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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Generation of Local CA1 γ Oscillations by Tetanic Stimulation
Published on: August 14, 2015
Activation of extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors inhibits cyclothiazide-induced epileptiform activity in hippocampal CA1
1Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Abstract:
Extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs)-mediated tonic inhibition is reported to involve in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. In this study, we used cyclothiazide (CTZ)-induced in vitro brain slice seizure model to explore the effect of selective activation of extrasynaptic GABA(A)Rs by 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c] pyridine-3-ol (THIP) on the CTZ-induced epileptiform activity in hippocampal neurons. Perfusion with CTZ dose-dependently induced multiple epileptiform peaks of evoked population spikes (PSs) in CA1 pyramidal neurons, and treatment with THIP (5 μmol/L) significantly reduced the multiple PS peaks induced by CTZ stimulation. Western blot showed that the δ-subunit of the GABA(A)R, an extrasynaptic specific GABA(A)R subunit, was also significantly down-regulated in the cell membrane 2 h after CTZ treatment. Our results suggest that the CTZ-induced epileptiform activity in hippocampal CA1 neurons is suppressed by the activation of extrasynaptic GABA(A)Rs, and further support the hypothesis that tonic inhibition mediated by extrasynaptic GABA(A)Rs plays a prominent role in seizure generation.
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