title: Activity-evoked extracellular pH shifts in slices of rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.
abstract: Activity-dependent extracellular pH shifts were studied in slices of the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) using double-barreled pH-sensitive microelectrodes. In 26 mM HCO3--buffered media, afferent activation (10 Hz, 5 s) elicited an early alkaline shift of 0.04+/-0.02 pH units associated with a later, slow acid shift of 0.05+/-0.03 pH units. Extracellular pH shifts in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus were rare, and limited to acidifications of approximately 0.02 pH units. The alkaline shift in the dLGN increased in the presence of benzolamide (1-2 microM), an extracellular carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. The mean alkaline shift in benzolamide was 0.10+/-0.05 pH units. In 26 mM HEPES-buffered saline, the alkaline response averaged 0.09+/-0.03 pH units. The alkaline shifts persisted in 100 microM picrotoxin (PiTX) but were blocked by 25 microM CNQX/50 microM APV. If stimulation intensity was raised in the presence of CNQX/APV, a second alkalinization arose, presumably due to direct activation of dLGN neurons. The direct responses were amplified by benzolamide, and blocked by either 0 Ca2+/EGTA, Cd2+ or TTX. In 0 Ca2+, addition of 500 microM-5 mM Ba2+ restored the alkalosis. Alkaline shifts evoked with extracellular Ba2+ were larger and faster than those elicited by equimolar Ca2+. In summary, synchronous activation in the dLGN results in an extracellular H+ sink, via a Ca2+-dependent mechanism, similar to activity-dependent alkaline shifts in hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, NYU Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chesler
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001574:Benzolamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D001574:Benzolamide; D010852:Picrotoxin