[HTML][HTML] Insertion of Calcium-Permeable AMPA Receptors during Epileptiform Activity In Vitro Modulates Excitability of Principal Neurons in the Rat Entorhinal Cortex

DV Amakhin, EB Soboleva, AV Chizhov… - International Journal of …, 2021 - mdpi.com
DV Amakhin, EB Soboleva, AV Chizhov, AV Zaitsev
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021mdpi.com
Epileptic activity leads to rapid insertion of calcium-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-
4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (CP-AMPARs) into the synapses of cortical and
hippocampal glutamatergic neurons, which generally do not express them. The
physiological significance of this process is not yet fully understood; however, it is usually
assumed to be a pathological process that augments epileptic activity. Using whole-cell
patch-clamp recordings in rat entorhinal cortex slices, we demonstrate that the timing of …
Epileptic activity leads to rapid insertion of calcium-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (CP-AMPARs) into the synapses of cortical and hippocampal glutamatergic neurons, which generally do not express them. The physiological significance of this process is not yet fully understood; however, it is usually assumed to be a pathological process that augments epileptic activity. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in rat entorhinal cortex slices, we demonstrate that the timing of epileptiform discharges, induced by 4-aminopyridine and gabazine, is determined by the shunting effect of Ca2+-dependent slow conductance, mediated predominantly by K+-channels. The blockade of CP-AMPARs by IEM-1460 eliminates this extra conductance and consequently increases the rate of discharge generation. The blockade of NMDARs reduced the additional conductance to a lesser extent than the blockade of CP-AMPARs, indicating that CP-AMPARs are a more significant source of intracellular Ca2+. The study’s main findings were implemented in a mathematical model, which reproduces the shunting effect of activity-dependent conductance on the generation of discharges. The obtained results suggest that the expression of CP-AMPARs in principal neurons reduces the discharge generation rate and may be considered as a protective mechanism.
MDPI