Synaptic parameters in developing rat cerebral cortex: comparison of anaesthetized and unanaesthetized states

The ultrastructure of synapses from the molecular layer of parietal cortex was examined in male rats aged between 7 and 75 days. Two groups were compared, one group consisting of rats anaesthetized with 50 mg/kg pentobarbitone and the other consisting of those killed by stunning across the back of the neck. Various synaptic parameters were analyzed. In the anaesthetized material, the sectioned area of the pre-synaptic terminals decreases between 7 and 75 days, as does the number of terminals containing intraterminal profiles other than synaptic vesicles. Mean synaptic vesicle number per terminal increases, while the remaining parameters fluctuate over the developmental period. Comparing these data with those from the unanaesthetized material, the only parameters showing similar trends are the pre-synaptic terminal area, the mean vesicle number per terminal, and the length of the postsynaptic thickening. The remaining parameters are comparable up to 15 or 21 days postnatally, after which they diverge. The percentage of terminals containing intraterminal profiles, the terminal perimeter and the mean vesicle density in the unanaesthetized terminals all show increased values. The form factor indicates these terminals are more ellipsoidal by 75 days, while the mean synaptic curvature is more positive by 75 days. It is concluded that the synaptic organization of the early terminals differs from that of the older ones, and this may be related to different mechanisms of transmitter storage and release.