title: Intracellular calcium increase induced by GABA in visual cortex of fetal and neonatal rats and its disappearance with development.
abstract: To address the question of whether gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) induces a change in the concentration of Ca2+ in neurons of the developing visual cortex, and if so, to elucidate a developmental profile of such a GABA-induced change, we measured intracellular Ca2+ signals using microscopic fluorometry in visual cortical slices loaded with rhod-2. The slices were prepared from rat fetuses of embryonic day 18 (E18) and rat pups of postnatal days 0-30 (P0-P30). Application of GABA through the perfusate at 100 microM induced a marked rise in intracellular Ca2+ signals in the cortical plate and subplate at E18 and P0-P2. After P5 the GABA-induced rise in Ca2+ dramatically reduced, and at P20 and thereafter it became undetectable. At E18 and P0-P2 an agonist for GABAA receptor, muscimol, induced a Ca2+ rise in the same way as did GABA, while a GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, did not induce any significant rise in Ca2+ signals. Also, a GABAA receptor antagonist, bicuculline, blocked the GABA-induced rise in Ca2+ signals. These results indicate that the Ca2+ rise is triggered by activation of GABAA receptors. The application of Ni2+ at a concentration high enough to block all types of voltage-dependent CA2+ channels prevented the Ca2+ signals from increasing in response to GABA application, suggesting that Ca2+ may be influxed through such channels following depolarization evoked by GABA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsumoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005470:Fluorometry; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D009532:Nickel; D002118:Calcium; D001640:Bicuculline