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Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 9, 3463-3481, Copyright © 1989 by Society for Neuroscience
Morphology and electrophysiological properties of immunocytochemically identified rat dopamine neurons recorded in vitro
AA Grace and SP Onn
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260.
In vitro intracellular recordings were made from neurons in the rat
midbrain slice. Two neuronal types could be distinguished in dopamine-
containing (DA) midbrain regions based on electrophysiological criteria.
One neuron type exhibited short duration action potentials (less than 1.5
msec), could fire at high frequencies (greater than 10 Hz), and exhibited
either phasic or burst firing patterns. This neuron did not exhibit
tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. A second neuronal type exhibited a
unique set of electrophysiological properties, which included (1) a
spontaneous pacemaker-like depolarizing potential, (2) a highly regular
firing pattern, (3) long duration (greater than 2 msec) action potentials,
and (4) a high (i.e., depolarized) spike threshold. This neuron was
consistently double labeled using intracellular staining and
immunocytochemical localization of the catecholamine-specific enzyme
tyrosine hydroxylase, and thus represented the DA neuronal type. Midbrain
DA neurons stained with Lucifer yellow could be separated into 3 classes
based on their location and morphology: (1) fusiform neurons with laterally
projecting dendrites in the dorsal substantia nigra zona compacta region,
(2) multipolar cells with laterally and ventrally projecting dendrites in
the ventral substantia nigra zona compacta, and (3) neurons with fusiform
and multipolar somata and radially projecting dendrites in the ventral
tegmental area. The dendrites also exhibited spine-like protrusions and
ended with specialized forked processes. Spontaneously firing DA cells
recorded in vitro had a number of distinguishing electrophysiological
characteristics in common with those of DA neurons recorded in vivo, such
as the presence of a slow depolarizing potential driving spike activity and
a characteristic depolarized spike threshold (approximately-36 mV).
However, in contrast to that found in vivo, the DA cells characterized here
exhibited substantially higher input resistances and fired spontaneously in
a very regular pacemaker pattern. Burst firing was not observed. Spike
activity was apparently dependent on 4 depolarizing events: (1) a
voltage-dependent TTX- sensitive slow depolarization, (2) a
cobalt-sensitive low threshold depolarization that was activated during the
rebound from brief membrane hyperpolarizations, (3) high threshold
dendritic calcium spikes which gave rise to the spike
afterhyperpolarization, and (4) a high threshold initial segment sodium
spike. These depolarizations were modulated by several processes, including
a 4-aminopyridine-insensitive delayed repolarization, an instantaneous and
time-dependent anomalous rectifier, and an afterhyperpolarization. Although
low threshold depolarizations and rebound action potentials could be
triggered by the membrane repolarization following small membrane
hyperpolarizations, comparatively larger hyperpolarizations attenuated this
rebound activation, thereby suppressing anodal break excitation.(ABSTRACT
TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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