Watermaze Learning Enhances Excitability of CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

2003 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 2171-2179 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Matthew Oh ◽  
Amy G. Kuo ◽  
Wendy W. Wu ◽  
Evgeny A. Sametsky ◽  
John F. Disterhoft
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Dorsal Hippocampus ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Platform Location ◽  
Dorsal Hippocampal ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
Trace Eyeblink Conditioning

The dorsal hippocampus is crucial for learning the hidden-platform location in the hippocampus-dependent, spatial watermaze task. We have previously demonstrated that the postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) of hippocampal pyramidal neurons is reduced after acquisition of the hippocampus-dependent, temporal trace eyeblink conditioning task. We report here that the AHP and one or more of its associated currents ( IAHP and/or s IAHP) are reduced in dorsal hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons from rats that learned the watermaze task as compared with neurons from control rats. This reduction was a learning-induced phenomenon as the AHP of CA1 neurons from rats that failed to learn the hidden-platform location was similar to that of neurons from control rats. We propose that reduction of the AHP in pyramidal neurons in regions crucial for learning is a cellular mechanism of learning that is conserved across species and tasks.

scholarly journals Increasing SK2 channel activity impairs associative learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 863-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget M. McKay ◽  
M. Matthew Oh ◽  
Roberto Galvez ◽  
Jeffrey Burgdorf ◽  
Roger A. Kroes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Dorsal Hippocampus ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential ◽  
Sk Channels ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Trace Eyeblink Conditioning

Enhanced intrinsic neuronal excitability of hippocampal pyramidal neurons via reductions in the postburst afterhyperpolarization (AHP) has been hypothesized to be a biomarker of successful learning. This is supported by considerable evidence that pharmacologic enhancement of neuronal excitability facilitates learning. However, it has yet to be demonstrated that pharmacologic reduction of neuronal excitability restricted to the hippocampus can retard acquisition of a hippocampus-dependent task. Thus, the present study was designed to address this latter point using a small conductance potassium (SK) channel activator NS309 focally applied to the dorsal hippocampus. SK channels are important contributors to intrinsic excitability, as measured by the medium postburst AHP. NS309 increased the medium AHP and reduced excitatory postsynaptic potential width of CA1 neurons in vitro. In vivo, NS309 reduced the spontaneous firing rate of CA1 pyramidal neurons and impaired trace eyeblink conditioning in rats. Conversely, trace eyeblink conditioning reduced levels of SK2 channel mRNA and protein in the hippocampus. Therefore, the present findings indicate that modulation of SK channels is an important cellular mechanism for associative learning and further support postburst AHP reductions in hippocampal pyramidal neurons as a biomarker of successful learning.

Cumulative Effects of Glutamate Microstimulation on Ca2+ Responses of CA1 Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons in Slice

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Connor ◽  
Robert J. Cormier
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Stratum Radiatum ◽  
Neuron Death ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Stimulation Of

Glutamate stimulation of hippocampal CA1 neurons in slice was delivered via iontophoresis from a microelectrode. Five pulses (∼5 μA, 10 s duration, repeated at 1 min intervals) were applied with the electrode tip positioned in the stratum radiatum near the dendrites of a neuron filled with the Ca2+ indicator fura-2. A single stimulus set produced Ca2+ elevations that ranged from several hundred nM to several μM and that, in all but a few neurons, recovered within 1 min of stimulus termination. Subsequent identical stimulation produced Ca2+ elevations that outlasted the local glutamate elevations by several minutes as judged by response recoveries in neighboring cells or in other parts of the same neuron. These long responses ultimately recovered but persisted for up to 10 min and were most prominent in the mid and distal dendrites. Recovery was not observed for responses that spread to the soma. The elevated Ca2+ levels were accompanied by membrane depolarization but did not appear to depend on the depolarization. High-resolution images demonstrated responsive areas that involved only a few μm of dendrite. Our results confirm the previous general findings from isolated and cell culture neurons that glutamate stimulation, if carried beyond a certain range, results in long-lasting Ca2+ elevation. The response characterized here in mature in situ neurons was significantly different in terms of time course and reversibility. We suggest that the extended Ca2+ elevations might serve not only as a trigger for delayed neuron death but, where more spatially restricted, as a signal for local remodeling in dendrites.

Dose-dependent effects of phencyclidine on hippocampal CA1 neurons

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 842-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Kujtan ◽  
Peter L. Carlen
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Low Doses ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Similar Dose ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Dose Dependent

The dose-dependent effects of phencyclidine were examined in guinea pig hippocampal slices using intracellular and extracellular recordings. Orthodromically evoked population potentials from the CA1 cell body layer were enhanced by low doses (0.2–0.4 μM) and depressed by high doses (0.01–10 mM). Medium doses of the drug (2.0–10.0 μM) showed little effect. Intracellular recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons gave similar dose-dependent results. Low doses increased spontaneous firing rates and caused silent cells to fire. Medium doses both increased and decreased firing rates, whereas high doses depressed firing rates. Large transient depolarizing shifts were seen in some phencyclidine-treated cells at medium and high doses. Phencyclidine effects took 15–30 min to develop and were only partially reversible after a washout of up to 1 h.

scholarly journals Metformin Enhances Excitatory Synaptic Transmission onto Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 706
Author(s):  
Wen-Bing Chen ◽  
Jiang Chen ◽  
Zi-Yang Liu ◽  
Bin Luo ◽  
Tian Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Neuronal Excitability ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Glutamate Release ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Postsynaptic Currents ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1

Metformin (Met) is a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Numerous studies have shown that Met exerts beneficial effects on a variety of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD). However, it is still largely unclear how Met acts on neurons. Here, by treating acute hippocampal slices with Met (1 μM and 10 μM) and recording synaptic transmission as well as neuronal excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons, we found that Met treatments significantly increased the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), but not amplitude. Neither frequency nor amplitude of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) were changed with Met treatments. Analysis of paired-pulse ratios (PPR) demonstrates that enhanced presynaptic glutamate release from terminals innervating CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons, while excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons was not altered. Our results suggest that Met preferentially increases glutamatergic rather than GABAergic transmission in hippocampal CA1, providing a new insight on how Met acts on neurons.

Enhanced intrinsic excitability and EPSP-spike coupling accompany enriched environment-induced facilitation of LTP in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 1366-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Malik ◽  
Sumantra Chattarji
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Enrichment ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Intrinsic Excitability ◽  
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
The Impact

Environmental enrichment (EE) is a well-established paradigm for studying naturally occurring changes in synaptic efficacy in the hippocampus that underlie experience-induced modulation of learning and memory in rodents. Earlier research on the effects of EE on hippocampal plasticity focused on long-term potentiation (LTP). Whereas many of these studies investigated changes in synaptic weight, little is known about potential contributions of neuronal excitability to EE-induced plasticity. Here, using whole-cell recordings in hippocampal slices, we address this gap by analyzing the impact of EE on both synaptic plasticity and intrinsic excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Consistent with earlier reports, EE increased contextual fear memory and dendritic spine density on CA1 cells. Furthermore, EE facilitated LTP at Schaffer collateral inputs to CA1 pyramidal neurons. Analysis of the underlying causes for enhanced LTP shows EE to increase the frequency but not amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. However, presynaptic release probability, assayed using paired-pulse ratios and use-dependent block of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor currents, was not affected. Furthermore, CA1 neurons fired more action potentials (APs) in response to somatic depolarization, as well as during the induction of LTP. EE also reduced spiking threshold and after-hyperpolarization amplitude. Strikingly, this EE-induced increase in excitability caused the same-sized excitatory postsynaptic potential to fire more APs. Together, these findings suggest that EE may enhance the capacity for plasticity in CA1 neurons, not only by strengthening synapses but also by enhancing their efficacy to fire spikes—and the two combine to act as an effective substrate for amplifying LTP.

Differential Ethanol Sensitivity of Subpopulations of GABAA Synapses Onto Rat Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1306-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Weiner ◽  
C. Gu ◽  
T. V. Dunwiddie
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Receptor Subunit ◽  
Ethanol Sensitivity ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
Synaptic Responses

Weiner, J. L., C. Gu, and T. V. Dunwiddie. Differential ethanol sensitivity of subpopulations of GABAA synapses onto rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1306–1312, 1997. The actions of ethanol on γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor-mediated synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons remain controversial. Recent studies have reported that intoxicating concentrations of ethanol (10–100 mM) can potentiate, inhibit, or have no effect on GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic responses in this brain region. The essential determinants of ethanol sensitivity have not been defined; however, GABAA receptor subunit composition, as well as posttranslational modifications of these receptors, have been suggested as important factors in conferring ethanol sensitivity to the GABAA receptor complex. Multiple types of GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic responses have been described within individual hippocampal CA1 neurons. These responses have been shown to differ in some of their physiological and pharmacological properties. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that some of the disparate findings concerning the effects of ethanol may have resulted from differences in the ethanol sensitivity of GABAA receptor-mediated synapses on single CA1 pyramidal cells. Electrical stimulation adjacent to the stratum pyramidale (proximal) and within the stratum lacunosum-moleculare (distal) activated nonoverlapping populations of GABAA receptors on rat hippocampal CA1 neurons. Proximal inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) decayed with a single time constant and were significantly potentiated by ethanol at all concentrations tested (40, 80, and 160 mM). Distal IPSCs had slower decay rates that were often described better by the sum of two exponentials and were significantly less sensitive to ethanol at all concentrations tested. Three other allosteric modulators of GABAA receptor function with well-defined GABAA receptor subunit requirements, pentobarbital, flunitrazepam, and zolpidem, potentiated proximal and distal GABAA IPSCs to the same extent. These results demonstrate that the ethanol sensitivity of GABAA receptors can differ, not only between brain regions but within single neurons. These findings offer a possible explanation for the conflicting results of previous studies on ethanol modulation of GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal CA1 neurons.

GABAergic Protection of Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons Against Glutamate Insult: Deficit in Young Animals Compared to Adults

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aryan Azimi-Zonooz ◽  
C. William Shuttleworth ◽  
John A. Connor
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Glutamate Receptor ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Ca1 Neurons ◽  
Excitotoxic Injury ◽  
Ca1 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Hypoxia Ischemia ◽  
Ca3 Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Apical Dendrites

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) injury in neonatal animals leads to selective regional loss of neurons including CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus as well as nonlethal pathologies. Glutamate-receptor over-activation and Ca2+ influx are involved in these neonatal changes. We examined glutamate-evoked Ca2+ responses in neonatal (PN 7–13) and young adult (PN 21–27) CA1 pyramidal neurons in acute slices from rats. In neonates, transient exposure to glutamate produced large Ca2+ increases throughout neurons, including distal dendrites (primary Ca2+ responses). Repeated exposures resulted in sustained Ca2+ increases in apical dendrites (secondary Ca2+ responses) that were independent of continued glutamate exposure. These responses propagated and invaded the soma, resulting in irrecoverably high Ca2+ elevations. In neurons from adults, identical glutamate exposure evoked primary Ca2+ responses only in somata and proximal apical dendrites. Repeated glutamate exposures in the adult neurons also led to secondary Ca2+ responses, but they arose in the peri-somatic region and then spread outward to distal apical dendrites, again without recovery. More stimuli were required to initiate secondary responses in neurons from adult versus neonates. Block of GABAA receptors in adults caused the primary and secondary responses to revert to the spatial pattern seen in the neonates and greatly increased their vulnerability to glutamate. These findings suggest that neurodegenerative secondary Ca2+ events may be important determinants of susceptibility to HI injury in the developing CNS and that immature CA1 neurons may be more susceptible to excitotoxic injury due at least in part to insufficient development of GABAergic inputs to their dendrites.

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