title: Modulation of spontaneous firing in rat subthalamic neurons by 5-HT receptor subtypes.
abstract: The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is considered to be one of the driving forces in the basal ganglia circuit. The STN is innervated by serotonergic afferents from the raphe nucleus and expresses a variety of 5-HT receptor subtypes. We investigated the effects of 5-HT and 5-HT receptor subtype agonists and antagonists on the firing properties of STN neurons in rat brain slices. We used cell-attached, perforated-patch, and whole cell recording techniques to detect changes in firing frequency and pattern and electrical membrane properties. Due to the depolarization of membrane potential caused by reduced potassium conductance, 5-HT (10 microM) increased the firing frequency of STN neurons without changing their firing pattern. Cadmium failed to occlude the effect of 5-HT on firing frequency. 5-HT had no effect on afterhyperpolarization current. These results indicated that the 5-HT action was not mediated by high-voltage-activated calcium channel currents and calcium-dependent potassium currents. 5-HT had no effect on hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(H)) amplitude and voltage-dependence of I(H) activation, suggesting that I(H) was not involved in 5-HT-induced excitation. The increased firing by 5-HT was mimicked by 5-HT(2/4) receptor agonist alpha-methyl-5-HT and was partially mimicked by 5-HT2 receptor agonist DOI or 5-HT4 receptor agonist cisapride. The 5-HT action was partially reversed by 5-HT4 receptor antagonist SB 23597-190, 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin, and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist RS 102221. Our data indicate that 5-HT has significant ability to modulate membrane excitability in STN neurons; modulation is accomplished by decreasing potassium conductance by activating 5-HT4 and 5-HT2C receptors.
authors.affiliation: Deptartment of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee, Neuroscience Institute, Health Science Center, 847 Monroe Ave., Johnson Bldg., Rm. 427, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. zxiang@utmem.edu
authors.forename: Zixiu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Lie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kitai
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020530:Subthalamus / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011743:Pyrimidines; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D002104:Cadmium; C082246:ICI D2788; C042390:alpha-methylserotonin; D012701:Serotonin