title: Temperature dependence of extracellular ionic changes evoked by anoxia in hippocampal slices.
abstract: 1. Extracellular [K] and [Ca] were measured with ion-selective microelectrodes in CA1 pyramidal cell layer of rat hippocampal slices in an interface chamber. 2. Near room temperature (21-22 degrees C), brief periods of anoxia (3- to 4-min substitution of 95% N2-5% CO2 for 95% O2-5% CO2) produced very small changes in [K]o [-0.022 +/- 0.10 (SE) mM] or [Ca]o (-0.030 +/- 0.0029 mM) and were associated with only minor depression of population spikes (-22.5 +/- 11%). 3. Stratum radiatum (SR) stimulation (0.2-5 Hz) could evoke substantial increases in [K]o (by 0.2-2 mM); although variable, they were consistent in any one slice. The same stimulation regularly caused only small depressions of [Ca]o (by less than 0.1 mM, typically). 4. Also at 21-22 degrees neither stimulation nor anoxia generated more than minimal reductions in extracellular space [by 2.3 +/- 0.94%, as measured by the tetramethylammonium (TMA) method], and spreading depression (SD) occurred in only 1 out of 20 slices. 5. At 33-34 degrees C, anoxia (also for 3-4 min) consistently produced more substantial increases in [K]o (0.83 +/- 0.18 mM); but the apparent changes in [Ca]o at 33 degrees C (0.058 +/- 0.12 mM) could not with certainty be distinguished from thermoelectric artifacts. There was a severe depression of population spikes (-76 +/- 10%). 6. Although electrical stimulation evoked greater reductions in [Ca]o, increases in [K]o were 50% smaller. 7. During anoxia at 33-34 degrees C, the extracellular space was significantly reduced, by 6.1 +/- 0.9%. Moreover, in 37% of the slices, either stimulation or anoxia triggered massive increases in [K]o (greater than 10 mM) and large reductions in [Ca]o (less than 1 mM), associated with SD-like swings in focal potential. 8. It is concluded that the extracellular ionic changes evoked by brief anoxia do not contribute in a major way to the depression of synaptic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Anaesthesia Research Department, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leblond
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agopyan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krnjević
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium