title: Interplay between neuromodulator-induced switching of short-term plasticity at sensorimotor synapses in the neonatal rat spinal cord.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the modulation of short-term depression (STD) at synapses between sensory afferents and rat motoneurons by serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. STD was elicited with trains of 15 stimuli at 1, 5 and 10 Hz and investigated using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from identified motoneurons in the neonatal rat spinal cord in vitro. STD was differentially modulated by the amines. Dopamine was effective at all stimulation frequencies, whereas serotonin affected STD only during 5 and 10 Hz stimulus trains and noradrenaline during 1 and 5 Hz trains. Dopamine and serotonin homogenized the degree of depression observed with the different stimulation modalities, in contrast to noradrenaline, which amplified the rate differences. The different modulatory profiles observed with the amines were partly due to GABAergic interneuron activity. In the presence of GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptor antagonists, the rate and/or kinetics of STD did not vary with the stimulation frequency in contrast to the control condition, and noradrenaline failed to alter either synaptic amplitude or STD, suggesting indirect actions. Dopamine and serotonin strongly decreased STD and converted depression to facilitation at 5 and 10 Hz during the blockade of the GABAergic receptors in 50% of the neurons tested. Altogether, these results show that STD expressed at sensorimotor synapses in the neonatal rat not only is a function of the frequency of afferent firing but also closely depends on the neuromodulatory state of these connections, with a major contribution from GABAergic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, Université Bordeaux 1, CNRS UMR 5227, Mouvement Adaptation Cognition, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Grégory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barrière
authors.forename: Maylis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tartas
authors.forename: Jean-René
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cazalets
authors.forename: Sandrine S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bertrand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D013566:Sympathomimetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D013566:Sympathomimetics; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine