High frequency oscillations in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices induced by tetanic stimulation

Tetanic stimulation induces high-frequency network oscillations in area CA1 and in the subiculum of rat hippocampal slices. Here, we describe the effects of similar tetanic stimulation in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. We found field potential oscillations in the dentate granule cell layer which shared several properties with tetanically induced oscillations in CA1, including delayed onset, duration, progressive slowing of frequency within the oscillations and sensitivity to blockers of GABA(A) receptors, NMDA receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors. However, the mean frequency of the oscillations in the dentate is approximately 100 Hz, much higher than tetanic oscillations in CA1 and, in contrast to CA1, dentate high-frequency oscillations are sensitive to antagonists of AMPA-receptors. Oscillation frequency was decreased by metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists and increased by antagonists of AMPA-receptors as well as the gap junction blocker carbenoxolone. The oscillations can be observed in the whole dentate gyrus-CA3-network and are tightly correlated between the dentate gyrus and area CA3. Thus, tetanic stimulation in the dentate elicits a new pattern of network oscillations with coherence in the dentate-CA3-network which may affect the processing of afferent information in the hippocampus.     

Reflections of low calcium epileptiform activity from area CA1 into dentate gyrus in the rat hippocampal slice

Lowering of [Ca²⁻]₀ induces epileptiform activity in hippocampal area CA1, characterized by slow negative field potentials with superimposed trains of population spikes and by rises in [K⁺]₀. In dentate gyrus slow positive field potentials occur simultaneously with the activity in area CA1. The accompanying small rises in [K⁺]₀ may stem from spatial K⁺ redistribution through glial cells from area CA1.     

Metabolic changes induced in rat hippocampal slices by norepinephrine

The oxidative metabolic activity of restricted regions of hippocampal slices was assessed by a continuous measurement of the fluorescence of intramitochondrial nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH). A large increase in NADH fluorescence was triggered by substituting the oxygen supply to the slice by nitrogen gas. A large and transient increase in NADH fluorescence was also produced by superfusion of the the slice with a high (50 mM) potassium-containing medium. Addition of norepinephrine (NE) to the superfusion medium caused a propranolol-inhibited increase in NADH fluorescence. Furthermore, ouabain, which inhibits the Na-K pump, blocked the effects of NE. An analog of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), 8-bromo cAMP, mimicked the effect of NE. Finally, effects of NE could still be produced in a kainic acid-treated hippocampus, where most neurons were previously destroyed by the drug. It is suggested that NE activates a Na-K-ATPase, that this effect might be mediated by cAMP, and that these interrelations may underly the physiological action of NE in the brain.     

Effects of retigabine (D-23129) on different patterns of epileptiform activity induced by low magnesium in rat entorhinal cortex hippocampal slices

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a new antiseizure drug, retigabine (D-23129; N-(2-amino-4-[fluorobenzylamino]-phenyl) carbamic acid ethyl ester) on low-Mg2+-induced epileptiform discharges in rat in vitro. METHODS: Three types of epileptiform discharges (recurrent short discharges in the hippocampus, seizure-like events, and late recurrent discharges in the entorhinal cortex) were elicited in rat combined entorhinal cortex-hippocampal slices by perfusion with low-Mg2+-artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). The antiepileptic properties of retigabine were evaluated as effect on the frequency and amplitude of the epileptiform activities as well as time of onset of the effect in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and in hippocampal area CA1 (CA1) by using extracellular recording techniques. RESULTS: Retigabine (20 microM) reversibly suppressed the recurrent short discharges otherwise sensitive only to high doses of valproate (VPA) but insensitive to standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in CA1, whereas 10 microM reduced the frequency of discharges by 34+/-18.8%, with no significant effect on the amplitude. In EC, retigabine (50 microM) reversibly suppressed the seizure-like events, whereas 20 microM blocked seizure-like events in 71.5% of the slices. The seizure-like events were also sensitive to standard AEDs. Late recurrent discharges in EC that are not blocked by standard AEDs were reversibly suppressed by retigabine (100 microM), whereas 50 microM reduced the frequency of the discharges by 94.4+/-7.7%, and 20 microM, by 74.2+/-18.0%, with no significant effect on the amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: Retigabine is an effective AED with suppressive effects on recurrent short discharges and on late recurrent discharges normally insensitive to standard AEDs.     

Epileptiform burst responses in ventral vs dorsal hippocampal slices

Field potentials from area CA1 evoked by stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals were compared in dorsal and ventral hippocampal slices of rat brain. Responses were categorized into 5 response types on the basis of their morphology, ranging from simple (single spike component) to complex (multiple spike components). A higher percentage of ventral slices, compared to dorsal slices, responded with a complex morphology under normal and increased K+ concentrations. Thus, there was a significantly greater tendency for cells within the ventral hippocampus to generate burst responses.     

Glutamate-induced gamma oscillations in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices

In this paper we show that gamma oscillations can be elicited by brief (< or = 200 ms) local applications of glutamate in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices. Dentate gamma oscillations show an initial peak frequency of approximately 70 Hz and last for up to 4 min. The network activity involves functional GABA(A) receptors as it is drastically reduced by GABA(A) receptor antagonists. The oscillations can be observed in the whole dentate gyrus-CA3-network and are coherent between the dentate gyrus and area CA3 for variable periods. Thus, long-lasting gamma oscillations can be experimentally induced in the dentate gyrus and are propagated into the hippocampus proper.     

Zinc modulation of GABAA receptor-mediated chloride flux in rat hippocampal slices

We studied the effect of ZnCl₂ application on GABA_A receptor-mediated ³⁶Cl⁻ flux in microsacs prepared from whole rat hippocampus and in region-specific hippocampal slices. Slices were obtained from the dentate gyrus (DG), which contains the zinc-enriched hilar region, and from the CA1 region which contains lower levels of endogenous zinc. Muscimol (10 μM)-evoked ³⁶Cl⁻ flux was significantly reduced by ZnCl₂ (100 μM) in hippocampal microsacs. In hippocampal slices, muscimol (50 μM)-evoked ³⁶Cl⁻ efflux was higher in CA1 (112.5 ± 27.9% above basal efflux rate) than in DG slices (29.7 ± 5.6%). In the presence of ZnCl₂, the muscimol effect on efflux rate in CA1 and DG regions was decreased to 10.6 ± 5.4% and 6.9 ± 4.9%, respectively. Preincubation with the zinc chelator, tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN, 20 μM), caused a significant increase in muscimol-evoked ³⁶Cl⁻ efflux only in DG slices (57.2 ± 7.0%), suggesting that GABA_A receptors in the DG of rat hippocampus under physiological conditions may function under the inhibitory influence of endogenous chelatable zinc. In intracellular recordings, ZnCl₂ (100 μM) application had no effect on the responses to GABA applied perisomatically or in the dendritic region of CA1 neurons. The lack of Zn²⁺ effect on the postsynaptic GABA_A receptor-mediated responses suggests that the decreases of the ³⁶Cl⁻ efflux observed in the biochemical assays may be due to zinc action on neurons other than the principal pyramidal CA1 cells, and possibly the non-neuronal cell populations.     

Neurotoxicity in organotypic hippocampal slices mediated by adenosine analogues and nitric oxide

Adenosine (ADO) and nitric oxide (NO) have been implicated in a variety of neurophysiological actions, including induction of long-term potentiation, regulation of cerebral blood flow, and neurotoxicity/neuroprotection. ADO has been shown to promote NO release from astrocytes by a direct effect on A₁ and A₂ receptors, thus providing a link between actions of NO and adenosine in the brain. However, while adenosine acts as an endogenous neuroprotectant, NO is believed to be the effector of glutamate neurotoxicity. To resolve this apparent paradox, we have further investigated the effects of adenosine and NO on neuronal viability in cultured organotypic hippocampal slices exposed to sub-lethal (20′) in vitro ischemia. Up to a concentration of 500 μM ADO did not cause toxicity while exposures to 100 μM of the stable ADO analogue chloroadenosine (CADO) caused widespread neuronal damage when paired to anoxia/hypoglycemia. CADO effects were significantly prevented by the ADO receptor antagonist theophylline and blockade of NO production by l-NA (100 μM). Moreover, CADO effects were mimicked by the NO donor SIN-1 (100 μM). Application of 100 μM ADO following blockade of adenosine deaminase (with 10 μM EHNA) replicated the effects of CADO. CADO, ADO+EHNA but not ADO alone caused a prolonged and sustained release of nitric oxide as measured by direct amperometric detection. We conclude that at high concentrations and/or following blockade of its enzymatic catabolism, ADO may cause neurotoxicity by triggering NO release from astrocytes. These results demonstrate for the first time that activation of pathways other than those involving neuronal glutamate receptors can trigger NO-mediated neuronal cell death in the hippocampus.     

Dentate granule cell neurogenesis after seizures induced by pentylenetrazol in rats

Epileptic seizures originating from the limbic system have been shown to stimulate the proliferation rate of granule cell precursors in the adult brain, but it is not clear if other type(s) of seizures have the similar effects. This study examined the effects of pentylenetrazol (PTZ)-induced generalized clonic seizures on dentate granule cell neurogenesis in adult rats. Using systemic bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells, we studied the proliferation rate of neural precursor cells in the dentate gyrus at various time points after PTZ-induced seizures. The double-label immunofluorescence with confocal microscopy was used to determine the newborn cell phenotypes. Quantitative analysis of BrdU labeling revealed a significant increase in the proliferation rate of neural precursor cells in the dentate gyrus 3, 7, and 14 days after seizures. The number of BrdU-labeled cells in the dentate gyrus returned to baseline levels by 28 days after the initial seizures. Most of newborn cells migrated into the granule cell layer from the subgranular zone, displayed the neuronal phenotype, and developed morphological characteristics of differentiated dentate granule cells. These results indicated that neuron proliferation in the dentate gyrus was enhanced during a time window (3-14 days) after PTZ-induced seizures. Its underlying mechanism is discussed.     

Effects of sub-chronic lithium treatment on synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of rat hippocampal slices

Although it has long been suggested that lithium has robust neuroplastic actions, and these actions lead to an enhancement on synaptic plasticity, the effects of lithium treatment on synaptic plasticity have been rarely studied. This study examined the effects of sub-chronic lithium treatment on synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampal slices in the rats. Young adult rats were intraperitoneally administered a daily dose of 1 mgEq LiCl or saline-vehicle for 14 days. Twelve hours after the last injections, the input/output (I/0) responses of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) and the long-term potentiation (LTP) of fEPSP and population spikes (PS) were determined in the DG of hippocampal slices prepared from the animals treated with lithium or vehicle. Treatment of lithium for 14 days significantly increased the I/O responses of fEPSP and the LTP of fEPSP and PS. These results indicate that sub-chronic treatment of lithium increases the excitatory postsynaptic responses, synaptic strength and the cell firing of the granule cells in the DG of the hippocampus.     

卡马西平对匹罗卡品诱导成年癫间疒大鼠海马齿状回神经前体细胞增殖的影响

目的研究卡马西平对成年癫大鼠海马齿状回内源性神经前体细胞增殖的影响。方法采用氯化锂和匹罗卡品联合诱导大鼠癫模型,将癫大鼠随机分为癫对照组和癫卡马西平组,正常大鼠随机分为正常对照组和正常卡马西平组。癫对照组和正常对照组给以蒸馏水灌胃,同时癫卡马西平组和正常卡马西平组给予卡马西平灌胃。于灌胃后第6d腹腔注射5-溴脱氧尿苷嘧啶(BrdU)标记海马齿状回的内源性神经前体细胞的增殖情况;用免疫组化方法观察各组大鼠在注射BrdU后第1d、第7d齿状回BrdU阳性细胞数量的表达。结果①注射BrdU后第1d,癫对照组大鼠海马齿状回BrdU阳性细胞数较正常对照组明显增加(P<0.01),癫卡马西平组大鼠海马齿状回BrdU阳性细胞数较癫对照组减少(P<0.05);②注射BrdU后第7d,癫对照组大鼠海马齿状回BrdU阳性细胞数较正常对照组明显增加(P<0.01),癫卡马西平组大鼠海马齿状回BrdU阳性细胞数较癫对照组明显减少(P<0.05)。结论卡马西平抑制癫大鼠海马齿状回内源性神经前体细胞增殖。     

Protein synthesis by rat hippocampal slices maintained in vitro

The present study evaluates protein synthesis in rat hippocampal slices maintained in vitro. Transverse slices of hippocampus were prepared from both adult rats and rat pups during postnatal development and incubated in a gassed (95% O2/5% CO2) balanced salt medium containing 5 nM 3H-leucine. The time course of 3H-leucine incorporation into TCA-precipitable protein was determined using slices removed from the media after 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, and 120 min of incubation. The pattern of 3H-amino acid incorporation was evaluated by fixing slices with paraformaldehyde, embedding the slices in plastic, and sectioning the slices end on and en face for autoradiographic analysis. Biochemical analysis of 300 and 400 micron slices revealed that incorporation of leucine into protein proceeds at a constant rate. The autoradiographic analysis revealed that in adult hippocampal slices of 300-600 micron thickness there was complete penetration of 3H-leucine with no indication of a gradient in the extent of incorporation throughout the slice. The pattern of grain density within 300-600 micron slices matches that previously reported after in vivo injections of radiolabeled amino acid, where grain density is highest over neuronal cell bodies and lower over the laminae that contain dendritic processes and axons (Phillips et al: Mol Brain Res 2:251-261, 1987). Hippocampal slices of 200, 800, and 1,000 micron thickness showed irregular labeling. Slices of 200 micron were filled with pyknotic nuclei and vacuoles and exhibited patchy labeling. In 800 micron slices there were isolated areas of good preservation within the slice core, but these areas exhibited little incorporation. Relative to the 300-600 micron slices, there was a higher number of pyknotic nuclei and a much deeper layer of necrosis along the cut edges. Slices of 1,000 micron thickness showed poor preservation throughout and low levels of incorporation. Biochemical studies revealed a much higher rate of incorporation in the slices prepared from postnatal animals. Autoradiography of the slices from developing rats revealed that penetration was excellent and incorporation appeared to be greater as judged by an overall higher grain density. We believe that rat hippocampal slices provide a good in vitro model of protein metabolism that will be useful for studies of protein synthesis in isolated cell body and dendritic laminae and for the evaluation of whether protein synthesis in particular laminae is regulated by synaptic activity.     

Spontaneous epileptiform discharges in hippocampal slices induced by 4-aminopyridine

4-Aminopyridine (4-AP) induced 2 types of spontaneous field potentials (SFPs) in the hippocampal slice. Type I resembled spontaneous activity induced by other convulsants. They occurred at a rate of approximately 1 Hz, started in the CA2/CA3 region and spread at a velocity of 0.3 m/s to area CA1. Transsection experiments and laminar profiles indicated that they spread synaptically along the Schaffer collateral pathway. Synaptic blockade by low Ca2+/high Mg2+ or kynurenic acid reversibly abolished type I SFPs. Increasing [Ca2+]o lowered the rate and slightly increased the amplitude. Possibly, increased spontaneous transmitter release, and not disinhibition, is responsible for the generation of type I SFPs. Type II occurred at a rate of about 0.15 Hz and travelled in the same direction, but a factor 10 slower. They could not be blocked by separation of the CA1 and CA3 region; coupling remained until stratum moleculare was severed. Type II could not be suppressed by blockade of synaptic transmission. The laminar profile is similar in shape to that of type I but not identical. Increasing [Ca2+]o had the same but stronger effect as on type I. Type II SFPs depressed evoked population spikes up to a second and delayed the next type I SFP. The mechanisms involved remain largely speculative; further analysis is needed to help understand the epileptogenic action of 4-AP.     

Excitotoxic hippocampal neuron loss following sustained electrical stimulation of the perforant pathway in the mouse

Prolonged electrical stimulation of the perforant pathway in the rat evokes epileptiform discharges in dentate granule cells and irreversibly damages hilar neurons. In this in vivo study, we demonstrate that similar perforant path stimulation in C57Bl/6 mice causes the same pattern of hippocampal neuron loss. Therefore, this mouse model of seizure-induced hippocampal injury can be used for a wide variety of studies in genetically altered conditions not available in rats.     

The antiepileptogenic effect of electrical stimulation at different low frequencies is accompanied with change in adenosine receptors gene expression in rats

Purpose:   Previous studies have shown that the anticonvulsant effects of low-frequency stimulation (LFS) can be affected by activation of adenosine receptors. In the present study, the effect of LFS at different frequencies on kindling rate and adenosine receptors gene expression was investigated.
Methods:   Animals were kindled by perforant path stimulation in a rapid kindling manner. LFS (0.5, 1, and 5 Hz) was applied after termination of each kindling stimulation. Seizure severity was measured according to behavioral and electrophysiologic parameters. At the end of the experiments, adenosine A₁ and A_2A receptor gene expression were measured.
Results:   The inhibitory effect of LFS on kindling acquisition was observed at all frequencies. In addition, the inhibitory action of LFS on enhancement of field excitatory postsynaptic potential slope and population spike amplitude during kindling acquisition was not affected by the LFS frequency. However, the effects of LFS on paired-pulse recordings were greater at frequency of 5 Hz. Application of LFS during kindling acquisition also prevented the kindling induced decrease in the A₁ receptor gene expression and attenuated the level of A_2A receptor gene expression in the dentate gyrus. These effects were also greater at the frequency of 5 Hz.
Discussion:   According to these data, it may be suggested that the antiepileptogenic effects of LFS, developed through inhibition of synaptic transmission in the dentate gyrus, is mediated somehow through preventing the decrease of A₁ receptor and through attenuating the A_2A receptor gene expression. These effects might be dependent on the frequency of LFS.     

Enhancement of afferent fiber activity in hippocampal slices

The potentiation of synaptic activity in the hippocampal formation is a well documented phenomenon. It has been suggested, however, that a recruitment of additional afferent fibers can contribute to such an increase in synaptic activity. The hypothesis of an enhancement in afferent fiber activity, therefore, was investigated with the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation. Isolated radiatum fiber compound action potentials were evoked with paired electrical stimuli of equal intensity and separated in time by 30–40 msec. Statistical comparisons between control and test evoked responses reveal an augmentation of the test responses in support of the hypothesis of an enhancement in afferent fiber activity.     

Continuities between outer nuclear membrane and the rough endoplasmic reticulum increase in hippocampal neurons during seizure-induced protein synthesis

The ultrastructure of rat dentate gyrus granule cells was examined during, and near the termination of, a period of lesion-induced recurrent limbic seizure activity which has previously been demonstrated to stimulate dramatic changes in the biosynthetic activities of these neurons. In animals sacrificed 5 h postlesion (or 3.5 h following seizure onset) the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) appeared more extensive than in controls and there was a large, statistically significant increase in the number of continuities between the RER and the outer nuclear membrane (ONM). By 11 h postlesion the latter index had returned to control values although the presence of numerous elevations of the ONM lying in close proximity to free segments of RER was considered indicative of recent dissolution of contact. These data demonstrate modifications in the arrangement of organelles involved in protein synthesis during a period in which the patterns of synthesis by the granule cells are changing but which do not persist through the full period of seizure-induced alterations in synthetic activity.     

Activation of long-term synaptic plasticity causes suppression of epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices

Electrical stimulation of cerebral targets for the treatment of epilepsy is an area under active investigation. Recent studies have shown that chronic stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, fornix, or hippocampus may be effective in attenuating seizure frequency in animal models and in patients with intractable epilepsy. However, many questions exist, such as what are the specific electrical parameters, target sites, and mechanisms, etc., which should be investigated in animal studies before considering the routine use of chronic stimulation in epileptic patients. It is also important to understand what happens to neural activity during repetitive pulse stimulation as well as after stimulation. To this end, we hypothesized: (1) activation of synaptic plasticity suppresses epileptiform activity and (2) low frequency stimulation is an effective stimulation protocol for reducing seizure intensity and frequency. We used rat hippocampal brain slices to study how electrical stimulation affects spontaneous and evoked epileptiform activity. Further, we compared low (1 Hz) versus high (100 Hz) frequency stimulation in the same preparation. We found that orthodromic stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals for 10 min reduces the amplitude of normal responses and diminishes epileptiform activity. The onset of suppression by 1 Hz stimulation was gradual, but persistent, whereas the onset of suppression by 100 Hz was rapid; however, the effects of 100 Hz stimulation were transient. Finally, the NMDA antagonist, AP5 reversed the antiepileptic effects achieved by 1 Hz stimulation. Collectively, these data suggest that using different stimulation parameters prolonged electrical stimulation in the hippocampus may be effective in reducing seizure frequency in patients with epilepsy and that suppression by low frequency stimulation may be mediated by long-term depression (LTD).     

Glutamine-induced membrane currents in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

Glutamine is present at high concentrations in the extracellular fluid of the brain. It shuttles between glia cells and neurons, and serves as a precursor for both glutamate and γ-amino butyric acid. Direct actions of glutamine at central neurons are, however, not well understood. Here we showed that l -glutamine (0.5–10 m m ) evoked a dose-dependent inward transmembrane current in primarily cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Typical responses were outwardly rectifying and had a reversal potential around 0 mV. The current was partially sensitive towards blockers of ionotropic glutamate receptors and was partially carried by activation of N -methyl- d -aspartate receptors. However, cellular responses to l -glutamine showed clear biophysical and pharmacological differences to l -glutamate-evoked currents. Responses were highly specific for l -glutamine and no responses could be evoked by d -glutamine, l -alanine, l -valine, l -leucine and the system-A-specific agonist α-(methylamino)-isobutyric acid. Together, these data indicate that hippocampal neurons can be depolarized by electrogenic effects specific for l -glutamine.     

Denervation induced abnormal phosphorylation in hippocampal neurons

This study demonstrates that combined dopaminergic and cholinergic denervation of the hippocampus results in the appearance of morphologically altered, Tau reactive, apical dendrites of granule cells in the rat dentate gyrus. The denervated granule cells and their apical dendrites also display immunoreactivity to a mitogen-activated protein kinase, ERK-1, and also evidence of abnormal phosphorylation of these dendrites as revealed by SMI-31 immunoreactivity. Dopaminergic denervation alone also causes mitogen activated protein kinase reactivity without the Tau-reactive apical dendrites. These results suggest an analogy to synaptophysin loss and the appearance of dendritic threads described in Alzheimer's disease (AD), as an early stage in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). This is the first animal model in which abnormal phosphorylation of Tau has been shown to be produced experimentally in vivo.