N-methyl-D-aspartate induces recurrent synchronized burst activity in immature hippocampal CA3 neurones in vitro

Slices of hippocampus prepared from rats aged 1-10 days have been used to examine the chemosensitivity of CA3 pyramidal neurones to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Superfusion of NMDA excited all neurones tested at all ages including the first day postnatal. In the majority of neurones this excitation was associated with the induction of a period of burst firing which disappeared on removal of NMDA. These bursts took the form of paroxysmal depolarizing shifts (PDSs) with a large amplitude depolarization and a high frequency discharge of spikes. The amplitude but not the frequency of occurrence of the PDSs was influenced by changes in the membrane potential and they could be abolished by either a high divalent cation medium or tetrodotoxin. Their occurrence was synchronous with an extracellularly recorded discharge. The NMDA induced excitation and the induction of the PDSs was attenuated by selective NMDA receptor antagonists D-aminophosphonovalerate (10-50 microM) and D,L-aminophosphonoheptanoate (20-30 microM). The results indicate that chemosensitivity to NMDA develops prenatally and that activation of NMDA receptors can in immature CA3 pyramidals induce recurrent synchronized burst activity.