In vivo blockade of neural activity alters dendritic development of neonatal CA1 pyramidal cells

During development, neural activity has been proposed to promote neuronal growth. During the first postnatal week, the hippocampus is characterized by an oscillating neural network activity and a rapid neuronal growth. In the present study we tested in vivo, by injecting tetanus toxin into the hippocampus of P1 rats, whether this neural activity indeed promotes growth of pyramidal cells. We have previously shown that tetanus toxin injection leads to a strong reduction in the frequency of spontaneous GABA and glutamatergic synaptic currents, and to a complete blockade of the early neural network activity during the first postnatal week. Morphology of neurobiotin-filled CA1 pyramidal cells was analyzed at the end of the first postnatal week (P6-10). In activity-reduced neurons, the total length of basal dendritic tree was three times less than control. The number, but not the length, of basal dendritic branches was affected. The growth impairment was restricted to the basal dendrites. The apical dendrite, the axons, or the soma grew normally during activity deprivation. Thus, the in vivo neural activity in the neonate hippocampus seems to promote neuronal growth by initiating novel branches.