New uses of LFPs: Pathway-specific threads obtained through spatial discrimination

Local field potentials (LFPs) reflect the coordinated firing of functional neural assemblies during information coding and transfer across neural networks. As such, it was proposed that the extraordinary variety of cytoarchitectonic elements in the brain is responsible for the wide range of amplitudes and for the coverage of field potentials, which in most cases receive contributions from multiple pathways and populations. The influence of spatial factors overrides the bold interpretations of customary measurements, such as the amplitude and polarity, to the point that their cellular interpretation is one of the hardest tasks in Neurophysiology. Temporal patterns and frequency bands are not exclusive to pathways but rather, the spatial configuration of the voltage gradients created by each pathway is highly specific and may be used advantageously. Recent technical and analytical advances now make it possible to separate and then reconstruct activity for specific pathways. In this review, we discuss how spatial features specific to cells and populations define the amplitude and extension of LFPs, why they become virtually indecipherable when several pathways are co-activated, and then we present the recent advances regarding their disentanglement using spatial discrimination techniques. The pathway-specific threads of LFPs have a simple cellular interpretation, and the temporal fluctuations obtained can be applied to a variety of new experimental objectives and improve existing approaches. Among others, they facilitate the parallel readout of activity in several populations over multiple time scales correlating them with behavior. Also, they access information contained in irregular fluctuations, facilitating the testing of ongoing plasticity. In addition, they open the way to unravel the synaptic nature of rhythmic oscillations, as well as the dynamic relationships between multiple oscillatory activities. The challenge of understanding which waves belong to which populations, and the pathways that provoke them, may soon be overcome.

Minor contribution of principal excitatory pathways to hippocampal LFPs in the anesthetized rat: a combined independent component and current source density study

Analysis of local field potentials (LFPs) helps understand the function of the converging neuronal populations that produce the mixed synaptic activity in principal cells. Recently, using independent component analysis (ICA), we resolved ongoing hippocampal activity into several major contributions of stratified LFP-generators. Here, using pathway-specific LFP reconstruction, we isolated LFP-generators that describe the activity of Schaffer-CA1 and Perforant-Dentate excitatory inputs in the anesthetized rat. First, we applied ICA and current source density analysis to LFPs evoked by electrical subthreshold stimulation of the pathways. The results showed that pathway specific activity is selectively captured by individual components or LFP-generators. Each generator matches the known distribution of axonal terminal fields in the hippocampus and recovers the specific time course of their activation. Second, we use sparse weak electrical stimulation to prime ongoing LFPs with activity of a known origin. Decomposition of ongoing LFPs yields a few significant LFP-generators with distinct spatiotemporal characteristics for the Schaffer and Perforant inputs. Both pathways convey an irregular temporal pattern in bouts of population activity of varying amplitude. Importantly, the contribution of Schaffer and Perforant inputs to the power of raw LFPs in the hippocampus is minor (7 and 5%, respectively). The results support the hypothesis on a sparse population code used by excitatory populations in the entorhino-hippocampal system, and they validate the separation of LFP-generators as a powerful tool to explore the computational function of neuronal circuits in real time.

A role for glutamate and glia in the fast network oscillations preceding spreading depression

The mechanism of the propagation of spreading depression is unclear. Classical theories proposed a self-maintained cycle fed by elevated potassium and/or glutamate in the extracellular space. Earlier we found in vivo a characteristic oscillatory field activity that is synchronous in a strip of tissue ahead of the oncoming wave of neuron depolarization and that occurs before the extracellular potassium level begins to rise [Herreras O, Largo C, Ibarz JM, Somjen GG, Marrín del Río R (1994) Role of neuronal synchronizing mechanisms in the propagation of spreading depression in the in vivo hippocampus. J Neurosci 14:7087-7098]. We investigated here the possible participation of glutamate and the role of glia in the prodromal field oscillations using extra and intracellular recordings and pharmacological manipulations in rat hippocampal slices. As earlier shown in vivo, field oscillations propagated ahead of the negative potential shift covering distances of up to 1 mm. The oscillatory prodromals were initially subthreshold but then each wave became crowned by a population spike. The frequency of the oscillatory prodromals was variable among slices (80-115 Hz), but constant in individual slices. The blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors decreased the frequency of prodromal oscillations, retarded spreading depression propagation, and shortened the duration of depolarization. Blocking the glutamate membrane transport increased the oscillatory frequency. The selective metabolic poisoning of astrocytes led to gradual disorganization of prodromal oscillations whose frequency first increased and then decreased. Also, the amplitude of the population spikes within the burst diminished as individual cells fired fewer action potentials, although still phase-locked with population spikes. The effects of glial metabolic impairment were observed within the period when neuron electrical properties were still normal, and were blocked by glutamate receptor antagonists. These data suggest that glutamate released from glial cells and possibly also from neurons has a role in the generation of oscillations and neuron firing synchronization that precede the spreading depression-related depolarization, but additional mechanisms are required to fully explain the onset and propagation of spreading depression.

Longitudinal depolarization gradients along the somatodendritic axis of CA1 pyramidal cells: a novel feature of spreading depression

We studied the subcellular correlates of spreading depression (SD) in the CA1 rat hippocampus by combining intrasomatic and intradendritic recordings of pyramidal cells with extracellular DC and evoked field and unitary activity. The results demonstrate that during SD only specific parts of the dendritic membranes are deeply depolarized and electrically shunted. Somatic impalements yielded near-zero membrane potential (V(m)) and maximum decrease of input resistance (R(in)) whether the accompanying extracellular negative potential (V(o)) moved along the basal, the apical or both dendritic arbors. However, apical intradendritic recordings showed a different course of local V(m) that is hardly detected from the soma. A decreasing depolarization gradient was observed from the edge of SD-affected fully depolarized subcellular regions toward distal dendrites. Within apical dendrites, the depolarizing front moved toward and stopped at proximal dendrites during the time course of SD so that distal dendrites had repolarized in part or in full by the end of the wave. The drop of local R(in) was initially maximal at any somatodendritic loci and also recovered partially before the end of SD. This recovery was stronger and faster in far dendrites and is best explained by a wave-like somatopetal closure of membrane conductances. Cell subregions far from SD-affected membranes remain electrically excitable and show evoked unitary and field activity. We propose that neuronal depolarization during SD is caused by current flow through extended but discrete patches of shunted membranes driven by uneven longitudinal depolarization.

Synaptically Recruited Apical Currents Are Required to Initiate Axonal and Apical Spikes in Hippocampal Pyramidal Cells: Modulation by Inhibition

Dendritic voltage-dependent currents and inhibition modulate the information flow between synaptic and decision areas. Subthreshold and spike currents are sequentially recruited by synaptic potentials in the apical shaft of pyramidal cells, which may also decide cell output. We studied the global role of proximal apical recruited currents on cell output in vitro and in the anesthetized rat after local blockade of Na+ currents in the axon initial segment (AIS) or the proximal apical shaft and their modulation by inhibition. Microejection of TTX, field potentials, and intrasomatic and intradendritic recordings were employed. Dendritic population spikes (PSs) were much smaller in vitro, but the gross relations between synaptic and active currents are similar to in vivo. Activation of Schaffer collaterals triggered PSs and action potentials (APs) in the apical shaft that fully propagated to the axon. However, the specific blockade of proximal Na+ currents avoided cell firing, although antidromic PSs and APs readily invaded somata. The somatic depolarization of subthreshold excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) also decreased to about 50%. These results were not due to decreased excitatory input by TTX. However, when GABAA inhibition was locally removed, Schaffer synaptic currents skipped the proximal dendrite and fired somatic PSs, although initiated at the AIS. It is concluded that apical currents recruited en passant by Schaffer synaptic potentials in the apical shaft constitute a necessary amplifier for this input to cause output decision. Local inhibition decides when and where an AP will initiate, constituting an efficient mechanism to discriminate and weight different inputs.

Structural inhomogeneities differentially modulate action currents and population spikes initiated in the axon or dendrites

Action potentials (APs) in CA1 pyramidal cells propagate in different directions along the somatodendritic axis depending on the activation mode (synaptic or axonal). We studied how the geometrical inhomogeneities along the apical shaft, soma, and initial axon modulate the transmembrane current (I(m)) flow underlying APs, using model and experimental techniques. The computations obtained at the subcellular level during forward- and backpropagation were extrapolated to macroscopic level (field potentials) and compared with the basic in vivo features of the ortho- and antidromic population spike (PS) that reflects the sum total of all elementary currents from synchronously firing cells. The matching of theoretical and experimental results supports the following conclusions. Because the charge carried by axonal APs is almost entirely drained into dendrites, the soma invasion is preceded by little capacitive currents (I(cap)), the ionic currents (I(ion)) dominating I(m) and the depolarizing phase. The subsequent invasion of the tapering apical shaft is preceded, however, by significant I(cap), while I(ion) decayed gradually. A similar pattern occurred during backpropagation of spikes synaptically initiated in the axon. On the contrary, when the AP was apically initiated, the dendritic I(ion) was boosted by the apical flare, it was preceded by weak I(cap) and spread forwardly at a slower velocity. Soma invasion is reliable once the AP reached the main apical shaft but less so distal to the primary bifurcation, where it may be upheld by concurrent synaptic activity. The decreasing internal resistance of the apical shaft guided most axial current into the soma, causing its fast charging. There, I(ion) began later in the depolarizing phase of the AP and the reduced driving force made it smaller. This, in addition to a poor temporal overlapping of somatodendritic inward currents within individual cells, built a smaller extracellular sink, i.e., a smaller PS. In both experiment and model, the antidromic (axon-initiated) PS in the soma layer is approximately 30% larger than an orthodromic (apical shaft-initiated) PS contributed by the same number of firing cells. We conclude that the dominance of capacitive or ionic current components on I(m) is a distinguishing feature of forward and backward APs that is predictable from the geometric inhomogeneities between conducting subregions. Correspondingly, experimental and model APs have a faster rising slope during ortho than antidromic activation. The moderate flare of the apical shaft makes forward AP conduction quite safe. This alternative trigger zone enables two different processing modes for apical inputs.

[Tracking along the path toward ischemic neuronal death]

INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

During episodes of ischemia/anoxia, the neurochemical and environmental changes considered toxic for nervous tissue lie behind the characteristic abrupt massive cell depolarization (MCD). A strong resemblance with other pathologic events enable us to postulate that MCD is a different state of the tissue that includes among others the anoxic depolarization and Le o s spreading depression. MCD is an active event. Neurons enter and leave MCD suddenly and synchronously, and contrary to current belief, their membrane integrity is preserved and ion gradients are only reduced. Biophysical membrane properties are not compatible with some postulates based on endotoxines. There is a direct relation between MCD susceptibility of the different neuron types/nuclei and their vulnerability to ischemia/anoxia. Two different substates can be distinguished in the associated interstitial potentials that are likely related to neuronal and glial dysfunction, respectively. The different modes and timings of anoxic neuronal death depend on the duration of MCD, the functional integrity of the glial network, and the history of previous insults.

CONCLUSIONS

MCD is a cellular state of risk bridging life and death. Neurons die if they cannot exit, but may recover if they do promptly, although still have to face subtle changes as well initiated during MCD that will eventually lead them to a delayed death. Avoiding MCD is escaping death. From a clinical point of view, the relevant point is that manipulating MCD entails the simultaneous control of all toxic neurochemical concomitants. Reinforcing vulnerable neurons to avoid their falling into MCD is possible

Activity-dependent changes of tissue resistivity in the CA1 region in vivo are layer-specific: modulation of evoked potentials

We have investigated the spatial map of tissue resistivity across CA1 layers in vivo, its modifications during repetitive orthodromic activity, and the influence of this factor on the shaping of population spikes. Measurement of tissue resistance was made by a high-spatial-resolution three-electrode method. A computer network of equivalent resistors aided theoretical analysis. Tissue resistivity was homogeneous within the basal and apical dendritic trees (260+/-4.5 and 287+/-2.6 Omega cm, respectively). In the stratum pyramidale we found a sharply delimited high-resistivity (643+/-35 Omega cm) band approximately 20 microm wide. Resistivity in slices was approximately 30% higher than in vivo. Computer analysis indicated that the high-resistance somatic layer has a strong influence on the somatic and proximal dendritic contribution to the shaping of population spikes, and reduces volume propagation of currents between dendritic trees. Repetitive orthodromic activation at the theta frequency (4-5 Hz, 20-30 s) caused a stereotyped cycle of field potentials and layer-specific changes of resistivity. Initially (approximately 10 s), long-lasting field excitatory postsynaptic potentials and multiple somatodendritic population spikes developed, and resistivity gradually increased in all layers at a similar rate (period average: 11%). Subsequently, the long-lasting field excitatory synaptic potential subsided and dendritic spike generators were strongly reduced, but multiple somatic spikes remained. Concurrently, the resistivity reached a plateau in all dendritic layers but continued to increase in the somatic layer for about 10-15 s (20% average and up to 50% maximum). Recovery required approximately 60 s. The orthodromic somatic population spike increased variably during stimulation (up to 60%). Using local resistivity changes for correction, supernormal increments of the population spikes were offset, but not totally, uncovering several sub- and supernormal phases that were partially related to changes in dendritic population spike. These resistivity-independent modulations of the somatic population spike are caused by variable volume spread from dendritic spike currents and changed somatic contribution of firing units. This report demonstrates that the strong heterogeneity in the stratum pyramidale is an important factor shaping and modulating the population spike. The different regional rates of resistivity variation force the independent correction of local evoked potentials. We show that not doing so may cause bulk errors in the interpretation of, for instance, field potential ratios widely used to measure the population excitability. The present results underscore the importance of checking variations in recording conditions, which are inherent in most experimental protocols.

Macroscopic and subcellular factors shaping population spikes

Population spikes (PS) are built by the extracellular summation of action currents during synchronous action potential (AP) firing. In the hippocampal CA1, active dendritic invasion of APs ensures mixed contribution of somatic and dendritic currents to any extracellular location. We investigated the macroscopic and subcellular factors shaping the antidromic PS by fitting its spatiotemporal map with a multineuronal CA1 model in a volume conductor. Decreased summation by temporal scatter of APs reduced less than expected the PS peak in the stratum pyramidale (st. pyr.) but strongly increased the relative contribution of far dendritic currents. Increasing the number of firing cells also augmented the relative dendritic contribution to the somatic PS, an effect caused by the different waveform of somatic and dendritic unitary transmembrane currents (I(m)). Those from somata are short-lasting and spiky, having smaller temporal summation than those from dendrites, which are smoother and longer. The different shape of compartmental I(m)s is imposed by the fitting of backpropagating APs, which are large and fast at the soma and smaller and longer in dendrites. The maximum sodium conductance ((Na)) strongly affects the unitary APs at the soma, but barely the PS at the stratum pyramidale (st. pyr.). This occurred because somatic I(m) saturated at low (Na) due to the strong reduction of driving force during somatic APs, limiting the current contribution to the extracellular space. On the contrary, (Na) effectively defined the PS amplitude in the st. radiatum. The relative contribution of dendritic currents to the st. pyr. increases during the time span of the PS, from approximately 30-40% at the peak up to 100% at its end, a pattern resultant from the timing of active inward currents along the somatodendritic axis, which delay during backpropagation. Extreme changes imposed on dendritic currents caused only moderate effects on the st. pyr. due to reciprocal shunting of active soma and dendrites that partially counterbalance the net amount of instant current. The amplitude of the PS follows an inverse relation to the internal resistance (R(i)), which turned out to be a most critical factor. Low R(i) facilitated the spread of APs into dendrites and accelerated their speed, increasing temporal overlapping of inward currents along the somatodendritic axis and yielding the best PS reproductions. Model reconstruction of field potentials is a powerful tool to understand the interactions between different levels of complexity. The potential use of this approach to restrain the variability of some experimental measurements is discussed.

Modulation of dendritic action currents decreases the reliability of population spikes

During synchronous action potential (AP) firing of CA1 pyramidal cells, a population spike (PS) is recorded in the extracellular space, the amplitude of which is considered a reliable quantitative index of the population output. Because the AP can be actively conducted and differentially modulated along the soma and dendrites, the extracellular part of the dendritic inward currents variably contributes to the somatic PS by spreading in the volume conductor to adjacent strata. This contribution has been studied by current-source density analysis and intracellular recordings in vivo during repetitive backpropagation that induces their selective fading. Both the PS and the ensemble action currents declined during high-frequency activation, although at different rates and timings. The decline was much stronger in dendrites than in the somatic region. At specific frequencies and for a short number of impulses the decrease of the somatic PS was neither due to fewer firing cells nor to decreased somatic action currents but to the blockade of dendritic action currents. The dendritic contribution to the peak of the somatic antidromic PS was estimated at approximately 30-40% and up to 100% at later times in the positive-going limb. The blockade of AP dendritic invasion was in part due to a decreased transfer of current from the soma that underwent a cumulative increase of conductance and slow depolarization during the train that eventually extended into the axon. The possibility of differential modulation of soma and dendritic action currents during APs should be checked when using the PS as a quantitative parameter.

Kainate receptors presynaptically downregulate GABAergic inhibition in the rat hippocampus

Using microcultured neurons and hippocampal slices, we found that under conditions that completely block AMPA receptors, kainate induces a reduction in the effectiveness of GABAergic synaptic inhibition. Evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) were decreased by kainate by up to 90%, showing a bell-shaped dose-response curve similar to that of native kainate-selective receptors. The down-regulation of GABAergic inhibition was not affected by antagonism of metabotropic receptors, while it was attenuated by CNQX. Kainate increased synaptic failures and reduced the frequency of miniature IPSCs, indicating a presynaptic locus of action. In vivo experiments using brain dialysis demonstrated that kainate reversibly abolished recurrent inhibition and induced an epileptic-like electroencephalogram (EEG) activity. These results indicate that kainate receptor activation down-regulates GABAergic inhibition by modulating the reliability of GABA synapses.

Effects of the gliotoxin fluorocitrate on spreading depression and glial membrane potential in rat brain in situ

DC extracellular potential shifts (deltaVo) associated with spreading depression (SD) reflect massive cell depolarization, but their cellular generators remain obscure. We have recently reported that the glial specific metabolic poison fluorocitrate (FC) delivered by microdialysis in situ caused a rapid impairment of glial function followed some hours later by loss of neuronal electrogenic activity and neuron death. We have used the time windows for selective decay of cell types so created to study the relative participation of glia and neurons in SD, and we report a detailed analysis of the effects of FC on evoked SD waves and glial membrane potential (Vm). Extracellular potential (Vo), interstitial potassium concentration ([K+]o), evoked potentials, and transmembrane glial potentials were monitored in the CA1 area before, during, and after administration of FC with or without elevated K+ concentration in the dialysate. SD waves propagated faster and lasted longer during FC treatment. DeltaVo in stratum pyramidale, which normally are much shorter and of smaller amplitude than those in stratum radiatum, expanded during FC treatment to match those in stratum radiatum. The coalescing SD waves that develop late during prolonged high-K+ dialysis and are typically limited to stratum radiatum, also expanded into stratum pyramidale under the influence of FC. SD provoked in neocortex normally does not spread to the CA1, but during FC treatment it readily reached CA1 via entorhinal cortex. Once neuronal function began to deteriorate, SD waves became smaller and slower, and eventually failed to enter the region around the FC source. Slow, moderately negative deltaVo that mirrored [K+]o increments could still be recorded well after neuronal function and SD-associated Vo had disappeared. Glial cell Vm gradually depolarized during FC administration, beginning much before depression of neuronal antidromic action potentials. Calculations based on the results predict a large decrease in glial potassium content during FC treatment. The results are compatible with neurons being the major generator of the deltaVo associated with SD. We conclude that energy shortage in glial cells makes brain tissue more susceptible to SD and therefore it may increase the risk of neuron damage.

Glutamate receptors of the kainate type and synaptic transmission

Glutamic acid is an important excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS. It has been established that synaptic transmission is mediated mostly by the ionotropic glutamate receptors AMPA and NMDA, with fast and slow kinetics, respectively. The recent demonstration in hippocampal neurones of a class of glutamate receptors that are activated by kainate and not by AMPA (that is, kainate-selective receptors) opens the possibility that receptors, others than those of the AMPA type, might also be involved in fast neurotransmission. The lack of specific pharmacological tools to dissect out AMPA from kainate receptors has hampered the functional study of kainate receptors. However, the recent finding that a 2,3-benzodiazepine (GYK153655) behaves as a selective antagonist of AMPA receptors allows us to address the question of the role of rapidly inactivating kainate receptors in synaptic transmission.

Heptanol but not fluoroacetate prevents the propagation of spreading depression in rat hippocampal slices

We investigated whether heptanol and other long-chain alcohols that are known to block gap junctions interfere with the generation or the propagation of spreading depression (SD). Waves of SD were triggered by micro-injection of concentrated KCl solution in stratum (s.) radiatum of CA1 of rat hippocampal tissue slices. DC-coupled recordings of extracellular potential (V0) were made at the injection and at a second site approximately 1 mm distant in st. radiatum and sometimes also in st. pyramidale. Extracellular excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer collateral bundle; in some experiments, antidromic population spikes were evoked by stimulation of the alveus. Bath application of 3 mM heptanol or 5 mM hexanol completely and reversibly prevented the propagation of the SD-related potential shift (delta V0) without abolishing the delta V0 at the injection site. Octanol (1 mM) had a similar but less reliably reversible effect. fEPSPs were depressed by approximately 30% by heptanol and octanol, 65% by hexanol. Antidromic population spikes were depressed by 30%. In isolated, patchclamped CA1 pyramidal neurons, heptanol partially and reversibly depressed voltage-dependent Na currents possibly explaining the slight depression of antidromic spikes and, by acting on presynaptic action potentials, also the depression of fEPSPs. Fluoroacetate (FAc), a putative selective blocker of glial metabolism, first induced multiple spike firing in response to single afferent volleys and then severely suppressed synaptic transmission (confirming earlier reports) without depressing the antidromic population spike. FAc did not inhibit SD propagation. The effect of alkyl alcohols is compatible with the idea that the opening of normally closed neuronal gap junctions is required for SD propagation. Alternative possible explanations include interference with the lipid phase of neuron membranes. The absence of SD inhibition by FAc confirms that synaptic transmission is not necessary for the propagation of SD, and it suggests that normally functioning glial cells are not essential for SD generation or propagation.

Is glia disfunction the initial cause of neuronal death in ischemic penumbra?

The supportive role of glial cells on neuronal function and survival has been studied in anesthetized rats by using the selective gliotoxin fluorocitrate. Disabling glia operation reproduced many features of ischemic penumbra. An initial mild acidosis and increased interstitial potassium but not glutamate was followed after 3-4 h by repetitive spreading depression waves. These gradually provoked higher levels of acidosis, potassium and glutamate, gradual neuronal function decay and finally, neuron death. We conclude that neurons become highly vulnerable to spreading depression waves only in absence of normal glia operation. Our findings directly associate early glial disfunction to neuronal loss and lead to new insights for the understanding of ischemic pathology.

The effect of depressing glial function in rat brain in situ on ion homeostasis, synaptic transmission, and neuron survival

The supporting role of glial cells in maintaining neurons and in ion homeostasis has been studied in situ by perfusing the gliotoxin fluorocitrate (FC) through a microdialysis fiber in the CA1 area of urethane-anesthetized rats. Extracellular direct current potential, extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]o) and amino acid levels, extracellular pH (pHo), and evoked field activity were studied. Histology verified the swelling of glial cells after 4 hr of FC treatment. Massive neuron damage was evident after 8 hr. FC dialysis caused the rapid decrease of glutamine, pHo became progressively more acid, and [K+]o moderately elevated. Orthodromic transmission was variably blocked within 30 min to 4 hr. After 4 hr, spreading depression (SD) waves that originated from the neocortex invaded hippocampal CA1, [K+]o increased to higher levels, pHo became very acid, and there were steep increases in taurine, glutamate, and GABA levels. Simultaneously, the antidromic population spike (a-PS) became depressed and eventually disappeared. When a shorter dialysis probe that spared cortex was used to sample CA1, no SD was seen, a-PS was not abolished, and ion homeostasis was altered less markedly. Repeated SD provoked in hippocampus in the absence of FC caused only mild depression of a-PS. Dialysis of high-K+ solution in healthy neocortex or hippocampus caused only slight elevation of [K+]o at distances of 200-400 microns from the dialysis membrane. After treatment with FC, similar high-K+ dialysis raised [K+]o much more. We conclude the following: (1) recurrent SD waves injure neurons if and only if glial function has failed; (2) neurons can regulate [K+]o, albeit imperfectly; (3) glia is required for the normal fine tuning of [K+]o and particularly for the recovery of pathologically elevated [K+]o; and (4) glia are required for the regulation of pHo. The similarities between glial poisoning by FC and the reported changes in the penumbra of ischemic infarcts suggest that the extension of neuron loss into the penumbral region might depend on failure of glial protection.

Role of neuronal synchronizing mechanisms in the propagation of spreading depression in the in vivo hippocampus

To detect what initiates spreading depression (SD), the early prodromal events were investigated in hippocampal CA1 of urethane-anesthetized rats. SD was provoked by microdialysis or focal microinjection of high-K+ solution. Extracellular DC potentials and extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]o) were recorded, and spontaneous and evoked potentials analyzed for current source-density (CSD). In the front of an approaching SD wave, several seconds before the onset of the typical sustained negative potential shift (delta Vo) and the increased [K+]o, fast electrical activity was detected. This consisted initially of small rhythmic (60-70 Hz) sawtooth wavelets, which then gave way to a shower of population spikes (PSs) of identical frequency. Prodromal wavelets and PSs were synchronized over considerable distances in the tissue. Sawtooth wavelets were identified as pacemakers of the prodromal PS burst. Simultaneous recording at three depths revealed that the spontaneous prodromal PSs occurred exactly in phase in dendrites and somata whereas synaptically transmitted PSs arose first in the proximal dendrites and were conducted from there into the soma membrane. During a spike burst, stratum (st.) pyramidale served as current sink, while in the proximal sublayer of st. radiatum spike-sinks gave way to spike sources that grew larger as the sinks in st. pyramidale began to subside. Blocking synaptic transmission did not abolish the prodromal spike burst, yet repetitive orthodromic activation inhibited it without altering the subsequent SD waveform. Complex changes in cell excitability were detected even before fast spontaneous activities. We concluded that, in the initial evolution of SD, changes in neuron function precede the regenerating depolarization by several seconds. We propose that the opening of normally closed electric junctions among neurons can best explain the long-distance synchronization and the flow current that occurs in the leading edge of a propagating wave of SD.

Neuroprotective effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor on seizure-associated brain damage

The neuroprotective effect of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) has been analysed in a rat model of seizures-associated brain damage. We report that after treatment with a convulsivant dose of Kainic acid, systemically administered aFGF prevents neuronal degeneration in specific brain areas, mainly in the hippocampal formation. Our findings extend the potential pharmacological use of fibroblast growth factors and afford new data to understand the neurophysiology of these proteins.

Taurine release evoked by NMDA receptor activation is largely dependent on calcium mobilization from intracellular stores

It is known that the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors leads to an increase in extracellular taurine concentration in different brain regions. The mechanism that mediates this effect is not totally understood. In this study, rat hippocampal slices were used to determine the dependence of NMDA-induced taurine release on extracellular calcium and/or on calcium mobilization from intracellular stores. NMDA was administered through a microdialysis probe inserted into the slice, at the level of CA1 stratum radiatum, which was also used to collect amino acids from the extracellular space. Field potentials evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals and recorded in the stratum pyramidale of CA1 were used as a control of NMDA receptor activation. NMDA induced a marked increase in extracellular taurine levels and a decrease in field potential amplitude, and both effects were suppressed in the presence of MK-801, a blocker of the NMDA receptor-linked channel. Dantrolene, an inhibitor of calcium release from intracellular stores, partially inhibited the extracellular taurine increase, while 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-N,N-diphenyl carbamate (NCDC), an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C activation, had no effect. Removal of extracellular calcium diminished, but did not abolish, the extracellular taurine increase caused by NMDA. The remaining taurine response was totally suppressed by dantrolene, and also by NCDC. These results demonstrate that the release of taurine induced by NMDA receptor activation is triggered by the increase in cytoplasmic calcium concentration. We suggest that, under physiological conditions, calcium influx provides the signal for NMDA-induced taurine release, which is amplified by calcium-dependent calcium mobilization from intracellular stores.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of prolonged elevation of potassium on hippocampus of anesthetized rats

We tested the after-effects of prolonged depolarization on neurons in situ in the mammalian brain and examined the site of blockade responsible for failure of synaptic transmission. The CA1 region of the hippocampus of anesthetized rats was exposed to solutions containing elevated concentration of K+ (100-125 mmol/l), administered either by microdialysis in intact brain or by irrigation of the exposed surface of the hippocampus. Recovery was observed for 5-6 1/2 h. When K+ was administered by microdialysis, evoked potentials were recorded from points near (up to 0.2 mm) and far (0.7-1.0 mm) from the dialysis probe. High K+ dialysis induced recurrent waves of spreading depression and, in about half of the preparations, a prolonged unstable depressed state. In the intervals between SD waves orthodromic but not antidromic population spikes remained severely depressed at the 'far' recording site. Following high K+ dialysis orthodromic population spikes recovered in a triphasic cycle: partial recovery with hyper-transmission was followed by secondary depression and finally by slow partial or complete recovery. Final recovery was less complete in cases that have experienced prolonged spreading depression. Current source density analysis revealed that during secondary depression transmission was blocked due to failure of dendritic action potentials. When the exposed hippocampus was irrigated with high K+ solution ortho- and antidromic evoked potentials recovered completely following high K+ exposure of less than 30 min, incompletely after 45 min and failed entirely after 60 min. We conclude that prolonged steady depolarization of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons causes lasting loss of function. Dendritic function is especially prone to depolarization-induced injury. CA1 neurons are less vulnerable in situ than they are in vitro.

Blockade of antidromic invasion of CA1 pyramidal cells during synaptic activation of NMDA receptors

We have studied in situ the excitability state of the axon-soma membrane of CA1 pyramidal cells in the rat during synaptic activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Repetitive activation (3-5 Hz) of Schaffer collaterals provoked a NMDA receptor-mediated component in the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) within 15 s. The generation of this component follows a characteristic self-limiting cycle, vanishing after 6-10 s. When alvear shocks were paired to the orthodromic volleys, the antidromic population spike (PS) was completely abolished only if the NMDA receptor-mediated fEPSP had occurred. This blockade of antidromic invasion lasted for 120-150 ms after each orthodromic shock. A reduction in the safety factor for axon-soma transmission is presumed during NMDA receptor synaptic activation.

Analysis of potential shifts associated with recurrent spreading depression and prolonged unstable spreading depression induced by microdialysis of elevated K+ in hippocampus of anesthetized rats

The potential shifts (delta Vo) associated with spreading depression (SD) were analysed with the help of multiple extracellular recording and ion-selective microelectrodes in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus of anesthetized rats. Recurrent waves of SD were induced by perfusing high K+ solution through microdialysis probes. SD-related delta Vo had a composite wave shape, consisting of an early, rapidly shifting part (phase I) followed by a slower shift to a second negative maximum (phase II). delta Vo shifts in stratum radiatum usually started earlier, always lasted longer and had larger amplitude than those recorded in stratum pyramidale. The delta Vo responses in stratum radiatum had an inverted saddle shape created by a transient relatively positive "hump" interposed between phases I and II. During this "hump", the potentials in the two layers transiently approached one another. During continuous high K+ dialysis, successive delta Vo waves episodes evolved according to a consistent pattern: while phase I remained unchanged, phase II increased in amplitude and duration with each episode. Eventually, a depressed state developed which lasted for many minutes, termed here prolonged unstable spreading depression. During phase I, delta Vo and extracellular K ([K+]o) changes were correlated. During phase II, [K+]o decreased even as delta Vo continued to increase. During SD, [Ca2+]o decreased to < 0.01 mM. During phases I and II, both [Ca2+]o and [Na+]o remained low. The recoveries of [Ca2+]o and [Na+]o had an initial fast and a later much slower phase and took several minutes longer than the recoveries of [K+]o and delta Vo. Depth profiles of delta Vo and delta [K+]o revealed strikingly steep gradients early and late during a wave; but voltage and ion gradients were not precisely correlated either in time or in space. We conclude that delta Vo of phases I and II are generated by different processes. Membrane ion currents cannot fully explain the delta Vo responses. The possible contributions by ion diffusion and by active ion transport are discussed. The extremely low level to which [Ca2+]o sinks during SD, and its two-phase recovery, indicate intracellular sequestration or binding of substantial amounts of Ca2+ ions. The residual deficit of [Ca2+]o following recovery of SP shifts may account for the persistent depression of synaptic transmission after repolarization of neurons.

Propagation of spreading depression among dendrites and somata of the same cell population

The propagation of sustained potential shifts associated with spreading depression (SD) was studied by microelectrodes placed in diverse layers at different locations in hippocampus of anesthetized rats. SD was induced by raising interstitial potassium concentration ([K+]0) focally in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus either by microdialysis or by microinjection. Recurrent waves of SD propagated from the dialysis site throughout the hippocampus. Potential shifts (delta V0) associated with SD usually began earlier and were always of larger amplitude and longer duration in stratum (st.) radiatum (layer of apical dendrites) than in st. pyramidale (layer of pyramidal cell somata). The velocity of propagation in the two layers differed and varied independently one from the other. When SD was provoked by orthodromic train stimuli, the apparent direction of propagation in st. pyramidale was opposite that in st. radiatum. Microinjection of high K+ solution was more likely to provoke SD when placed in the st. radiatum, 50-100 microns ventral to st. pyramidale, than in other cytoarchitectonic layers. In about half the trials after 30 to 90 min of high K+ dialysis, a prolonged depressed state developed during which the potential in st. radiatum shifted at irregular intervals between near-rest level and a strongly negative level, while delta V0 shifts in st. pyramidale were smaller and more irregular in amplitude. This state is termed prolonged unstable SD". When the NMDA receptor antagonist CPP was dialyzed together with high K+, the onset of SD was postponed and delta V0 waves propagated in st. pyramidale without corresponding waves in st. radiatum; less frequently the other way around.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mechanism of spreading depression: a review of recent findings and a hypothesis

Spreading depression of Leão (SD) can be provoked by numerous nonspecific mechanical, electrical, and chemical stimuli. A similar, if not identical, phenomenon can be provoked by hypoxia. SD is characterized by drastic depolarization of neurons, severe reduction of membrane resistance, and redistribution of ions across cell membranes. Glial cells also depolarize but retain membrane resistance. Tetraethylammonium hastens the onset of hypoxic SD but reduces the sustained potential shift and K+ outflow from cells; 4-aminopyridine also accelerates SD but has no effect on the voltage shift. N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists delay the onset of SD, while nickel and cobalt reduce the amplitude of SD-related redistribution of Ca2+. Yet, no specific blocker of SD has been found. Microdialysis of high-K+ solution in hippocampal CA1 region induces recurrent waves of SD propagating semi-independently in adjacent tissue layers, and a prolonged unstable depressed state that has not previously been described. Neither the release of K+ ions nor of glutamate is the unique agent of SD propagation. On the basis of recent findings we propose a hypothetical sequence of events that reconcile many of the previously seemingly paradoxical observations.

Osmotic-hypertensive opening of the blood-brain barrier in rats does not necessarily provide access for potassium to cerebral interstitial fluid

The blood-brain barrier was breached in urethane anaesthetized rats by infusing hypertonic mannitol or NaCl at high rate under high pressure into one internal carotid artery. Opening of the blood-brain barrier was confirmed by staining of the perfused hemisphere by intravenous Evans Blue dye. Orthodromic-evoked potentials in CA1 region of hippocampus were transiently extinguished, and the extracellular potential in hippocampus and neocortex shifted in the positive direction during hypertonic infusion. After the hypertonic infusion, the permeability of the barrier to K+ was tested by infusing into the internal carotid artery artificial cerebrospinal fluid in which K+ replaced most of the Na+, raising the concentration of K+ in the blood plasma in the superior sagittal sinus to 13-17 mM. Extracellular potential and interstitial potassium concentration ([K+]O) in hippocampus and neocortex, and evoked potentials in hippocampus, remained unchanged during prolonged infusion of high K+, unless and until spreading depression occurred. After a wave of spreading depression, [K+]O returned to baseline in spite of continued high K+ infusion. We conclude that [K+]O in brain tissue is effectively regulated even when colloidal dye can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, but excess K+ may have entered the cerebral interstitial space in scattered patches outside the region sensed by the ion-selective microelectrodes, triggering spreading depression.

Propagating dendritic action potential mediates synaptic transmission in CA1 pyramidal cells in situ

1. The events leading to the Schaffer collateral-induced discharge of CA1 pyramidal neurons were investigated in the hippocampus of anesthetized rats by current source-density (CSD) analysis. 2. The earliest evoked currents detected shortly after a stimulus were a sink in the zone where synapses are known to be located (300-350 microns ventral to the somatic layer) flanked by two smaller sources in the distal portion of the apical dendrites and in the somatic layer. This synaptic sink (SyS) extended over 75-100 microns; it lasted for 15-20 ms, and it reached its maximum amplitude some milliseconds after the population spike (PS) and remained in the same location. Stimuli submaximal and supramaximal for evoking a PS yielded the same pattern of current distribution for the SyS. Presynaptic fiber volleys were not detected in these recordings. 3. During the rising phase of the SyS a second sink appeared in a more proximal portion of the apical dendrites. This late dendritic sink (LS) extended over 50-75 microns and was centered 100-150 microns ventral to the somatic layer. This proximal dendritic sink was of amplitude comparable with the SyS; it outlasted the latter and was not necessarily followed by a somatic PS. The LS was extinguished with the appearance of a PS, whereas the SyS persisted regardless of the presence of a PS. 4. After maximal stimuli the LS grew until it exceeded a threshold amplitude, and then, it started to move somatopetally as a continuously propagating sink (PrS). The average speed of propagation was approximately 0.2 m/s. In 0.5-0.7 ms the PrS reached the cell-body layer displacing the passive source that moved into the basal dendrites. The PrS then became the intensive sink corresponding to the main (negative) phase of the somatic PS. This was followed by the development of an active source in the soma layer, probably corresponding to the repolarization phase of the PS. 5. From these observations it appears that the LS and PrS are active dendritic responses. It may be inferred that, shortly after the synaptic currents enter the dendrites, depolarization of adjacent membranes causes the opening of low-threshold, voltage-dependent, slowly inactivating channels that generate the LS. If the depolarization resulting from the LS current is intense enough, another population of channels open that are also voltage-dependent but of higher threshold and faster inactivation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Spreading depression-like depolarization and selective vulnerability of neurons. A brief review

If oxygen is withdrawn from rat hippocampal slices, a spreading depression-like response occurs earlier and is of larger amplitude in the CA1 area than in the dentate gyrus. After reoxygenation, recovery of synaptic transmission correlates inversely with the time spent in spreading depression. Recovery occurs more frequently in dentate gyrus than in CA1. Chlorpromazine and the gangliosides GM1 and AGF2 promote recovery from hypoxic depression of synaptic transmission in CA1. Prevention of irreversible loss of function correlates closely with a shortening of the time spent in spreading depression. If Ca2+ is withdrawn before hypoxia, then synaptic function recovers upon restoration of oxygen and [Ca2+]o, despite prolonged spreading depression. When spreading depression lasting more than 6-9 minutes is induced in fully oxygenated slices by superfusion with high-K+ solution, then transient recovery is followed by long-lasting loss of synaptic function. In intact brain of anesthetized rats, synaptic transmission in CA1 recovers after spreading depression-like depolarization lasting more than 30 minutes, but is lost irreversibly after 60 minutes. We conclude that entry of Ca2+ into neurons caused by spreading depression-like depolarization is important in the selective vulnerability of neurons; the duration of depolarization is critical to cell survival; and in the presence of a normal blood supply, neurons resist protracted spreading depression-like depolarization.

Role of endogenous taurine on the glutamate analogue-induced neurotoxicity in the rat hippocampus in vivo

The glutamate analogues N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), kainic acid (KA), and quisqualic acid (QA), prepared in different hypertonic media, were perfused in vivo in the hippocampal CA1 field of rats using a microdialysis technique. Extracellular taurine levels, estimated after analysis of the taurine content of dialysates, increased during perfusion of all three agonists but varied according to the osmolarity of the medium. The NMDA-induced increase in extracellular taurine content was only slightly inhibited by perfusion of 150 and 300 mM sucrose. The KA-evoked increase was partially dependent on extracellular osmolarity, because addition of 50 and 150 mM sucrose caused a dose-dependent inhibition that was not augmented using higher sucrose concentrations. QA caused a taurine increase that was totally abolished by addition of 50 mM sucrose. These results indicate that the rise in extracellular taurine level elicited by QA and part of the increase elicited by KA are probably due to a release caused by the cellular swelling that these substances evoke, a finding substantiating the previously proposed osmoregulatory role of taurine. However, almost all the increase in extracellular taurine content caused by NMDA and all the osmotically insensitive part of the KA-evoked rise cannot be explained as release triggered by cell swelling and may reflect a function of taurine other than osmoregulation.

Weak organic acids induce taurine release through an osmotic-sensitive process in in vivo rat hippocampus

Isotonic media containing sodium salts from weak organic acids induce cell swelling in several experimental preparations (Grinstein et al., 1984; Jakubovicz et al., 1987). In vivo perfusion of rat dentate gyrus, using a microdialysis probe, with modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solutions in which 50 mM NaCl was isotonically substituted by the sodium salts from organic acids with a pKa value of greater than 2 (acetate, propionate, or pyruvate), induced a reversible increase in the extracellular taurine concentration. By contrast, similar NaCl substitutions with sodium salts from the stronger organic acids isethionate and methane-sulfonate did not change extracellular taurine levels. Extracellular taurine increases evoked by acetate, propionate, or pyruvate were almost completely abolished when the perfusion liquid was made hypertonic by adding sucrose (50 mM). A 30% reduction of the acetate-induced extracellular taurine increase was observed both when amiloride was present or when the [Na+]0 was lowered. Both conditions are known to inhibit Na+/H+ exchange. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that acid load-induced taurine release is stimulated by an osmotic sensitive mechanism, part of which is dependent on activation of the Na+/H+ exchange.

The epileptogenic action of the taurine analogue guanidinoethane sulfonate may be caused by a blockade of GABA receptors

The aim of this paper is to clarify the mechanism through which the taurine analogue guanidinoethane sulfonate (GES) produces its epileptogenic effects. Experiments were performed in the rat hippocampus in vivo, using a brain dialysis probe also containing a recording electrode. Perfusion of 10 mM GES induced an enhancement of extracellular taurine levels probably as a result of forced efflux through the taurine uptake systems in a heteroexchange process. This taurine increase was highly reversible. GES also induced an increase of neuronal excitability and an impairment of recurrent inhibition as judged by the neuronal pattern discharge of evoked potentials. These results indicate the possible implication of GABA receptors in the epileptogenic effect of GES. Specific binding of [3H]-GABA to P2 fractions was inhibited by both bicuculline methiodide (BMI) and GES with the same potency. Similar results were obtained using cerebral sections. Autoradiographic experiments confirm the binding results. GES and BMI completely displaced [3H]-GABA binding. All these results suggest that the epileptogenic GES action is due to a direct antagonism on GABAA receptors.

Extracellular taurine increase in rat hippocampus evoked by specific glutamate receptor activation is related to the excitatory potency of glutamate agonists

Taurine increases in brain extracellular space due to glutamate agonists were studied in vivo in the rat hippocampus using a dialysis technique, both in the absence and in the presence of glutamate receptor antagonists. Extracellular taurine levels increased during perfusions of agonists, listed in descending order of potency: kainate (KA), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and quisqualate (QA). While taurine increases due to KA or QA perfusions were inhibited by 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), those induced by NMDA were abolished in the presence of 3-(carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP). These results indicate that increases in extracellular taurine levels evoked by NMDA, KA or QA in the rat hippocampus are caused by activation of their specific receptors. Field potentials, concomitantly recorded, were quickly abolished during NMDA or KA perfusions (0.1 mM), while QA (0.25 mM) induced the appearance of bicuculline-like evoked responses. Since taurine has been proposed as an osmoregulatory substance in the rat brain, and cell swelling is known to be an early component of glutamate agonists neurotoxicity, the increases in extracellular taurine reported here could be due to taurine released through an osmoregulatory process, counteracting the neurotoxic cellular oedema induced by glutamate agonists.

Synaptic transmission at the Schaffer-CA1 synapse is blocked by 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione. An in vivo brain dialysis study in the rat

6,7-Dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX, FG 9041), a new non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, has been reported to block non-NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory amino acidic responses in cultured neurons. We have perfused this compound in vivo through a dialysis fiber placed in the CA1 regions of anesthetized rats to test its effects on CA1 field-evoked potentials. Perfusions of 25-100 microM DNQX completely abolished field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) and orthodromic population spikes (PS). This effect was dose-dependent and was reversed after washing with fresh Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate. Antidromic population spikes and fiber volley potentials were unaffected by perfusions of DNQX up to 100 microM. On the contrary, perfusion of 50 microM D-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate, a specific NMDA receptor antagonist, left unchanged both field EPSP and orthodromic PS. Results demonstrate that low-frequency transmission at the Schaffer collaterals-CA1 synapse is mediated by non-NMDA glutamate receptors.

Sensory modulation of hippocampal transmission. I. Opposite effects on CA1 and dentate gyrus synapsis

Neuronal transmission through hippocampal subfields exhibits a high degree of modulation and appears dependent on the behavioral state and hippocampal EEG. Sensory inputs, which profoundly modify the hippocampal EEG, may be involved in modulating hippocampal excitability. Field responses of the CA1 region, evoked by ipsilateral CA3 or perforant path stimulation, as well as dentate gyrus potentials evoked by perforant path stimulation were recorded in paralyzed and locally anesthetized rats and studied before, during and after sensory stimulation, consisting of gentle stroking of the animal's fur. On some occasions the CA1 was also antidromically driven from the posterior alveus in order to study the recurrent inhibitory loop and paired pulses were applied to the perforant pathway to study recurrent inhibition in the dentate gyrus. Evoked responses were averaged and field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) slope and population spike (PS) amplitude measured. In addition the positive wave which follows the population spike, which corresponds in part to the recurrent IPSP, was also evaluated. Sensory stimulation, which evoked a high-amplitude 5-6 Hz theta (theta)-rhythm in the hippocampal EEG, drastically depressed the efficacy of Schaffer collateral volleys in discharging the CA1 cells. The EPSP-PS curves, however, were not altered revealing that cellular excitability was unaffected. The inhibitory CA1 loop appeared to be unaltered. In contrast, the dentate gyrus responses to perforant pathway stimulation were enhanced during periods of sensory stimulation and the cellular excitability increased, as judged by the shift to the left of EPSP-PS relation. In addition, the recurrent inhibition appeared to be reduced during sensory stimulation. Present results demonstrate that sensory stimulation causes modulation of information transfer through the hippocampus. This modification of hippocampal transmission may serve to properly gate the information reaching the CA1 and dentate gyrus.

Sensory modulation of hippocampal transmission. II. Evidence for a cholinergic locus of inhibition in the Schaffer-CA1 synapse

The present work studied the neurotransmitter mediating the depressive effect of sensory stimulation on the Schaffer-CA1 transmission. Field responses of the CA1 region evoked by ipsilateral CA3 stimuli were recorded in paralyzed, locally anesthetized rats following the same experimental paradigm as in the previous work. The tissue zone under recording was perfused in vivo by an implanted hollow fiber (brain dialysis device) with either Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB), or KRB with penicillin, atropine, acetylcholine or eserine. Results were the following: (1) atropine increased the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitude in a dose-dependent manner and totally abolished the modulatory action of sensory stimulation; (2) both the field EPSP and the modulatory action of sensory stimulation remained unaltered during the blockade of GABAergic activity by penicillin; (3) acetylcholine as well as eserine induced a great diminution of both field EPSP and population spike amplitudes, without altering the effect of sensory stimulation; (4) penicillin and atropine induced multiple population spikes, reversing the effect of sensory stimulation and increasing the cell excitability. These results demonstrate that the sensory modulation of information transfer through the Schaffer-CA1 synapse is mediated by a muscarinic cholinergic mechanism. The dose-dependent increase in the field EPSP by muscarinic blockade is evidence for the existence of a cholinergic presynaptic inhibition on the Schaffer collateral terminals.

Does taurine act as an osmoregulatory substance in the rat brain?

The effects of hypotonic media on extracellular free amino acid levels were studied 'in vivo' in the rat dentate gyrus by means of the brain dialysis technique. Extracellular taurine levels increased specifically during perfusions with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate in which the NaCl concentration was reduced by 25 or 50 mmol/l (hypotonic solutions). These taurine increases were markedly reduced in the presence of furosemide. With further NaCl reductions the enhanced taurine levels remained stable, whereas other amino acids such as glutamate started in increase in a dose-dependent manner. Isoosmolar replacement of NaCl by sucrose did not affect extracellular amino acid levels. These results indicate the possible involvement of taurine in osmoregulatory processes in the brain.

Low chloride-dependent release of taurine by a furosemide-sensitive process in the in vivo rat hippocampus

Extracellular amino acid levels and field potentials evoked by perforant pathway stimuli were studied in vivo by means of a dialysis device, perfusing the rat dentate gyrus with low chloride solutions. When balanced with acetate, these perfusions enhanced the granule cell population spike amplitude. A specific extracellular taurine enhancement occurred whenever Cl- was replaced by acetate solution, reaching an increase of 20-fold over the basal taurine levels when 125 mM Cl- was replaced, whereas other amino acids remained unchanged. A considerable degree of Cl- replacement with iodide was needed, however, to obtain significant increases of extracellular taurine. Perfusions with bromide instead of Cl- did not cause any change in levels of extracellular amino acids including taurine. Furosemide, an inhibitor of Cl- transport, greatly reduced the taurine increase evoked by the low extracellular concentration of permeant anions. This drug also inhibited the taurine release induced by perfusion with 9 mM K+. These findings indicate that the extracellular increase of taurine, evoked by low permeant anion concentrations, may result from the taurine release through a furosemide-sensitive process.

Characteristics of CA1 activation through the hippocampal trisynaptic pathway in the unanaesthetized rat

The hippocampal CA1 field is activated by the entorhinal cortex mainly through the hippocampal excitatory trisynaptic circuit. Field responses of the CA1 region were evoked by ipsilateral CA3 or perforant path volley (mono- or trisynaptic activation, respectively) in paralyzed, locally anaesthetized rats and studied as a function of the stimulus patterns presented. The relationship of these responses with the concomitant EEG was also explored. Results showed that mono- and especially trisynaptically evoked responses were progressively enhanced by increasing the stimulus frequency from 0.1 to 1.0 Hz. At specific intensities the trisynaptically evoked population spike (PS) was present only with a rather fixed frequency of stimulation (approximately 0.5 Hz). PS was produced in 100% of the responses using 0.7 Hz, indicating the existence of a threshold-like level for this stimulus parameter. The frequency of presented paired pulses differentially affected pair-pulse facilitation of mono- and trisynaptically evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP): higher frequency decreased the former and increased the latter. All evoked responses studied (i.e. EPSP and PS) showed steep increments and decrements in amplitude, clearly developing several clusters. Moreover, the amplitude distribution of trisynaptic PS often varied spontaneously from maximal to negligible values, showing an all-or-none distribution. Clustering was interpreted as evidence of the existence in the hippocampus of functional neuronal aggregates. All-or-none distribution of trisynaptic PS was found to be associated with the EEG pattern, PS amplitude being maximal during irregular EEG activity and minimal during theta rhythm. Present results suggest that (1) the entorhinal cortex may exert modulatory actions on CA1 by a mechanism widely based on the frequency of the input; (2) information transfer from the entorhinal cortex to other brain areas throughout the hippocampus is biased by hippocampal EEG; and (3) electronic coupling may be functionally predominant in the hippocampus.

Effects of dihydrokainic acid on extracellular amino acids and neuronal excitability in the in vivo rat hippocampus

The effect of inhibition of the high-affinity uptake of glutamate on the extracellular concentration of amino acids and on neuronal excitability was studied in vivo in the hippocampus of the rat. The dentate gyrus or CA1 field were perfused through a dialytrode with Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate or dihydrokainic acid solutions. The spontaneous electrical activity and evoked field potentials were recorded concomitantly at dendritic or somatic levels. The results showed that with dihydrokainic acid: the extracellular concentrations of both glutamate and taurine were markedly increased in both areas of the hippocampus, the response of taurine being greater in CA1, while other amino acids were unaffected; in the dentate gyrus, the field excitatory postsynaptic potential was decreased while the population spikes were augmented, indicating an increased excitability of the neuronal population. In CA1, both the excitatory postsynaptic potential and spikes were reduced in amplitude. These results indicate that changes in the extracellular concentration of endogenous glutamate influences excitability of the tissue and that inhibition of the uptake processes for putative amino acid neurotransmitters increases the postsynaptic action of synaptically-released endogenous amino acids.

In vivo determination of extracellular concentration of amino acids in the rat hippocampus. A method based on brain dialysis and computerized analysis

Extracellular (EC) concentrations of amino acids were determined in the rat dentate gyrus by means of non-linear regression analysis of 'in vivo' brain dialysis data, considering a simple model of diffusion through a dialysis membrane. The apparent diffusion constants (K) of several amino acids were also calculated in the 'in vivo' situation. While putative amino acid neurotransmitters (glutamate, aspartate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were present in the EC fluid at the low micromolar range (0.8-2.9 microM), glutamine was by far the most prominent (193.4 microM). The values of intra/extracellular concentration ratios formed 3 groups: high (greater than 2000) for putative neurotransmitters; low (less than 100) for serine, glutamine, arginine and alpha-alanine; and intermediate (about 400) for taurine. The 'in vivo' calculated K values proved useful for estimation of both basal and changing EC concentrations of amino acids in relatively brief perfusions. These data were evaluated in terms of the functional significance of absolute EC concentrations and tissue-EC fluid ratios. Present findings indicate the simultaneous existence of both an inhibitory and an excitatory tonus as well as the utility of high intra/extracellular concentration ratios in determination of the possible neurotransmitter role of specific amino acids.

Variation of potassium ion concentrations in the rat hippocampus specifically affects extracellular taurine levels

The effects of different K+ concentrations (3-100 mM) on both the extracellular amino acid levels and field potentials, evoked by perforant pathway stimulation, were studied 'in vivo' in the rat dentate gyrus by means of a brain dialysis device, formed by a hollow fiber plus a stainless-steel electrode. Perfusion with low K+ concentrations (3-12 mM; Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate) specifically enhanced the dialysate levels of taurine and concomitantly increased the population spike amplitude. High K+ concentrations in perfusate (greater than 25 mM) did not further increase the levels of taurine but enhanced both glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid levels, whereas the population spike diminished drastically. The absence of calcium ions in the perfusion liquid increased both basal and K+-enhanced taurine levels. The specific enhancement of extracellular taurine by physiological K+ concentrations may represent an autoregulative mechanism of nervous tissue excitability.

Abolition of CA1 population spike by sensory stimulation

The effect of sensory stimulation, such as stroking of the animals' fur, on activation of the hippocampal CA1 field was studied in paralyzed and locally anaesthetized rats. CA1 population responses evoked either monosynaptically (ipsilateral CA3 stimulation) or trisynaptically (perforant pathway stimulation) decreased markedly when sensory stimulation was applied, and CA1 population spikes were absent during most periods of sensory stimulation. These results demonstrate the strong modulatory role of sensory inputs on hippocampal circuits.

Electrophysiological evidence that nipecotic acid can be used in vivo as a false transmitter

Dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampal formation was perfused with the potent inhibitor of GABA uptake, nipecotic acid, by means of an implanted dialytrode. Evoked population spikes in dentate gyrus were decreased in amplitude and often abolished during perfusion. However, multiple (2-4) population spikes developed shortly after nipecotic acid withdrawal. This excitability increase, which presented a pattern of repetitive discharge resembling that following blocking of GABAergic transmission was interpreted as electrophysiological evidence that nipecotic acid can act as a false transmitter 'in vivo', as previously postulated from uptake and release 'in vitro' studies.

Aminobutyric acid greatly increases the in vivo extracellular taurine in the rat hippocampus

The effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on the extracellular levels of taurine and on excitability in the dentate gyrus were studied in anesthetized rats by the dialytrode technique. The dentate gyrus was perfused by means of a dialytrode with Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate or GABA solutions. Amino acid contents in perfusates and dentate field potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the perforant pathway were evaluated. GABA drastically elevated the levels of extracellular taurine in a dose-dependent manner, decreasing the amplitude of the population spike. This result indicates that GABA stimulates taurine release, probably by a counter-transport process. It is suggested that in physiological conditions an increase in extracellular taurine may be produced by synaptically released GABA.

Interactions between hippocampal penicillin spikes and theta rhythm

The relationships between theta rhythm and epileptic spikes, evoked by penicillin, were studied in the rat hippocampus. Records were taped and processed off-line, and autocorrelation functions, averages and power spectra of the EEG and frequency histograms of the epileptic spikes were calculated. Results showed that: (1) epileptic spikes tend to occur in a preferred phase of theta rhythm; (2) they provoked a reset of the phase of theta rhythm, acting as internal stimuli; (3) epileptic spikes decreased in frequency and were often abolished when theta rhythm was evoked; (4) these effects appeared to be dependent on the medial septal pathway. These findings indicate the existence of an antagonism between two hippocampal phenomena (epilepsy and theta rhythm). On the other hand, they also seem to be interrelated since the generation of one is accompanied by a reciprocal decrease in the other.

In vivo effects of nipecotic acid on levels of extracellular GABA and taurine, and hippocampal excitability

The effect of nipecotic acid on the extracellular levels of the putative hippocampal inhibitory transmitters, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and taurine, and also excitability in the dentate gyrus, were studied in anaesthetised rats using the dialytrode technique. The dentate gyrus was perfused by means of a dialytrode , using Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate or nipecotic acid solutions. Dentate field potentials, evoked by electrical stimulation of the perforant pathway, were recorded. Nipecotic acid drastically elevated the levels of extracellular GABA and taurine and the amplitude of population spikes in the dentate was concomitantly decreased. These results indicate that changes in extracellular levels of endogenous GABA and/or taurine influence the excitability of the hippocampus.