title: Downregulation of tonic GABA currents following epileptogenic stimulation of rat hippocampal cultures.
abstract: Deficits in GABAergic inhibitory transmission are a hallmark of temporal lobe epilepsy and have been replicated in animal and tissue culture models of epilepsy. GABAergic inhibition comprises phasic and tonic inhibition that is mediated by synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors, respectively. We have recently demonstrated that chronic stimulation with cyclothiazide (CTZ) or kainic acid (KA) induces robust epileptiform activity in hippocampal neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report a downregulation of tonic GABA inhibition after chronic epileptogenic stimulation of rat hippocampal cultures. Chronic pretreatment of hippocampal neurons with CTZ or KA resulted in a marked reduction in GABAergic inhibition, as shown by a significant decrease in whole-cell GABA currents and in the frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). Interestingly, synaptically localized GABAA receptors remained relatively stable, as evidenced by the unaltered amplitude of mIPSCs, as well as the unchanged punctate immunoreactivity of gamma2 subunit-containing postsynaptic GABAA receptors. In contrast, tonic GABA currents, assessed either by a GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline or a selective extrasynaptic GABAA receptor agonist THIP, were significantly reduced following epileptogenic stimulation. These results reveal a novel form of neural plasticity, that epileptogenic stimulation can selectively downregulate extrasynaptic GABAA receptors while leaving synaptic GABAA receptors unchanged. Thus, in addition to synaptic alteration of GABAergic transmission, regulation of tonic inhibition may also play an important role during epileptogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, 201 Life Sciences Building, Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Jin-shun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luscher
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001581:Benzothiadiazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D053444:Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C004639:cyclothiazide; D007608:Kainic Acid