scholarly journals Redox Sensitive Calcium Stores Underlie Enhanced After Hyperpolarization of Aged Neurons: Role for Ryanodine Receptor Mediated Calcium Signaling

2010 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 2586-2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Bodhinathan ◽  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
Thomas C. Foster

A decrease in the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons contributes to the age related decrease in hippocampal function and memory decline. Decreased neuronal excitability in aged neurons can be observed as an increase in the Ca2+- activated K+- mediated post burst afterhyperpolarization (AHP). In this study, we demonstrate that the slow component of AHP (sAHP) in aged CA1 neurons (aged-sAHP) is decreased ∼50% by application of the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT). The DTT-mediated decrease in the sAHP was age specific, such that it was observed in CA1 pyramidal neurons of aged (20–25 mo), but not young (6–9 mo) F344 rats. The effect of DTT on the aged-sAHP was blocked following depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores (ICS) by thapsigargin or blockade of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) by ryanodine, suggesting that the age-related increase in the sAHP was due to release of Ca2+ from ICS through redox sensitive RyRs. The DTT-mediated decrease in the aged-sAHP was not blocked by inhibition of L-type voltage gated Ca2+ channels (L-type VGCC), inhibition of Ser/Thr kinases, or inhibition of the large conductance BK potassium channels. The results add support to the idea that a shift in the intracellular redox state contributes to Ca2+ dysregulation during aging.

eLife ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Wang ◽  
Pedro Mateos-Aparicio ◽  
Christoph Hönigsperger ◽  
Vijeta Raghuram ◽  
Wendy W Wu ◽  
...  

In pyramidal neurons such as hippocampal area CA1 and basolateral amygdala, a slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) follows a burst of action potentials, which is a powerful regulator of neuronal excitability. The sAHP amplitude increases with aging and may underlie age related memory decline. The sAHP is due to a Ca2+-dependent, voltage-independent K+ conductance, the molecular identity of which has remained elusive until a recent report suggested the Ca2+-activated K+ channel, IK1 (KCNN4) as the sAHP channel in CA1 pyramidal neurons. The signature pharmacology of IK1, blockade by TRAM-34, was reported for the sAHP and underlying current. We have examined the sAHP and find no evidence that TRAM-34 affects either the current underling the sAHP or excitability of CA1 or basolateral amygdala pyramidal neurons. In addition, CA1 pyramidal neurons from IK1 null mice exhibit a characteristic sAHP current. Our results indicate that IK1 channels do not mediate the sAHP in pyramidal neurons.


2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Power ◽  
M. Mathew Oh ◽  
John F. Disterhoft

Metrifonate, a cholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to enhance learning in aging rabbits and rats, and to alleviate the cognitive deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease patients. We have previously determined that bath application of metrifonate reduces the spike frequency adaptation and postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) in rabbit CA1 pyramidal neurons in vitro using sharp electrode current-clamp recording. The postburst AHP and accommodation observed in current clamp are the result of four slow outward potassium currents (s I AHP, I AHP, I M, and I C) and the hyperpolarization activated mixed cation current, I h. We recorded from visually identified CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons in vitro using whole cell voltage-clamp technique to better isolate and characterize which component currents of the AHP are affected by metrifonate. We observed an age-related enhancement of the slow component of the AHP tail current (s I AHP), but not of the fast decaying component of the AHP tail current ( I AHP, I M, and I C). Bath perfusion of metrifonate reduced s I AHP at concentrations that cause a reduction of the AHP and accommodation in current-clamp recordings, with no apparent reduction of I AHP, I M, and I C. The functional consequences of metrifonate administration are apparently mediated solely through modulation of the s I AHP.


2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 2398-2408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan P. Staff ◽  
Hae-Yoon Jung ◽  
Tara Thiagarajan ◽  
Michael Yao ◽  
Nelson Spruston

Action potentials are the end product of synaptic integration, a process influenced by resting and active neuronal membrane properties. Diversity in these properties contributes to specialized mechanisms of synaptic integration and action potential firing, which are likely to be of functional significance within neural circuits. In the hippocampus, the majority of subicular pyramidal neurons fire high-frequency bursts of action potentials, whereas CA1 pyramidal neurons exhibit regular spiking behavior when subjected to direct somatic current injection. Using patch-clamp recordings from morphologically identified neurons in hippocampal slices, we analyzed and compared the resting and active membrane properties of pyramidal neurons in the subiculum and CA1 regions of the hippocampus. In response to direct somatic current injection, three subicular firing types were identified (regular spiking, weak bursting, and strong bursting), while all CA1 neurons were regular spiking. Within subiculum strong bursting neurons were found preferentially further away from the CA1 subregion. Input resistance ( R N), membrane time constant (τm), and depolarizing “sag” in response to hyperpolarizing current pulses were similar in all subicular neurons, while R N and τm were significantly larger in CA1 neurons. The first spike of all subicular neurons exhibited similar action potential properties; CA1 action potentials exhibited faster rising rates, greater amplitudes, and wider half-widths than subicular action potentials. Therefore both the resting and active properties of CA1 pyramidal neurons are distinct from those of subicular neurons, which form a related class of neurons, differing in their propensity to burst. We also found that both regular spiking subicular and CA1 neurons could be transformed into a burst firing mode by application of a low concentration of 4-aminopyridine, suggesting that in both hippocampal subfields, firing properties are regulated by a slowly inactivating, D-type potassium current. The ability of all subicular pyramidal neurons to burst strengthens the notion that they form a single neuronal class, sharing a burst generating mechanism that is stronger in some cells than others.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1814-1823 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Matthew Oh ◽  
John M. Power ◽  
Lucien T. Thompson ◽  
Pamela L. Moriearty ◽  
John F. Disterhoft

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 1570-1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon J. Moore ◽  
Benjamin T. Throesch ◽  
Geoffrey G. Murphy

As the use of genetically engineered mice has become increasingly prevalent in neurobiological research, evidence has steadily accumulated that substantial differences exist between strains. Although a number of studies have reported effects of genetic background on behavior, few have focused on differences in neurophysiology. The postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) is an important determinant of intrinsic neuronal excitability and has been suggested to play a critical role in the cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Using whole cell current-clamp recordings of CA1 pyramidal neurons, we examined the magnitude of different phases of the AHP (peak, medium, and slow) in two commonly used genetic backgrounds, C57BL/6 (B6) and 129SvEv (129), as well as in an F2 hybrid B6:129 background (F2). We found that neurons from B6 and F2 animals exhibited a significantly larger AHP compared with 129 animals and that this difference was consistent across all phases. Furthermore, our recordings revealed a marked dichotomy in the shape of the AHP waveform, which was independent of genetic background. Approximately 60% of cells exhibited an AHP with a sharp transition between the peak AHP and medium AHP, whereas the remaining 40% exhibited a more gradual transition. Our data add to the growing body of work suggesting that genetic background can affect neuronal function as well as behavior. In addition, these results highlight the innate heterogeneity of CA1 pyramidal neurons, even within a single genetic background. These differences should be taken into consideration during the analysis and comparison of experimental results.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 915-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinsuke Ohta ◽  
Shigeru Furuta ◽  
Ichiro Matsubara ◽  
Keiji Kohno ◽  
Yoshiaki Kumon ◽  
...  

Hippocampal CA1 neurons exposed to a nonlethal period (2 min) of ischemia, acquired tolerance to a subsequent lethal 5-min period of ischemia, which usually causes delayed-type neuronal death. Intracelluar Ca2+ movements before and after the 5 min of forebrain ischemia were evaluated in gerbil hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, had acquired tolerance in comparison with nonischemia-tolerant CA1 neurons. Evaluation was performed by observing the ultrastructural intracellular Ca2+ distribution and the Ca2+ adenosine triphosphatase (Ca2+-ATPase) activity using electron microscopic cytochemistry. In comparison with nonischemia-tolerant CA1 neurons, mitochondria of ischemia-tolerant CA1 neurons sequestered more Ca2+ from the cytosomal fraction 15 min after the 5-min period of ischemia, and Ca2+ deposits in these mitochondria were rapidly decreased. Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase activities were already significantly elevated before the 5 min of ischemia, and remained at a higher level subsequently compared to nonischemia-tolerant CA1 neurons. Changes in the mitochondrial Ca2+ distribution and Ca2+-ATPase activities in ischemia-tolerant CA1 neurons after the 5-min period of ischemia showed a strong resemblance to those in CA3 neurons, which originally possess resistance to such periods of ischemia. These findings suggest that enhanced or maintained activities of mitochondrial Ca2+ sequestration and plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase reduced Ca2+ toxicity following 5-min ischemia in terms of time, resulting in escape from delayed neuronal death.


2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 2520-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vallent Lee ◽  
Jamie Maguire

Tonic inhibition is thought to dampen the excitability of principal neurons; however, little is known about the role of tonic GABAergic inhibition in interneurons and the impact on principal neuron excitability. In many brain regions, tonic GABAergic inhibition is mediated by extrasynaptic, δ-subunit-containing GABAA receptors (GABAARs). In the present study we demonstrate the importance of GABAAR δ-subunit-mediated tonic inhibition in interneurons. Selective elimination of the GABAAR δ-subunit from interneurons was achieved by crossing a novel floxed Gabrd mouse model with GAD65-Cre mice ( Gabrd/Gad mice). Deficits in GABAAR δ-subunit expression in GAD65-positive neurons result in a decrease in tonic GABAergic inhibition and increased excitability of both molecular layer (ML) and stratum radiatum (SR) interneurons. Disinhibition of interneurons results in robust alterations in the neuronal excitability of principal neurons and decreased seizure susceptibility. Gabrd/Gad mice have enhanced tonic and phasic GABAergic inhibition in both CA1 pyramidal neurons and dentate gyrus granule cells (DGGCs). Consistent with alterations in hippocampal excitability, CA1 pyramidal neurons and DGGCs from Gabrd/Gad mice exhibit a shift in the input-output relationship toward decreased excitability compared with those from Cre−/− littermates. Furthermore, seizure susceptibility, in response to 20 mg/kg kainic acid, is significantly decreased in Gabrd/Gad mice compared with Cre−/− controls. These data demonstrate a critical role for GABAAR δ-subunit-mediated tonic GABAergic inhibition of interneurons on principal neuronal excitability and seizure susceptibility.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liudmila Sosulina ◽  
Manuel Mittag ◽  
Hans-Rüdiger Geis ◽  
Kerstin Hoffmann ◽  
Igor Klyubin ◽  
...  

AbstractNeuronal network dysfunction is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the underlying pathomechanisms remain unknown. We analyzed the hippocampal micronetwork in a rat model of AD at an early disease stage at the beginning of extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition. We established two-photon Ca2+-imaging in vivo in the hippocampus of rats and found hyperactivity of CA1 neurons. Patch-clamp recordings in brain slices in vitro revealed changes in the passive properties and intrinsic excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, we observed increased neuronal input resistance and prolonged action potential width in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Surprisingly, all parameters measured to quantify synaptic inhibition and excitation onto CA1 pyramidal neurons were intact suggesting a cell immanent deficit. Our data support the view that altered intrinsic excitability of CA1 neurons may precede inhibitory dysfunction at an early stage of disease progression.


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