Muscarinic receptor activity induces an afterdepolarization in a subpopulation of hippocampal CA1 interneurons

Cholinergic input to the hippocampus may be involved in important behavioral functions and the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Muscarinic receptor activity in interneurons of the hippocampus may play a role in these actions. In this study, we investigated the effects of muscarinic receptor activity on the excitability of different subtypes of interneurons in rat hippocampal CA1. Most interneurons displayed an afterhyperpolarizing potential (AHP) after depolarization by injected current or synaptic stimulation. In the presence of a muscarinic agonist, the AHP of a subset of these interneurons was replaced by an afterdepolarization (ADP), often of sufficient magnitude to evoke action potentials in the absence of further stimulation. The ADP was insensitive to cadmium and low extracellular calcium. It was blocked by low extracellular sodium but not by tetrodotoxin or low concentrations of amiloride. Muscarinic ADPs were sometimes observed in isolation but were often accompanied by depolarizing, hyperpolarizing, or biphasic changes in the membrane potential. Interneurons with muscarinic ADPs were found in all strata of CA1 and did not fall into a single morphological classification. The potential functions of the prolonged action potential output of interneurons produced by the ADP could include changes in hippocampal circuit properties and facilitation of the release of peptide cotransmitters in these interneurons.