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Sodium pentobarbitone enhances responses of thalamic relay neurones to GABA in rat brain slices
Author(s) -
Sykes T.C.F.,
Thomson Alex M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1989.tb12562.x
Subject(s) - inhibitory postsynaptic potential , chemistry , stimulation , aminobutyric acid , postsynaptic potential , thalamus , endocrinology , medicine , electrophysiology , reversal potential , sodium , neuroscience , biology , patch clamp , biochemistry , receptor , organic chemistry
1 In rat isolated thalamic slices, intracellular recordings were made of responses to electrophoretically applied γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the absence and presence of sodium pentobarbitone (NaPb). 2 Responses to electrophoretically applied GABA were biphasic in the majority of neurones studied. They consisted of an early, negative‐going and later, positive‐going phase, when recorded close to reversal potential. 3 An increase in the GABA ejection current caused an enhancement of the late positive‐going phase, along with a shift in the reversal potential of the whole response to a more positive value. These changes were accompanied by an increase in GABA‐induced conductance (decrease in resistance) and an increase in the duration of the response. 4 Application of NaPb to the GABA response produced similar effects, namely an enhancement of the late positive‐going phase, a shift in the reversal potential to a more positive value, an increase in conductance and an increase in duration. 5 GABA‐mediated inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (i.p.s.ps) were evoked by electrical stimulation of the nucleus reticularis thalami. Application of NaPb caused an increase in the duration of the i.p.s.p. and a shift in its reversal potential to a more positive value.