Responses in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus to a noxious stimulus

We report here some physiological and pharmacological characteristics of noxious stimuli-induced changes in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell synaptic excitability to field CA3 stimulation. A noxious heat stimulus applied to the left hind paw (LHP) produced a persistent depression of the CA1 population spike (PS) which habituated to a repetition of the stimulus. Interestingly, exposure of the tail to a noxious stimulus following habituation of the LHP produced a depression of the CA1 PS. This finding suggested that persistent depression and habituation are topographically represented. In separate experiments we determined that while the persistent depression of the CA1 population spike was accompanied by, in most cases, a prolonged increase in the amplitude of the CA1 antidromic field potential, there was a concurrent persistent depression and habituation of the CA1 PS and the corresponding apical dendritic field excitatory postsynaptic potential (dfEPSP). This suggested that noxious stimulus-induced CA1 synaptic depression is mediated at the apical dendritic region, perhaps postsynaptically at the dendrites and/or presynaptically on CA3 afferent terminals. Furthermore, atropine sulfate (40 mg/kg ip), which prevented the depression of the CA1 PS, also blocked the depression of dfEPSP when iontophoresed at the apical dendritic recording site. In addition atropine antagonized the depression of the dfEPSP produced by iontophoretic acetylcholine (Ach) but not gamma-aminobutyric acid. However, iontophoretic atropine at the cell body recording site did not prevent the depression of the CA1 PS. These results are consistent with the notion that Ach release in the apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells following a noxious stimulus depresses CA1 synaptic excitability.