title: Ionic mechanisms underlying repetitive high-frequency burst firing in supragranular cortical neurons.
abstract: Neocortical neurons in awake, behaving animals can generate high-frequency (>300 Hz) bursts of action potentials, either in single bursts or in a repetitive manner. Intracellular recordings of layer II/III pyramidal neurons were obtained from adult ferret visual cortical slices maintained in vitro to investigate the ionic mechanisms by which a subgroup of these cells generates repetitive, high-frequency burst discharges, a pattern referred to as "chattering." The generation of each but the first action potential in a burst was dependent on the critical interplay between the afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) and afterdepolarizations (ADPs) that followed each action potential. The spike-afterdepolarization and the generation of action potential bursts were dependent on Na(+), but not Ca(2+), currents. Neither blocking of the transmembrane flow of Ca(2+) nor the intracellular chelation of free Ca(2+) with BAPTA inhibited the generation of intrinsic bursts. In contrast, decreasing the extracellular Na(+) concentration or pharmacologically blocking Na(+) currents with tetrodotoxin, QX-314, or phenytoin inhibited bursting before inhibiting action potential generation. Additionally, a subset of layer II/III pyramidal neurons could be induced to switch from repetitive single spiking to a burst-firing mode by constant depolarizing current injection, by raising extracellular K(+) concentrations, or by potentiation of the persistent Na(+) current with the Na(+) channel toxin ATX II. These results indicate that cortical neurons may dynamically regulate their pattern of action potential generation through control of Na(+) and K(+) currents. The generation of high-frequency burst discharges may strongly influence the response of postsynaptic neurons and the operation of local cortical networks.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. brumberg@biomed.med.yale.edu
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Brumberg
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003515:Cycloleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D003515:Cycloleucine; C036361:1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclopentane; C012647:QX-314; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D010672:Phenytoin; D008012:Lidocaine; D012964:Sodium; C025603:1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium