title: Postsynaptic excitation of prefrontal cortical pyramidal neurons by hypocretin-1/orexin A through the inhibition of potassium currents.
abstract: Hypocretins are crucial for the regulation of wakefulness by the excitatory actions on multiple subcortical arousal systems. To date, there is little information about the direct postsynaptic excitatory effects of hypocretins on the neurons in prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is important for higher cognitive functions and is correlated with level of wakefulness. In this study, we tested the excitatory effects of hypocretin-1 on acutely isolated PFC pyramidal neurons of rats and studied the possible ionic mechanisms by using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. Puff application of hypocretin-1 caused a dose-dependent excitation. Further observations that perfusion of Ca2+-free artificial cerebrospinal fluid did not influence the depolarizing effects of hypocretin-1, in conjunction with the findings that hypocretin-1 could decrease net whole-cell K+ currents, demonstrate that the excitatory effects of hypocretin-1 on PFC neurons are mediated by the inhibition of K+ currents but not Ca2+ influx. Finally, the decrease in K+ currents induced by hypocretin-1 was abolished by a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (BIS II) or a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor (D609), suggesting that PKC and PLC appear to be involved in mediating the inhibitory effects of hypocretin-1 on K+ currents. These results indicate that hypocretin-1 exerts a postsynaptic excitatory action on PFC neurons through the inhibition of K+ currents, which probably results from activation of PKC and PLC signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jianxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chenghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jianning
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Zhengping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000068797:Orexins; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D010738:Type C Phospholipases