ATP released from astrocytes modulates action potential threshold and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in the neonatal rat prefrontal cortex.

ATP released from astrocytes modulates action potential threshold and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in the neonatal rat prefrontal cortex. Brain Res Bull. 2017 Oct 10;135:129-142 Authors: Beamer E, Kovács G, Sperlágh B Abstract Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia; however, a full mechanistic understanding has yet to be established. The activity of a transient cell population, the subplate neurons, is critical for the development of cortical inhibition and functional thalamocortical connections. Sensitivity of these cells to factors released during inflammation, therefore, may offer a link between maternal immune activation and the aberrant cortical development underlying some neuropsychiatric disorders. An elevated extracellular ATP concentration is associated with inflammation and has been shown to have an effect on neuronal activity. Here, we investigated the effect of ATP on the electrophysiological properties of subplate neurons. Exogenous ATP increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) at micromolar concentrations. Further, ATP released by astrocytes activated by the PAR-1 agonist, TFLLR-NH2, also increased the amplitude and frequency of sEPSCs in subplate neurons. The electrophysiological properties of subplate neurons recorded from prefrontal cortical (PFC) slices from neonatal ra...
Source: Brain Research Bulletin - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Brain Res Bull Source Type: research