The contribution of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors to fast and slow transmission of sensory information in the rat SI barrel cortex

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_CBB03BC4E524
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The contribution of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors to fast and slow transmission of sensory information in the rat SI barrel cortex
Journal
Journal of Neuroscience
Author(s)
Armstrong-James  M., Welker  E., Callahan  C. A.
ISSN
0270-6474 (Print)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/1993
Volume
13
Number
5
Pages
2149-60
Notes
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. --- Old month value: May
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to establish the contribution of NMDA receptors to natural processing of somatosensory information within rat SI barrel cortex. Responses of 52 cells in layers I-IV of the rat barrel cortex were analyzed by PSTH (peristimulus histogram) analysis of evoked spikes in reply to brief deflections of the principal whisker in animals anesthetized with urethane. Short and longer peak latency responses within PSTHs were compared in the presence and absence of the specific NMDA and non-NMDA antagonists D(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid and 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, which were administered locally to neurons by iontophoresis and additionally tested against their putative specific agonists, NMDA and quisqualate, respectively. The results suggest the following. (1) The generation of most spikes from cells in layers I-IV is dependent upon activation of NMDA receptors. However, NMDA receptors do not contribute to responses at very short latencies commensurate with monosynaptic thalamocortical relay for layer IV cells. These appear to be entirely mediated through non-NMDA receptors. (2) In the absence of transmission through NMDA receptors, non-NMDA receptors do not generate significant spike activity in later (10-100 msec latency) discharges. (3) NMDA receptor participation in first spike generation is directly dependent upon the latency of response of the cell to principal whisker deflection. (4) Latency of response, non-NMDA receptor-mediated spike generation and laminar location were powerfully covariant. (5) In addition, it was found that cells exhibiting short-duration spikes ( < 0.7 msec; "fast-spike units") in layer IV responded powerfully at short latencies, first spikes being entirely dependent upon non-NMDA but not NMDA receptor action, later spikes (10-100 msec poststimulus) being > 80% dependent upon NMDA receptor action. It is concluded that most sensorially driven spike activity in layers I-IV is dependent upon NMDA receptor action. This appears to be enabled by contingent subthreshold depolarization largely through non-NMDA receptor action, whereas the earliest thalamocortical discharges are evoked solely through non-NMDA receptors.
Keywords
2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate/pharmacology Animals Male Neurons/metabolism Physical Stimulation Quinoxalines/pharmacology Rats Rats, Wistar Reaction Time Receptors, AMPA Receptors, Glutamate/drug effects/*physiology Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/drug effects/*physiology Sensation/physiology Somatosensory Cortex/cytology/*physiology Synaptic Transmission/*physiology Time Factors Vibrissae/*physiology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
24/01/2008 15:40
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:46
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