title: Ionic mechanisms underlying spontaneous CA1 neuronal firing in Ca2+-free solution.
abstract: Hippocampal CA1 neurons exposed to zero-[Ca(2+)] solutions can generate periodic spontaneous synchronized activity in the absence of synaptic function. Experiments using hippocampal slices showed that, after exposure to zero-[Ca(2+)](0) solution, CA1 pyramidal cells depolarized 5-10 mV and started firing spontaneous action potentials. Spontaneous single neuron activity appeared in singlets or was grouped into bursts of two or three action potentials. A 16-compartment, 23-variable cable model of a CA1 pyramidal neuron was developed to study mechanisms of spontaneous neuronal bursting in a calcium-free extracellular solution. In the model, five active currents (a fast sodium current, a persistent sodium current, an A-type transient potassium current, a delayed rectifier potassium current, and a muscarinic potassium current) are included in the somatic compartment. The model simulates the spontaneous bursting behavior of neurons in calcium-free solutions. The mechanisms underlying several aspects of bursting are studied, including the generation of triplet bursts, spike duration, burst termination, after-depolarization behavior, and the prolonged inactive period between bursts. We show that the small persistent sodium current can play a key role in spontaneous CA1 activity in zero-calcium solutions. In particular, it is necessary for the generation of an after-depolarizing potential and prolongs both individual bursts and the interburst interval.
authors.affiliation: Neural Engineering Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shuai
authors.forename: Marom
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bikson
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Dominique M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Durand
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015222:Sodium Channels
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D002118:Calcium