Circuit reorganization in granuloprival cerebellar cultures in the absence of neuronal activity

Neonatal mouse cerebellar cultures exposed to cytosine arabinoside for the first 5 days in vitro to destroy granule cells and compromise glia undergo a circuit reorganization featured by profuse sprouting of Purkinje cell recurrent axon collaterals, which hyperinnervate the somata of other Purkinje cells and project to Purkinje cell dendritic spines. Such granuloprival cultures were exposed continuously from explanation to tetrodotoxin and elevated levels of magnesium to block neuronal activity. A similar circuit reorganization occurred, except that there was a reduction in the number of axospinous synapses and Purkinje cell axosomatic synapses, which in this case were all inhibitory. Functionally, after recovery from the blockade, granuloprival cultures developed sustained cortical hyperactivity, which was consistent with the reduction of inhibitory synapses. While the absence of neuronal activity did not prevent reorganizational changes following granule cell loss, the full development of the inhibitory circuitry was not attained. These results further support the concept that spontaneous neuronal activity is necessary for the complete development of inhibitory synapses.