Transcallosal circuitry revealed by blocking and disinhibiting callosal input in the cat

The purpose of this study was to obtain quantitative measures of the influence of callosal input to cells at the area 17/18 border region where transcallosal axons terminate most densely. Single-cell recordings were performed at the area 17/18 border region of the right hemisphere, while gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or its antagonist, bicuculline, were applied to the transcallosal projecting regions of the left hemisphere to either block or overactivate the cells which projected to the neurons at the recording site. The results showed that visually evoked responses of the cells at the area 17/18 border were affected by administration of GABA or bicuculline to the contralateral hemisphere. Blockade of transcallosal input by application of GABA in the left hemisphere diminished the visually evoked responses of 51% of the neurons in the right hemisphere, and led to an increase in response magnitude for 17% of the neurons. Disinhibition of transcallosal input by application of bicuculline increased the evoked activity of 40% of the neurons and diminished the response magnitude of 20% of the neurons in the right hemisphere. GABA and bicuculline failed to show antagonistic effects on some cells. Thirty-two percent of the cells were affected by only one type of drug administration, and 13% of the cells showed either an increase or a decrease in responses after both GABA and then bicuculline administration. This study demonstrated complex interactions between neurons connected by the transcallosal pathway. A model of the transcallosal circuitry was proposed to explain the results.