Research article summary (published 14 Jul 2003):

Muscarine-induced increase in frequency of spontaneous EPSCs in Purkinje cells in the vestibulo-cerebellum of the rat.

Full Abstract

Cholinergic projections are relatively sparse in the cerebellum compared with other parts of the brain. However, some mossy fibers in the vestibulo-cerebellum are known to be cholinergic. To clarify the functional roles of cholinergic mossy fibers in the vestibulo-cerebellum, we investigated the effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on the membrane electrical properties of both granule cells and Purkinje cells in slices of the cerebellar vermis of the rat using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. The bath application of ACh induced a marked increase in the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) in Purkinje cells specifically in the vestibulo-cerebellum. This effect of ACh was mimicked by muscarine but not by nicotine. It was abolished by application of either tetrodotoxin or the antagonist of AMPA receptors, indicating that the ACh-induced enhancement of sEPSCs occurred indirectly via the activation of neurons sending glutamatergic projections to Purkinje cells. In approximately 15% of granule cells tested in the vestibulo-cerebellum, muscarine elicited membrane depolarization accompanied by a decrease in membrane conductance and increased the neuronal excitability. The muscarine-induced depolarization of granule cells in the vestibulo-cerebellum was attributable to the inhibition of standing-outward K+ currents (IKSO) most likely via the activation of muscarinic M3 receptors. Taken together, these results indicate that ACh increases the firing frequency of granule cells by inhibiting IKSO, which in turn increases the frequency of sEPSCs in Purkinje cells in the rat vestibulo-cerebellum.

Author information

Author/s: Takayasu, Yukihiro (Y); Iino, Masae (M); Furuya, Nobuhiko (N); Ozawa, Seiji (S);

Affiliation: Department of Physiology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: In Vitro; Journal Article

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Jul; vol 23 (issue 15) : pp 6200-8

Dates: Created 2003/07/17; Completed 2003/08/13; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12867503, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Acetylcholine - pharmacology Animals Cerebellum - cytology; drug effects; physiology Cholinergic Agents - pharmacology Cholinergic Fibers - drug effects; physiology Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials - drug effects; physiology Female Male Muscarine - pharmacology Muscarinic Agonists - pharmacology

Nerve Fibers - drug effects; physiology Neurons - cytology; drug effects; physiology Nicotinic Agonists - pharmacology Patch-Clamp Techniques Potassium - metabolism Purkinje Cells - cytology; drug effects; physiology Rats Rats, Wistar Receptor, Muscarinic M3 Receptors, Muscarinic - drug effects; metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Cholinergic Agents (0) ; Muscarinic Agonists (0) ; Nicotinic Agonists (0) ; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 (0) ; Receptors, Muscarinic (0) ; Muscarine (300-54-9) ; Acetylcholine (51-84-3) ; Potassium (7440-09-7)

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