratum oriens of hippocampal area CA1 produced heterosynaptic, posttetanic depression (PTD) of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). PTD amounted to a 60-80% reduction of EPSPs and recovered over a 5 min period. Conditioning stimulation also induced a posttetanic hyperpolarization (PTH) averaging 4 mV and decaying over a 1-1.5 min period. PTH was accompanied by a large reduction in input resistance. We sought to determine the pre- or postsynaptic locus of heterosynaptic PTD. Our results suggest that PTD reflects a presynaptic mechanism: (1) PTD was observed for both N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor mediated EPSPs; (2) Direct depolarization of pyramidal cells, substituted for the synaptic depolarization induced by conditioning stimulation, did not elicit PTD; (3) PTD and PTH were differentially affected by pharmacological and postsynaptic manipulations; (4) Conditioning stimulation depressed responses to pressure applied glutamate, but the magnitude and duration were too small to account for PTD. Since afferent fiber volleys were not depressed following conditioning stimulation, while field EPSPs were, we conclude that conditioning stimulation suppresses synaptic release of glutamate.

Postnatal development of electrogenic sodium pump activity in rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons

We assessed the development of electrogenic sodium pump (Na+ pump) activity in CA1 pyramidal neurons of rat hippocampal slices by studying the prolonged hyperpolarization which follows glutamate-induced depolarization (postglutamate hyperpolarization or PGH) at different postnatal ages. We also examined the development of membrane-bound enzyme in the hippocampal CA1 subfield with light microscopic immunocytochemistry and an antiserum against Na+,K(+)-ATPase. The PGH, which has previously been shown to be due to activation of an electrogenic Na+ pump in adult hippocampal CA1 neurons, was eliminated by strophanthidin, a Na+,K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, at all ages. It was unaffected by several potassium channel blockers, an intracellular calcium chelator, intracellular Cl- injection or tetrodotoxin (TTX) perfusion. The PGH thus appeared to be independent of K+ and Cl- conductances and produced by an electrogenic Na+ pump in adult and immature animals activated in large part by entry of Na+ through the glutamate receptor-channel complex. The size (integrated area) of the PGH was directly proportional to the area of preceding glutamate-induced depolarization (GD) and relatively voltage independent. Similar GDs could be elicited from postnatal day (P) 7 to P greater than or equal to 35, however, only very small PGHs were produced in neurons from P7-11 animals. A ratio of PGH area to GD area (PGH ratio) was calculated for each neuron and used to compare Na+ pump activity at different ages. There was a significant increase in the mean PGH ratio with age when P7-11, P21-25 and P35-39 groups were compared. Na+ pump activity estimated from the PGH ratio is very low in the first postnatal week but develops gradually over the first 5 weeks of life. Immunostaining for Na+,K(+)-ATPase in adult rat hippocampi revealed a punctate reaction product surrounding pyramidal cell bodies, whereas the staining was uniform along plasmalemma of dendrites in stratum radiatum and stratum oriens. By contrast, only minimum staining was present surrounding cell bodies and dendrites of P7 hippocampi and staining in stratum pyramidale was not punctate at this age. Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity estimated grossly from immunocytochemical staining is very low in the first postnatal week, increases during the first 5 weeks and develops a characteristic focal localization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A prolonged post-tetanic hyperpolarization in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells in vitro

The post-tetanic sequelae of trains of synaptic stimuli (50 pulses at 5 or 10 Hz) were studied with intracellular recordings from rat hippocampal neurons in vitro. In a large proportion of CA1 neurons, stimulation of afferent fibers was followed by a prolonged membrane hyperpolarization (peak amplitude approximately 6 mV) that was associated with a decrease in neuronal input resistance (approximately 33%) that lasted from tens of seconds to over 1 min. Antidromic stimulation or activation of cells with intracellular current injection did not elicit this post-tetanic hyperpolarization (PTH). The PTH could be elicited in chloride (Cl-)-loaded cells, its null potential shifted in response to changes in extracellular potassium ([K+]o), and it was significantly reduced by 5-10 mM extracellular cesium (Cs+). The K(+)-dependent PTH may also be calcium (Ca2+) dependent as its amplitude and associated conductance increase were sensitive to changes in [Ca2+]o. The PTH was enhanced by treatments that increase Ca2+ entry into cells including perfusion with elevated [Ca2+]o, with picrotoxin or with tetraethylammonium ion (TEA). The K+ conductance blocker 4-AP had no consistent effect on the PTH. The PTH was potently blocked by the membrane-permeant forms of cAMP, dibutyryl- and 8-bromo-cAMP. However, phorbol esters that activate protein kinase C and carbachol, which usually block the same potential that is blocked by cAMP, did not depress the PTH. The cardiac glycosides dihydro-ouabain and strophanthidin had only small and variable effects on the PTH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Postischemic glucose utilization in rat hippocampal layers

The influence on hippocampal glucose utilization was determined in male Wistar rats 7 days after a 10-min forebrain ischemia. Ischemia was induced by clamping of the carotid arteries and lowering blood pressure to 40 mm Hg. Despite severe neuronal damage as assessed by histological techniques, local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was significantly increased in the pyramidal and radiatum layer of the CA1 sector, while in layers of the CA2, CA3 and CA4 sector and dentate gyrus. LCGU was reduced compared to non-ischemic controls. The increases in LCGU are suggested to reflect long-lasting hyperexcitation in the selectively vulnerable CA1 sector, implicating a correlation between cellular hypermetabolism and neuronal damage.

Potassium currents in hippocampal pyramidal cells

The hippocampal pyramidal cells provide an example of how multiple potassium (K) currents co-exist and function in central mammalian neurones. The data come from CA1 and CA3 neurones in hippocampal slices, cell cultures and acutely dissociated cells from rats and guinea-pigs. Six voltage- or calcium(Ca)-dependent K currents have so far been described in CA1 pyramidal cells in slices. Four of them (IA, ID, IK, IM) are activated by depolarization alone; the two others (IC, IAHP) are activated by voltage-dependent influx of Ca ions (IC may be both Ca- and voltage-gated). In addition, a transient Ca-dependent K current (ICT) has been described in certain preparations, but it is not yet clear whether it is distinct from IC and IA. (1) IA activates fast (within 10 ms) and inactivates rapidly (time constant typically 15-50 ms) at potentials positive to -60 mV; it probably contributes to early spike-repolarization, it can delay the first spike for about 0.1 s, and may regulate repetitive firing. (2) ID activates within about 20 ms but inactivates slowly (seconds) below the spike threshold (-90 to -60 mV), causing a long delay (0.5-5 s) in the onset of firing. Due to its slow recovery from inactivation (seconds), separate depolarizing inputs can be "integrated". ID probably also participates in spike repolarization. (3) IK activates slowly (time constant, tau, 20-60 ms) in response to depolarizations positive to -40 mV and inactivates (tau about 5s) at -80 to -40 mV; it probably participates in spike repolarization. (4) IM activates slowly (tau about 50 ms) positive to -60 mV and does not inactivate; it tends to attenuate excitatory inputs, it reduces the firing rate during maintained depolarization (adaptation) and contributes to the medium after-hyperpolarization (mAHP); IM is suppressed by acetylcholine (via muscarinic receptors), but may be enhanced by somatostatin. (5) IC is activated by influx of Ca ions during the action potential and is thought to cause the final spike repolarization and the fast AHP (although ICT may be involved). Like IM, it also contributes to the medium AHP and early adaptation. It differs from IAHP by being sensitive to tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM), but insensitive to noradrenaline and muscarine. Large-conductance (BK; about 200 pS) Ca-activated K channels, which may mediate IC, have been recorded. (6) IAHP is slowly activated by Ca-influx during action potentials, causing spike-frequency adaptation and the slow AHP. Thus, IAHP exerts a strong negative feedback control of discharge activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Membrane currents in hippocampal neurons

This chapter reviews properties and functions of endogenous ionic currents in hippocampal neurones. Currents considered are: Na currents INa(fast) and INa(slow); Ca currents; K currents--delayed rectifier IK(DR), transient IK(A), 'delay' current IK(D) and M current IK(M); inward rectifiers IQ, IK(IR) and ICl(V); Ca-activated currents IK(Ca) (IC and IAHP), ICl(Ca) and Ication(Ca); Na-activated currents; and anoxia-induced currents.

Hippocampal unit activity after transient cerebral ischemia in rats

Single unit activity of CA1 and CA3 neurons in the hippocampus was recorded in rats 1, 2, or 3 days after 10 minutes of transient cerebral ischemia induced by the clamping of both carotid arteries combined with hypotension. In addition, paired pulse inhibition/facilitation of the CA1 population spike was examined on Day 2 using two successive stimuli of the contralateral CA3 region delivered at various intervals. On Day 1, the mean +/- SEM firing rate in the CA1 region was 0.91 +/- 0.42/sec (n = 5), which was not significantly different from the control value of 0.98 +/- 0.26/sec (n = 5). Firing rate increased on Days 2 and 3 to 3.96 +/- 0.69/sec (n = 5), and 6.49 +/- 0.89/sec (n = 5), respectively. In the CA3 region, the mean +/- SEM firing rate of 1.18 +/- 0.27/sec in the five control rats sharply dropped to 0.14 +/- 0.11/sec in the five Day 1 rats and gradually increased to 0.45 +/- 0.11/sec in the five Day 3 rats. Histologic examination of these rats revealed ischemic changes restricted to CA1 neurons on Days 2 and 3. The paired-pulse experiment showed no significant difference between six control and six Day 2 rats in the inhibition of the second population spike with interstimulus intervals of less than 400 msec. At interstimulus intervals of greater than 500 msec there was facilitation of the second spike, which lasted 5 seconds in Day 2 rats. This facilitation was not observed in control rats. Because CA3 neurons constitute the main input to CA1 pyramidal cells, decreased activity of CA3 neurons indicates less excitatory input to CA1 neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Increased sodium pump activity following repetitive stimulation of rat soleus muscles

1. Soleus muscles of anaesthetized rats were stimulated tetanically (4 s at 20 Hz every 5 s for 5 min), following which the resting and action potentials were measured in surface fibres. 2. At the end of the stimulation period, the mean resting potential was found to have increased from a control value of -79.5 +/- 4.8 mV (mean +/- S.D.) to -90.5 +/- 6.3 mV. The hyperpolarization started to decline after 9 min but was still present at 15 min. 3. Associated with the membrane hyperpolarization was an increase in the mean amplitude of the muscle fibre action potential, from 82.2 +/- 10.8 to 96.8 +/- 10.0 mV. 4. Both the hyperpolarization and the enlargement of the muscle fibre action potential were abolished by 1.25 X 10(-4) M-ouabain, cooling the bathing fluid to 19 degrees C or removing K+ from the bathing fluid. 5. The results are explained in terms of an increase in electrogenic sodium pump activity resulting from tetanic stimulation. When the bathing fluid contained 20 mM-K+, the mean resting potential of stimulated fibres was approximately -30 mV greater than that calculated from the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation. 6. The increase in sodium pumping not only acts to restore the concentrations of Na+ and K+ on either side of the muscle fibre membrane, but, through its electrogenic effect, enables fibres to remain excitable during continuous contractile activity.

Inhibitory action of serotonin in CA1 hippocampal neurons in vitro

The ionic mechanism of the inhibitory effect of serotonin was investigated in vitro in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus by extra- and intracellular recordings. Local or bath applications of serotonin induced a long-lasting reduction of extracellularly recorded synaptic potentials and orthodromic population spikes without affecting the afferent volley or the antidromic population spike. Serotonin can also reduce the frequency of occurrence of spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials without any reduction of input resistance of the pyramidal neuron. During the response to serotonin, the conductance increase evoked by GABA, the inhibitory neurotransmitter, was not changed. A direct postsynaptic effect of serotonin was demonstrated: local or bath applications of serotonin induced a tetrodotoxin-resistant hyperpolarization and conductance increase. The conductance change was not reduced by manual clamp of the neurons to the control resting membrane potential; therefore, a possible involvement of the sodium-potassium electrogenic pump is unlikely. When neurons were loaded with chloride, serotonin could still induce a hyperpolarization with an apparent reversal more negative than the resting membrane potential. When neurons were loaded with caesium, the hyperpolarization and the conductance increase evoked by serotonin were blocked. It is therefore concluded that serotonin increases potassium permeability. Similar effects were induced by a 5-HT1A ligand. The slow after hyperpolarization was reduced by serotonin; the calcium spike was reduced at the same time. In caesium loaded neurons, the spike duration was not modified by serotonin. In the presence of extracellular caesium (4-5 mM), the serotonin-induced hyperpolarization and the conductance change were blocked, but the effect of serotonin on calcium spikes persisted. Tetraethylammonium (5-10 mM) or 4-aminopyridine (0.5 mM) had no effect on the response to serotonin. These data indicate that serotonin has a postsynaptic inhibitory action by an activating potassium conductance. The possibility of a regulation of calcium currents is discussed. The possible role of serotonin on intrinsic synaptic transmission is also discussed.

Changes in intracellular free Ca ion concentration evoked by electrical activity in cat spinal neurons in situ

In cats under allobarbitone anaesthesia, Ca2+-sensitive microelectrodes were inserted into the lumbosacral spinal neurons to measure intracellular free Ca2+ concentration [Ca]i. In 72 resting motoneurons, the global mean [Ca]i was 7.9 microM (SD +/- 25.9). In the 36 "best" cells (with resting and action potentials better than 60 mV), mean [Ca]i was 1.6 microM (SD +/- 1.64). Activation of motoneurons by antidromic or direct stimulation evoked mean increases in [Ca]i of about 90 nM when stimulating for 30 s at 10 Hz, and 170 nM at 20 Hz. The mean time to half-recovery was 23 s (SD +/- 14.5). Orthodromic stimulation consistently produced smaller increases in [Ca]i. Measurements in motor axons showed a comparable resting level of [Ca]i, but only minimal changes during stimulation, even at 100 Hz. Sensory axons (also recorded within the spinal cord) similarly failed to show any increase in [Ca]i during high frequency stimulation. In some interneurons, however, particularly large and rapid increases in [Ca]i could be evoked by dorsal root stimulation at 1-5 Hz. Unresponsive cells (presumably neuroglia), with a typically high and stable resting potential, had a variable [Ca]i giving a mean of 32 microM (SD +/- 63.0). A tentative theoretical analysis of the magnitude and time course of delta [Ca]i evoked in motoneurons by tetanic stimulation is consistent with remarkably slow apparent diffusion of intracellular Ca2+ (1/250 of rate of diffusion in water), such as might be expected in the presence of very efficient mechanisms of Ca2+ sequestration.

Effects of tetraethylammonium-chloride and divalent cations on the afterhyperpolarization following repetitive firing in leech neurons

In leech Retzius cells, repetitive activity evoked a prolonged Ca2+-dependent after-hyperpolarization (PAH) (30-60 s) accompanied by an increase in input conductance. PAH persisted in Retzius cells, as well as in nociceptive (N) cells, when Sr2+ but not Mg2+ was substituted for Ca2+. In the presence of tetraethylammonium-chloride (TEA) or Ba2+, PAH was replaced by a Ca2+-dependent, Mg2+-blockable depolarization which was present in the order N greater than R. Careful study of the differences in such phenomena in identified cells may improve our understanding of the differential susceptibility of various neurons to hyperexcitability.