title: 5-HT4 receptor activation induces long-lasting EPSP-spike potentiation in CA1 pyramidal neurons.
abstract: Recent studies implicated involvement of the 5-hydroxytryptamine4 (5-HT4) receptor in cognitive and emotional processes. The highest 5-HT4 receptor densities in the brain are found in the limbic system including the hippocampus. Here we used the selective 5-HT4 receptor full agonist, N-pentyl-N'-aminoguanidine carbazimidamide (SDZ-216454) to characterize effects of 5-HT4 receptor activation in whole-cell and field recordings in the area CA1 in hippocampal slices prepared from 3 to 4- and 6 to 9-week-old rats, respectively. Extracellular recordings showed that transient 5-HT4 receptor activation by 10-20 min application of SDZ-216454 induces field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP)-population spike potentiation (ESP(5-HT4)), which persisted for as long as we held the recordings (> 2 h). ESP(5-HT4) displayed characteristics different from EPSP-spike potentiation that accompanies long-term potentiation; it developed without an associated increase in synaptic transmission, was independent on afferent input, activity of postsynaptic neurons and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor activation; and was expressed in the presence of GABA receptor antagonists. ESP(5-HT4) was also induced by transient application of the natural neurotransmitter, 5-HT. The increase in the evoked population spike (PS) induced by SDZ-216454 was not prevented by blockers of hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih), Cs+ and ZD-7288, but was mimicked and occluded by 150 microm Ba2+. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from pyramidal neurons demonstrated that SDZ-216454 application increases membrane resistance with a concomitant decrease in a Ba2+-sensitive inwardly rectifying K+ current and the Ba2+-insensitive K+ current underlying slow afterhyperpolarization (I(sAHP)). We conclude that 5-HT4 receptor activation may cause a long-lasting excitability increase in CA1 pyramidal neurons by inhibition of a Ba2+-sensitive inwardly rectifying K+ current.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology Mario Aiazzi-Mancini University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy. bmlinar@unifi.it
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mlinar
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mascalchi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mannaioni
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corradetti
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4; D001464:Barium; D012701:Serotonin