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Volume 16, Number 23,
Issue of December 1, 1996
pp. 7505-7512
Copyright ©1996 Society for Neuroscience
Modulation of Inhibitory Transmission by Dopamine in Rat
Basal Forebrain Nuclei: Activation of Presynaptic
D1-like Dopaminergic Receptors
Toshihiko Momiyama1 and
J. A. Sim2
1 Department of Pharmacology, University College
London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom, and 2 Department
of Neurobiology, Babraham Institute, Cambs CB2 4AT, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
FOOTNOTES
REFERENCES
ABSTRACT
The effects of dopamine (DA) on inhibitory transmission onto
identified magnocellular neurons were examined in rat basal forebrain slices using whole-cell recording. IPSCs evoked by focal stimulation within basal forebrain nuclei were reversibly blocked by 10 µM bicuculline and had a decay time constant of 20.1 ± 0.77 msec in the presence of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxalline-2,3-dione
(5 µM). Bath application of DA reduced the amplitude of
IPSCs up to 71.1 ± 1.49% in a concentration-dependent manner
between 0.003 and 1 mM (the IC50 value being
6.6 µM), without any effect on the holding current at
70 mV. DA (10 µM) reduced the frequency of miniature
IPSCs (mIPSCs) recorded in the presence of TTX (0.5 µM),
without affecting their mean amplitude, rise time, and decay time
constant. Furthermore, the DA-induced effect on mIPSCs remained unaffected by 100 µM cadmium, suggesting a presynaptic
mechanism independent of calcium influx. SKF 81297, a
D1-like agonist, mimicked DA-induced effect on evoked IPSCs
(IC50, 10.9 µM), whereas R( )-TNPA or
( )-quinpirole, D2-like agonists (30 µM),
had little or no effect on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs. R(+)-SCH
23390, a D1-like antagonist, antagonized the DA-induced
effect on IPSCs (KB 0.82 µM),
whereas S( )-eticlopride, a D2-like antagonist, showed
slight antagonism (KB 7.8 µM).
Forskolin (10 µM) reduced the amplitude of evoked IPSCs
to ~58% of the control and occluded the inhibitory effect of DA.
These findings indicate that DA reduces inhibitory transmission onto
magnocellular basal forebrain neurons by activating presynaptic
D1-like receptors.
Key words:
dopamine;
D1 receptor;
inhibitory
postsynaptic currents;
magnocellular basal forebrain nuclei;
presynaptic modulation
INTRODUCTION
Magnocellular basal forebrain (MBF) neurons in the
vertical and horizontal limbs of diagonal band of Broca (HDBB),
substantia innominata (SI), and nucleus basalis (nB) form the principal
source of cholinergic innervation to the cerebral and subcortical brain regions (Rye et al., 1984 ). Pathophysiologically, degeneration of these
cholinergic neurons has been observed in patients with Alzheimer's
disease (Coyle et al., 1983 ; Oyanagi et al., 1989 ), yet the question of
how these cortically projecting neurons can be influenced remains to be
clarified. Morphological studies using immunohistochemical techniques
have demonstrated that the basal forebrain region receives dopaminergic
fibers from the ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra pars compacta,
and medial zona interna (Martinez-Murillo et al., 1988 ; Semba et al.,
1988 ; Eaton et al., 1994 ). Despite these well documented pathways, the
basic effects of dopamine (DA) on synaptic transmission within basal forebrain nuclei are still not well understood. Previous
electrophysiological studies using anesthetized rats have shown that
neuronal activity is variably inhibited or excited by iontophoretic
application of DA in other groups of basal forebrain nuclei, namely the
globus pallidus (Bergstrom and Walters, 1984 ) and ventral pallidum
(Napier and Maslowski-Cobuzzi, 1994). Our recent studies (Momiyama et al., 1995a ; 1996 ) showed that DA reduces excitatory synaptic
transmission onto visualized magnocellular neurons within the HDBB, SI,
and nB regions of the rat brain. Furthermore, our pharmacological studies revealed that the action of DA was mediated via the activation of presynaptically located D1-like receptors. Similar
reduction of excitatory transmission mediated by presynaptic
D1-like receptors has been reported in nucleus accumbens
(Pennartz et al., 1992 ; Harvey and Lacey, 1996 ; Nicola et al., 1996 ).
In contrast, information regarding the effect of DA on inhibitory
synaptic transmission in basal forebrain is sparse, although it has
been known that iontophoretic application of DA attenuated the
inhibitory action of iontophoretically administered GABA on the firing
rates of neurons within the globus pallidus (Bergstrom and Walters,
1984 ). To further understand the role of DA in basal forebrain nuclei, the present study examined the effect of DA on the inhibitory synaptic
transmission onto visualized MBF neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique in a thin-slice preparation of the rat brain. The
identity of the DA receptor family involved was studied using pharmacologically selective agonists and antagonists.
Preliminary data from these studies have been published previously in
abstract form (Momiyama et al., 1995b ).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Preparation and recording procedures. The details of
slicing and whole-cell recording procedures were as described
previously (Sim and Griffith, 1996 ). In brief, 12- to 14-d-old rats
were decapitated after deep anesthesia with chloroform, and their
brains were removed and placed in an ice-cold cutting Krebs solution of
the following composition (in mM): 118 NaCl, 3 KCl, 0.5 CaCl2, 6 MgCl2, 25 NaHCO3, 5 HEPES,
and 11 D-glucose, continuously bubbled with 95%
O2/5% CO2. Coronal slices (200 µm)
containing the basal forebrain region were prepared using a microslicer
(Campden, Loughborough, UK) and incubated in normal Krebs solution of
the following composition (in mM): 118 NaCl, 3 KCl, 2.5 CaCl2, 1.2 MgCl2, 25 NaHCO3, 5 HEPES, 11 D-glucose, pH 7.2, when bubbled with 95%
O2/5% CO2 at room temperature (20-23°C) in
a temperature-controlled room for at least 1 hr. For recording, a slice
was transferred to the recording chamber, held submerged, and
superfused continuously with the normal Krebs solution (bubbled with
95% O2/5% CO2) at a rate of 6 ml/min.
Patch electrodes were pulled from thin-walled borosilicate glass
capillaries (1.5 mm outer diameter; Clark Electromedical, Reading, UK)
and had resistances of 5-8 M when filled with a potassium
acetate-based internal solution of the following composition (in
mM): 108 potassium acetate, 15.6 KCl, 40 HEPES, 1 MgCl2, 2 BAPTA, 4 Na2GTP, 0.1 MgATP, 0.2 CaCl2 (for nominal [Ca2+]i of 30 nM, see Sim and Griffith, 1996 ), and pH adjusted to 7.2 with 12 mM NaOH. Whole-cell recordings were made using an
Axopatch 200A (Axon Instruments, Foster City, CA) from visually
identified MBF neurons viewed with the aid of a microscope
(Microtec-2A, Micro Instruments, Oxford, UK) fitted with
Hoffman-modulation optics. The morphological characteristics of these
neurons were as follows: large diameter (>20 µm) of the soma, with a
triangular, fusiform, or multipolar shape (Sim, 1994 ). Stimulating
electrodes were pulled from theta glass (Clark Electromedical, Reading,
UK) and filled with normal Krebs solution. Inhibitory synaptic
responses were evoked by careful placement of a stimulating electrode
within a 50-150 µm radius of the recorded cell (the mean distance
between the stimulating electrode and the nearest edge of the recorded cell being 70.7 ± 2.69 µm; n = 83 cells). A
voltage pulse (0.2-0.4 msec in duration) was applied at a frequency of
0.1 Hz with suprathreshold intensity. A glass bridge reference
electrode containing 4% agar-saline was used as described previously
(Sim and Griffith, 1996 ). Experiments were carried out at room
temperature (20-26°C).
Data were collected (10 kHz sampling rate and low-pass-filtered at
3-10 kHz with an 8-pole Bessel filter) using pClamp6 (Axon Instruments) software and digitized at 10-20 kHz for computer analysis. Synaptic currents were routinely evoked at 0.1 Hz, and all
traces shown are the averages of 10 traces, with their respective SD.
In the present study, IPSCs are inwardly directing; the reversal potential for chloride ions was set at 54 mV, and recordings were
made from a holding potential of 70 mV. For experiments studying
mIPSCs, data were digitized continuously at 10-20 KHz and stored on a
computer. mIPSCs were detected using software generously provided by
Dr. Stephen F. Traynelis (Emory University, Atlanta, GA). Curve-fitting
was carried out using "Graphpad Inplot" computer software
(Graphpad, San Diego, CA). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM.
Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test
(two-tailed) or a nonparametrical Mann-Whitney test, where appropriate; p < 0.05 was considered statistically
significant.
Drugs and their application. All drugs were
bath-applied. Dopamine (Sigma, St Louis, MO),
(±)-6-chloro-7,8-dihydroxy-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrobromide (SKF 81297; Research Biochemicals, Natick, MA),
R( )-2,10,11-trihydroxy-N-propyl-noraporphine hydrobromide
(TNPA; Research Biochemicals),
trans-( )-4aR-4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a,9-octahydro-5-propyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4 gm]quinoline (( )-quinpirole),
R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride (SCH 23390, Research Biochemicals),
S( )-3-chloro-5-ethyl-N-[(1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl]-6-hydroxy-2-methoxy-benzamide hydrochloride (eticlopride; Research Biochemicals), bicuculline (Sigma), and tetrodotoxin (TTX; Sigma) were prepared as 10 mM stock solutions in distilled water and kept frozen.
6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxalline-2,3-dione (CNQX; Tocris Cookson, Bristol,
UK), forskolin (Sigma), and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin (Sigma) were dissolved
as 10 mM stock in dimethylsulfoxide (Sigma). Stock
solutions were diluted to the final concentrations in normal Krebs
solution just before each experiment. Antagonists were applied at least
10-15 min before the addition of agonist in the continuing presence of
antagonist.
RESULTS
General properties of GABAergic IPSCs
In the present study, whole-cell recordings were made from 114 MBF
neurons clamped at 70 mV (close to their resting membrane potential)
(Sim and Griffith, 1996 ). The mean diameter of the long axis of the
neurons was 29.7 ± 0.42 µm (mean ± SEM, n = 104), and the cell capacitance was 41.8 ± 1.10 pF
(n = 114).
IPSCs were evoked in MBF neurons by focal stimulation in the presence
of 5 µM CNQX to eliminate excitatory components. In contrast to EPSCs, IPSCs were evoked less frequently (cf. Sim and
Griffith, 1996 ) in MBF neurons, because the placement of the stimulating electrode seemed to be more critical in eliciting IPSCs
than EPSCs. After successful placement of the stimulating electrode,
IPSCs were evoked in an "all-or-none" manner around the threshold
of stimulation intensity, suggesting that they were monosynaptic in
origin (Stern et al., 1992 ; Takahashi, 1992 ; Jonas et al., 1993 ). The
amplitude and time constant of the decay phase of evoked IPSCs in 82 neurons were 86.4 ± 6.52 pA and 20.1 ± 0.77 msec,
respectively.
Effect of dopamine on evoked IPSCs
Figure 1A shows the effect of DA
on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs recorded in the presence of 5 µM CNQX. Bath application of 10 µM DA (for
5 min) produced a gradual decline in the amplitude of the evoked IPSCs,
reaching a maximum level 3 min after the onset of application. The
effect of DA was reversed after 10-20 min washout. The GABAergic
nature of these IPSCs was confirmed when they were reversibly blocked
by bath application of 10 µM bicuculline, a
GABAA receptor antagonist (Fig. 1B).
DA-induced inhibitory effects on evoked IPSCs were
concentration-dependent between 0.003 and 1 mM. Figure
1C depicts the concentration-response curve pooled from 47 neurons (Fig. 1C), giving an apparent IC50 value, mean maximum effect, and Hill slope value of 6.6 µM, 71.1 ± 1.49%, and 1.28, respectively. No
desensitization was observed when DA was applied repeatedly after
10-20 min washout intervals. DA applied at concentrations up to 1 mM had no effect on the holding current or decay time
constant at a holding potential of 70 mV.
Fig. 1.
Inhibition of GABAergic IPSCs by dopamine. IPSCs
were evoked at 0.1 Hz in the presence of CNQX (5 µM) to
eliminate excitatory glutamatergic components. Traces in
A and B show averaged records of 10 consecutive responses (top traces) with their
corresponding SD (bottom traces). The holding potential
was 70 mV. A, Bath application of
Dopamine (10 µM) produced a 61% reduction
of the amplitude of evoked IPSCs in this cell after 3 min, and its
effect was reversed after 15 min wash. B, Reversible
suppression of IPSCs by a GABAA receptor antagonist,
bicuculline (10 µM), in the same cell, after recovery
from DA-induced effect. The effect of bicuculline recovered after 12 min wash. Note that the IPSCs are depicted as inward currents, because
the equilibrium potential for chloride ions was 54 mV, and cells held
at 70 mV. C, Concentration-dependent inhibition of
evoked IPSCs by DA. Each point shows the mean ± SEM of data
pooled from 4-19 cells. The estimated IC50 value, maximum
inhibition, and Hill slope value were 6.6 µM, 71.1 ± 1.49%, and 1.28, respectively.
[View Larger Version of this Image (17K GIF file)]
Pharmacology of DA-induced inhibition of evoked IPSCs
To investigate the subtypes of DA receptor mediating DA-induced
inhibition of evoked IPSCs, we examined both the action of selective DA
receptor agonists on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (Fig.
2) and the effect of selective DA receptor antagonists
on the concentration-response curve produced by DA (Fig.
3).
Fig. 2.
Effect of dopamine receptor agonists on evoked
IPSCs. A, Summary histograms showing the mean ± SEM of the inhibitory effects of DA (Dopamine),
SKF 81297, R( )-TNPA, and
( )-Quinpirole on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs. All
agonists were applied at 30 µM concentration. Values for
DA, SKF 81297, R( )-TNPA, and ( )-quinpirole were 63.5 ± 6.8%
(n = 9), 54.5 ± 5.2% (n = 5), 8.9 ± 3.5% (n = 5), and 2.6 ± 1.1% (n = 4), respectively. (The value for DA was derived from the concentration-response curve in Fig. 1, and for SKF
81297 from the concentration-response curve in B.)
Application of either R( )-TNPA or ( )-quinpirole had little effect
(p < 0.01) on inhibition of the amplitude
of IPSCs, compared with DA or SKF 81297. The difference between DA and
SKF 81297 or R( )-TNPA and ( )-quinpirole was not significant
(p > 0.27 or p > 0.07, respectively). B, Concentration-response curve for the
inhibition of IPSC amplitude by DA (open squares,
reproduced from Fig. 1) and SKF 81297 (closed squares).
Each point represents the mean ± SEM of pooled data from
3-19 cells. The estimated IC50 value and Hill
slopes for SKF 81297 were 10.9 µM and 1.02, respectively.
Note that the maximum effect of SKF 81297 was constrained to that of
DA.
[View Larger Version of this Image (25K GIF file)]
Fig. 3.
Effects of dopamine receptor antagonists on
dopamine-induced inhibition of evoked IPSCs. A,
Concentration-response curves for IPSC inhibition by DA in the absence
(open squares) and presence (closed
squares) of 10 µM R(+)-SCH 23390 (a
D1-like receptor antagonist). The resultant curve in the
presence of R(+)-SCH 23390 was shifted to the right, with an
IC50 value and Hill slope of 86.4 µM and 1.17, respectively. B, Concentration-response curves in
the absence (open squares) and presence (closed
diamonds) of S( )-eticlopride (a D2-like
antagonist). The resultant curve was shifted to the right to a small
extent, in the presence of the D2-like antagonist; the
estimated IC50 value and Hill slope were 15.0 µM and 0.97, respectively. All points depicted are the
mean ± SEM of pooled data from 3-19 cells. The maximum
effect value in the presence of both antagonists was constrained to
that observed in the absence of antagonist (i.e., 71.1%). Note that
the concentration-response curves of DA alone (open
squares) are the same as those depicted in Figure 1.
[View Larger Version of this Image (25K GIF file)]
Effect of DA receptor agonists
Figure 2A summarizes the effect of DA agonists,
applied at 30 µM on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs, and
data expressed as the mean percentage (± SEM) inhibition were depicted
as histograms. Bath application of the selective D1-like
receptor agonist SKF 81297 (Andersen and Jansen, 1990 ) reduced the
amplitude of evoked IPSCs by 54.5 ± 5.2% (n = 5). In contrast, a D2-like agonist R( )-TNPA (Gao et al.,
1990 ) had little or no effect on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs
(8.9 ± 3.5% reduction, n = 5). Similarly,
another D2-like receptor agonist, ( )-quinpirole (Titus et
al., 1983 ), had little or no effect on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs
(2.6 ± 1.1%, n = 4) (Fig. 2A).
SKF 81297 mimicked the effect of DA and also reduced the IPSC in a
concentration-dependent manner between 0.003 and 1 mM (Fig.
2B). Pooled data from 16 cells yielded an apparent
IC50 value of 10.9 µM and a Hill slope value
of 1.02 (when the mean maximum effect was constrained to that of DA). In addition, we also examined the effect of SKF 81297 in the presence of R( )-TNPA (both applied at 30 µM) but found no
difference from the effect of SKF 81297 alone (data not shown).
Effect of DA receptor antagonist on DA-induced inhibition of
evoked IPSCs
The effects of a D1-like receptor antagonist, R(+)-SCH
23390 (Iorio et al., 1983 ), and a D2-like antagonist,
S( )-eticlopride (Hall et al., 1985 ), on the concentration-dependent
inhibition curve for DA were examined (Fig. 3). Bath application of 10 µM R(+)-SCH 23390 or S( )-eticlopride alone had no
effect on the holding current, amplitude, or time course of evoked
IPSCs at 70 mV. In the presence of 10 µM R(+)-SCH
23390, the concentration-response curve for DA was shifted to the
right (Fig. 3A), whereas in the presence of
S( )-eticlopride (10 µM) only a very small shift of the
concentration-response curve was observed (Fig. 3B).
Assuming that both R(+)-SCH 23390 and S( )-eticlopride behave as
competitive antagonists, apparent KB values of
0.82 µM (pKB 6.1) and of 7.8 µM
(pKB 5.1), respectively, were calculated using the equation of KB = [B]/(DR 1), where [B] is the concentration of the antagonist and
DR (dose-ratio) is the ratio of the mean IC50
values for pooled data in the presence and absence of antagonist.
Effect of forskolin and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin on evoked IPSCs
D1-like receptors have been classified as those
positively coupled with adenylate cyclase activity; therefore, we
tested the effect of forskolin (which stimulates adenylate cyclase) on
the inhibitory action of DA (Fig. 4). Bath application
of forskolin (10 µM) alone produced a gradual reduction
in the amplitude of evoked IPSCs, reaching a steady level after 10-15
min (Fig. 4A,C). The mean percentage inhibition of
evoked IPSCs by 10 µM forskolin after a 15 min period was
42.1 ± 6.8 (n = 10) (Fig. 4B).
In contrast, 10 µM 1,9-dideoxyforskolin, the inactive
form of forskolin, had little or no effect (2.4 ± 1.5%;
n = 5) on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (Fig.
4A,B). DA (10 µM) applied after
forskolin had reached its steady state produced no further effect on
the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (Fig. 4B,C); however,
the inhibitory effect of DA on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs was still
apparent (although reduced) if applied before the effect of forskolin
had reached its plateau (3-7 min after application of forskolin),
showing that forskolin had indeed occluded the inhibitory action of DA on GABAergic transmission.
Fig. 4.
Effects of forskolin and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin on
evoked IPSCs. A, Traces of evoked IPSCs showing the
effect of forskolin (FK) and 1,9-dideoxyforskolin
(Dideoxy FK). Each trace is the average of 10 consecutive responses evoked at 0.1 Hz with the corresponding SD.
Current traces showing the effect of FK and dideoxy FK were derived
from different cells. B, Summary histograms representing mean ± SEM of % inhibition of the amplitude of IPSCs by dopamine (DA, 10 µM), by FK (10 µM), by DA subsequent to 10-20 min perfusion of FK
(FK+DA), and by Dideoxy FK. Values were
44.3 ± 3.4% (n = 19), 42.1 ± 6.8%
(n = 10), 2.1 ± 0.76% (n = 6), and 2.4 ± 1.5% (n = 5), respectively.
(The value for DA was derived from the concentration-response curve in
Fig. 1.) There was no significant (p > 0.33) difference in the effect produced by DA compared with FK. The
dideoxy FK-induced effect was significantly
(p < 0.002) smaller than that of DA or FK.
Application of 10 µM DA after the effect of FK had
reached a steady level (after 15-20 min) produced virtually no further
effect on the inhibitory action on the amplitude of IPSCs, and the
effect of DA in the presence of FK was significantly (p < 0.001) smaller than that of DA or FK
applied alone. C, Time course of the inhibitory effect
of FK (10 µM) on the amplitude of evoked IPSCs and
occlusion of the effect of DA (10 µM) in the continuing
presence of FK. IPSCs were evoked at 0.1 Hz, and each point represents
the mean amplitude of three consecutive responses. The holding
potential was 70 mV.
[View Larger Version of this Image (22K GIF file)]
Presynaptic mechanism of DA on inhibitory transmission
Effect of DA on miniature IPSCs
To examine directly whether the effect of DA on evoked IPSCs is
mediated by a presynaptic mechanism, its action on mIPSCs was analyzed.
MBF neurons exhibited spontaneous IPSCs in the presence of TTX (0.5 µM), so they were probably true mIPSCs. The frequency of
mIPSCs was rather low for analysis in the normal (2.5 mM
CaCl2) Krebs solution. Therefore, the baseline frequency of
mIPSCs was increased by raising the external Ca2+
concentration to 7.5 mM in the presence of 0.5 µM TTX and 5 µM CNQX, as shown in Figure
5A. The mean frequency of mIPSCs under these
conditions was 0.61 ± 0.11 Hz (n = 11). The cell
illustrated in Figure 5 had a mean mIPSC amplitude of 18.8 ± 0.52 pA (n = 190 events), as indicated in the amplitude
histogram [Fig. 5C(a)]. There was no significant
correlation between rise time (10-90%) and mIPSC amplitude [Fig.
5C(b)], suggesting genuine variability in mIPSC amplitude
rather than spatial dispersion. These mIPSCs were blocked by 10 µM bicuculline (data not shown). The mean frequency of
mIPSCs was reduced after 1 min exposure of 10 µM DA and
reached a steady level after 3 min (Fig. 5B). The amplitude
histogram [Fig. 5D(a)] shows a 57.4% reduction in the
total number of events, with no change in the mean amplitude of mIPSCs
(16.9 ± 1.12 pA; n = 81 events) compared with the
control value of 18.8 pA. The relationship between rise time and
amplitude of mIPSCs also remained unchanged during DA application
[Fig. 5D(b)]. Pooled data from six cells showed that 10 µM DA reduced the frequency of mIPSC by 64.8 ± 2.1%, with no change in mean amplitude (102.4 ± 11.5% of their
respective controls). The mean rise time and the mean decay time
constant of mIPSCs remained essentially the same during DA (10 µM) application (104.0 ± 3.9% and 106.3 ± 6.1%, respectively, of their controls). As shown in Figure
5A,B, DA (10 µM) reduced the baseline noise
level in most of the neurons tested; however, we did not investigate
this phenomenon further in the present study.
Fig. 5.
Effect of dopamine on spontaneous mIPSCs. mIPSCs
were recorded in 7.5 mM external CaCl2 Krebs
solution containing TTX (0.5 µM) and CNQX (5 µM). A, B, Consecutive traces taken in
control (A) and 3 min after application of 10 µM dopamine (B). Note that DA (10 µM) reduced the baseline noise level.
C(a), D(a), Amplitude histograms derived
from 4 min stretches (bin width, 2.0 pA) of mIPSCs in control
[C(a), 190 events] and dopamine [D(a),
81 events] sampled 3-7 min after application of dopamine.
Arrows indicate the mean amplitude of mIPSCs (18.8 pA in
control and 16.9 pA after application of dopamine). C(b),
D(b), Rise time (10-90%)/amplitude relation of mIPSCs before
[C(b)] and after application of dopamine [D(b)]. Control: mean rise time = 3.03 ± 0.11 msec; mean decay time constant = 12.66 ± 0.55 msec. Dopamine: mean rise time = 3.02 ± 0.18 msec; mean decay time constant = 14.78 ± 0.89 msec. The
holding potential was 70 mV.
[View Larger Version of this Image (21K GIF file)]
To determine the contribution of voltage-sensitive calcium channels at
GABAergic presynaptic terminals to DA-induced reduction of the
inhibitory transmission, the effect of DA on mIPSCs in the presence of
100 µM cadmium (Cd2+), a calcium channel
blocker, was studied. This concentration of Cd2+ has been
reported to block presynaptic calcium channels (Umemiya and Berger,
1995 ). The results of these experiments are expressed as amplitude
histograms and depicted in Figure 6A.
In the presence of Cd2+, the frequency of mIPSCs was
reduced without affecting their mean amplitudes, and in five cells
tested, a mean reduction to 60.7 ± 5.9% of their respective
controls was observed. This finding suggests an apparent contribution
of Cd2+-sensitive calcium influx to the spontaneous GABA
release. Even in the presence of 100 µM Cd2+
(Fig. 6C), however, application of DA (10 µM)
still reduced the frequency of mIPSCs, with a mean reduction by
52.3 ± 7.1% (n = 5), which was not significantly
(p > 0.18) different from the effect of DA in
the absence of Cd2+ (64.8 ± 2.1%; n = 6).
Fig. 6.
Effect of cadmium on mIPSCs. Amplitude histograms
derived from 4 min stretches (bin width, 2.0 pA) in control
(A, 267 events), in the presence of 100 µM
cadmium (B, 138 events), and after 10 µM
dopamine (C, 94 events) in the continuing presence of
cadmium. Arrows indicate the mean amplitudes of mIPSCs
in control, in cadmium, and in dopamine/cadmium (21.5, 20.7, and 20.5 pA, respectively). mIPSCs were recorded in 7.5 mM
CaCl2, 0.5 µM TTX, and 5 µM
CNQX at a holding potential of 70 mV.
[View Larger Version of this Image (14K GIF file)]
DISCUSSION
The main findings in the present study are that DA inhibits
GABAergic inhibitory transmission onto MBF neurons via presynaptic D1-like receptors and that DA-induced presynaptic effect is
independent of Ca2+ entry from outside and may be mediated
by a cAMP-dependent pathway.
Although the inhibition produced by DA on the frequency of mIPSCs,
without affecting their mean amplitude, strongly suggests that DA acts
presynaptically, the exact origin of the inhibitory synapses that
contribute to the mIPSC distributions remains to be established.
Previous morphological studies have demonstrated that GABAergic
terminals make synaptic contacts with neurons in the basal forebrain
region (Zaborszky et al., 1986 ; Chang et al., 1995 ) and that a large
proportion of these terminals probably arise from the nucleus accumbens
(Heimer et al., 1991 ; Zaborszky and Cullinan, 1992 ). The IPSCs recorded
in the present study may therefore be evoked by stimulating these
fibers, although some of the IPSCs might also be evoked by direct
stimulation of GABAergic neurons within basal forebrain nuclei, because
some of the GABAergic terminals onto cholinergic neurons may arise from
the local collaterals of intrinsic GABAergic neurons (Sun and Cassell,
1993 ).
The presynaptic inhibition of mIPSCs by DA remained unaffected in the
presence of Cd2+, suggesting that DA produces its
inhibitory effect on the release of GABA subsequent to calcium entry
via voltage-sensitive calcium channels. Similar calcium-independent
mechanisms to presynaptic inhibition have been observed in other brain
regions, namely the inhibition of excitatory transmission by activation
of muscarinic and metabotropic glutamate receptors in the hippocampus
(Scanziani et al., 1995 ), GABAB receptors at a cerebellar
synapse (Dittman and Regehr, 1996 ), and adenosine A1
receptors in the hippocampus (Scholz and Miller, 1992 ), as well as in
the reduction of inhibitory glycinergic transmission by the activation
of 5-HT1B receptors in the brain stem (Umemiya and Berger,
1995 ). In addition, a recent study has reported that activation of
adenosine, GABAB, or µ-opioid receptors inhibits
ionomycin, gadolinium or -latrotoxin-induced glutamate, and GABA
release in a calcium-independent pathway (Capogna et al., 1996 ).
The present pharmacological results indicate that DA reduces inhibitory
GABAergic synaptic transmission onto MBF neurons by a presynaptic
mechanism that involves the activation of DA receptors with properties
in common with D1 family, most notably from the antagonism
by R(+)-SCH 23380. Although the apparent KB
value for R(+)-SCH 23390, a D1-like antagonist, in the
present study (0.82 µM) is higher than the binding
constant for [3H]SCH 23390 to cloned D1
receptors (0.3-0.35 nM; cf. Sunahara et al., 1991 ) by
three orders of magnitude, this antagonist has also been reported to
show a 100-fold higher KB value (40 nM) against the functional (cyclase-stimulating) action of
DA than that predicted from its binding constant in broken membrane
preparations (Andersen et al., 1985 ). In addition, 1-100
µM of this antagonist was required to antagonize DA- or
D1-like agonist-induced effect in previous
electrophysiological studies using rat brain slices as well as cultured
neurons, while still preserving selectivity over D2-like
antagonists (Pennartz et al., 1992 ; Schiffmann et al., 1995 ; Harvey and
Lacey, 1996 ; Nicola et al., 1996 ). Furthermore, another
electrophysiological study using Helix has reported an estimated pA2 value for SCH 23390 of 6.1 (Holden-Dye and
Walker, 1989 ) at pharmacologically characterized D1-like
receptors, which is comparable with our estimated pKB
value. This requirement for higher concentrations in functional studies
than those predicted by radioligand binding assays, coupled with the
lesser effect of D2-like agonist and antagonist, indicates
that the effect of R(+)-SCH 23390 in the present study can be
attributed to a block of D1-like receptors rather than to
any cross-reactivity with D2-like receptors.
In our studies using agonists, however, namely R( )-TNPA or
( )-quinpirole, these D2-like agonists had little or no
effect on the amplitude of IPSCs. In contrast, the use of
S( )-eticlopride, a D2-like antagonist, induced a small
antagonism on the concentration-response curve to DA. Because
S( )-eticlopride did not display any apparent antagonism to
DA-mediated inhibition of excitatory transmission within these nuclei
(Momiyama et al., 1996 ), the present finding seemed to suggest that a
possible (but to a lesser extent) contribution of D2-like
receptors to the depression of evoked IPSCs cannot be excluded
completely. In the present study, however, simultaneous application of
both D1-like and D2-like agonists showed no
different effect from that induced by D1-like agonist
alone, indicating no apparent interaction between D1-like
and D2-like receptors.
One interesting finding of the present study is the observation that
the application of forskolin reduced the amplitude of the evoked IPSCs
by itself. This action of forskolin occluded the inhibitory effect of
DA on IPSCs, because DA applied in the presence of forskolin evoked no
further reduction in the amplitude of evoked IPSCs. Because forskolin
stimulates adenylate cyclase and increases [cAMP]i
levels, and D1-like receptors have been classified as those
positively coupled to adenylate cyclase activity (Kebabian and Calne,
1979 ), these results provide further support for the role of
D1-like receptors for the inhibition of GABAergic inhibitory transmission. The present finding that forskolin inhibits IPSCs in MBF neurons, however, contrasts with previous studies at other
synapses where forskolin has been reported to enhance inhibitory
synaptic transmission (Llano and Gerschenfeld, 1993 ; Capogna et al.,
1995 ). One possible explanation for this opposing action of forskolin
may be explained by differences in presynaptic mechanisms in different
brain regions under study, but additional studies are necessary to
clarify the precise mechanisms.
Although D1-like receptor-mediated facilitation of GABA
release has been reported in putative DA-containing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (Cameron and Williams, 1993 ), the present finding that D1-like receptors are involved in mediating
inhibition of the release of GABA to increase cellular excitability
within basal forebrain nuclei correlates well with data of a previous report that DA attenuated the inhibitory action of iontophoretic application of GABA (Bergstrom and Walters, 1984 ). On the other hand,
presynaptic D1-like receptors have also been reported to be
involved in the inhibition of excitatory transmission in these basal
forebrain neurons (Momiyama et al., 1995a ; 1996 ) as well as in nucleus
accumbens (Pennartz et al., 1992 ; Harvey and Lacey, 1996 ; Nicola et
al., 1996 ). The role of D1-like receptors in modulating both excitatory and inhibitory inputs onto magnocellular neurones suggests that DA has a role in regulating the balance between excitation and inhibition within basal forebrain nuclei. Indeed, such
dual actions of DA is reflected in the findings of a previous electrophysiological study using anesthetized rats (Napier and Maslowski-Cobuzzi, 1994) in which neuronal activity in the ventral pallidum can be variably inhibited or excited by iontophoretic application of DA.
In conclusion, the results of the present study strongly suggest that
DA projections to basal forebrain nuclei play an important role in
controlling the activity of inhibitory transmission onto cholinergic
basal forebrain neurons to increase cellular excitability. Coupled with
our previous findings on excitatory transmission (Momiyama et al.,
1996 ), however, the action of DA is neither an "excitatory" nor an
"inhibitory" transmitter in basal forebrain nuclei. Indeed, the
dopaminergic inputs terminating onto magnocellular neurons seemed to
play more of a role in controlling the balance between excitatory and
inhibitory synaptic circuitry of these cortically projecting nuclei.
From a pathophysiological point of view, the present findings also
raise the possibility that dopaminergic systems might also be involved
in some of the defects in cognition and memory in various
neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease or senile
dementia, as well as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, or drug
abuse.
FOOTNOTES
Received July 8, 1996; revised Sept. 10, 1996; accepted Sept. 16, 1996.
This work was supported by grants from The Wellcome Trust (T.M.) and
the Medical Research Council (J.A.S). We are grateful to Professor D. A. Brown (University College London) for his helpful discussion. We are
also grateful to Dr. Stephen F. Traynelis (Emory University) for the
software to analyze miniature IPSCs.
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Toshihiko Momiyama at his
present address: Department of Physiology, Nagasaki University School
of Medicine, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852, Japan.
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