Homeostatic changes of short-term plasticity of gabaergic synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal cell cultures

Zh Vyssh Nerv Deiat Im I P Pavlova. 2011 Sep-Oct;61(5):517-20.

Abstract

It is well documented that prolonged alteration of activity in neuronal networks initiates a number of homeostatic mechanisms including compensatory changes of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic strength. We studied whether this also evokes compensatory changes of short-term synaptic transmission. Using patch-clamp technique in hippocampal cell cultures we examined the effects: of prolonged decrease of neuronal firing evoked by sodium channel blocker: tetrodotoxin (TTX) and ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist - kynurenate; prolonged enhancement ofneuronal firing evoked by antagonist GABAA receptors - bicuculline on short-term depression of GABAergic synaptic transmission evoked by train of stimuli (5 Hz). We found that both TTX and kynurenate treatments enhance depression of GABAergic transmission, while bicuculline treatment does not. We conclude that alteration of depression of GABAergic transmission evoked by the prolonged decrease of neuronal activity may contribute to homeostatic plasticity in hippocampal neuronal networks.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / pharmacology
  • GABAergic Neurons / drug effects
  • GABAergic Neurons / physiology*
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / physiology*
  • Homeostasis / drug effects
  • Homeostasis / physiology*
  • Kynurenic Acid / pharmacology
  • Nerve Net / drug effects
  • Nerve Net / physiology
  • Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Rats
  • Sodium Channel Blockers / pharmacology
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • Tetrodotoxin / pharmacology

Substances

  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
  • Sodium Channel Blockers
  • Tetrodotoxin
  • Kynurenic Acid