The effect of urethane anesthesia on evoked potentials in dentate gyrus

We examined the effect of urethane (1000 mg/kg, followed by 50 mg/kg per h, i.v.), an anesthetic commonly used by physiologists, on evoked potentials recorded in dentate gyrus in adult Wistar rats by stimulating the ipsilateral perforant path, via chronically implanted electrodes. Urethane decreased paired-pulse inhibition. Under urethane, with paired-pulse stimulation, the ratio of the second population spike amplitude to the first increased by 11.1-20.7% at 25-60 ms interstimulus interval (n = 18, P < 0.05). At 25 ms, the proportion was 3.6 +/- 1.6 while awake, and 14.7 +/- 3.5 under urethane. Urethane depressed granule cell excitability and strength of synaptic responses. Under urethane, the ratio of the population spike amplitude obtained at 250 microA stimulation to the maximal response in the same input/output response examination decreased by 20%, and the ratio of the excitatory postsynaptic response slopes fell by 10%. These results indicate that urethane affects neurotransmission in the hippocampus, and suggest that its effect may be exerted in part on excitatory neurotransmission.