Ontogenesis of the depressant activity of carbachol on synaptic activity in rat visual cortex

We studied the ontogeny of muscarinic depression in the developing rat visual cortex using carbachol (a nonhydrolyzable cholinergic agonist) application to neocortical slices obtained from four postnatal age groups: 9-10 days, 15 days, 30-40 days and 18 months. Carbachol suppressed the evoked synaptic response of layers II-III to stimulation of layer II-III afferents. Atropine eliminated the carbachol effect, suggesting that it is mediated by muscarinic receptors. The results indicate a significant increase in muscarinic efficacy in the developing rat visual cortex.