title: Pre- and postsynaptic beta-adrenergic activation enhances excitatory synaptic transmission in layer V/VI pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex of rats.
abstract: Norepinephrine exerts an important influence on prefrontal cortical functions. The physiological effects of beta-adrenoceptors (beta-ARs) have been examined in other brain regions. However, little is known about beta-AR regulation of synaptic transmission in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The present study investigated beta-AR modulation of glutamate synaptic transmission in layer V/VI pyramidal cells of the medial PFC (mPFC) of rats. Our results show that 1) isoproterenol (ISO), a selective beta-AR agonist, increased the frequency of spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSC's); 2) ISO enhancement of miniature EPSC's (mEPSC's) frequency no longer appeared in the presence of the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel blocker cadmium; 3) ISO enhanced the evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSC's) mediated by non-N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors (non-NMDA-Rs) and NMDA-Rs. The ISO facilitation of non-NMDA-R eEPSC was blocked by the membrane-permeable cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) inhibitor Rp-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate triethylammonium salt (Rp-cAMPS); 4) ISO enhanced NMDA-induced current, with no effect on glutamate-induced non-NMDA-R current; 5) ISO enhancement of NMDA-R eEPSC and NMDA-induced current was blocked by intracellular application of Rp-cAMPS or the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor PKI(5-24); and 6) ISO suppressed the paired-pulse facilitation of non-NMDA-R and NMDA-R eEPSC's. Taken together, these results provide the first electrophysiological demonstration that beta-AR activation facilitates excitatory synaptic transmission in mPFC pyramidal cells through pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, probably via cAMP or cAMP/PKA signaling.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Chun-Lei
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ze-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xue-Han
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Bao-Ming
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D017661:Receptors, Presynaptic