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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 1, 1998, 18(1):294-306
Blockade and Recovery of Spontaneous Rhythmic Activity after
Application of Neurotransmitter Antagonists to Spinal Networks of the
Chick Embryo
Nikolai
Chub and
Michael J.
O'Donovan
Section on Developmental Neurobiology, Laboratory of Neural
Control, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
We studied the regulation of spontaneous activity in the embryonic
(day 10-11) chick spinal cord. After bath application of either an excitatory amino acid (AP-5 or CNQX) and a
nicotinic cholinergic (DH E or mecamylamine) antagonist,
or glycine and GABA receptor (bicuculline,
2-hydroxysaclofen, and strychnine) antagonists, spontaneous activity
was blocked for a period (30-90 min) but then reappeared in the
presence of the drugs. The efficacy of the antagonists was assessed by
their continued ability to block spinal reflex pathways during the
reappearance of spontaneous activity. Spontaneous activity ceased over
the 4-5 hour monitoring period when both sets of antagonists were
applied together.
After application of glycine and GABA receptor antagonists, the
frequency of occurrence of spontaneous episodes slowed and became
highly variable. By contrast, during glutamatergic and nicotinic
cholinergic blockade, the frequency of occurrence of spontaneous
episodes initially slowed and then recovered to stabilize near the
predrug level of activity. Whole-cell recordings made from ventral
spinal neurons revealed that this recovery was accompanied by an
increase in the amplitude of spontaneously occurring synaptic events.
We also measured changes in the apparent equilibrium potential of the
rhythmic, synaptic drive of ventral spinal neurons using voltage or
discontinuous current clamp. After excitatory blockade, the apparent
equilibrium potential of the rhythmic synaptic drive shifted ~10 mV
more negative to approximately  30 mV. In the presence of bicuculline,
the apparent equilibrium potential of the synaptic drive shifted toward
the glutamate equilibrium potential.
Considered with other evidence, these findings suggest that spontaneous
rhythmic output is a general property of developing spinal networks,
and that GABA and glycinergic networks alter their function to
compensate for the blockade of excitatory transmission.
Key words:
spinal plasticity; rhythmicity; embryonic networks; development; motoneurons; spontaneous neural activity
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/181294-13$05.00/0
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