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Simultaneous Electrophysiological Recording and Calcium Imaging of Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons
Published on: December 8, 2013
Persistent calcium current in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Anatomy and Neurobiology Section, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Neuroscience
|January 18, 2006
Summary
The suprachiasmatic nuclei
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
Background:
- The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) house the brain's master circadian clock.
- SCN neurons display daily fluctuations in their firing rate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of voltage-gated persistent Ca(2+) current in SCN neuron activity.
- To determine the contribution of this current to spontaneous action potential generation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ramp-type voltage-clamp protocols on acutely isolated rat SCN neurons.
- Employed on-cell recording to assess firing rates in isolated and slice preparations.
- Applied cadmium ions (Cd(2+)) and nifedipine to block Ca(2+) currents.
Main Results:
- A persistent Ca(2+) current was identified in SCN neurons, activated between -60 and -45 mV.
- Cd(2+) and nifedipine had minimal effects on isolated SCN neuron firing rates.
- Cd(2+) inhibited firing in intact SCN neurons, with a transient increase in high-frequency cells, while nifedipine had no significant effect.
Conclusions:
- Persistent Ca(2+) current does not appear to be a major contributor to the spontaneous firing of SCN neurons.
- Cd(2+) effects in intact SCN neurons may involve intracellular mechanisms or modulation of Ca(2+)-activated K(+) currents.
