title: Spontaneous voltage oscillations in striatal projection neurons in a rat corticostriatal slice.
abstract: In a rat corticostriatal slice, brief, suprathreshold, repetitive cortical stimulation evoked long-lasting plateau potentials in neostriatal neurons. Plateau potentials were often followed by spontaneous voltage transitions between two preferred membrane potentials. While the induction of plateau potentials was disrupted by non-NMDA and NMDA glutamate receptor antagonists, the maintenance of spontaneous voltage transitions was only blocked by NMDA receptor and L-type Ca2+ channel antagonists. The frequency and duration of depolarized events, resembling up-states described in vivo, were increased by NMDA and L-type Ca2+ channel agonists as well as by GABAA receptor and K+ channel antagonists. NMDA created a region of negative slope conductance and a positive slope crossing indicative of membrane bistability in the current-voltage relationship. NMDA-induced bistability was partially blocked by L-type Ca2+ channel antagonists. Although evoked by synaptic stimulation, plateau potentials and voltage oscillations could not be evoked by somatic current injection--suggesting a dendritic origin. These data show that NMDA and L-type Ca2+ conductances of spiny neurons are capable of rendering them bistable. This may help to support prolonged depolarizations and voltage oscillations under certain conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Instituto de Fisiología Celular UNAM, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernández-López
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Laville
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galarraga
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Surmeier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bargas
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000819:agonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate