Evidence for enhanced synaptic excitation in transplanted neostriatal neurons

Fetal neostriatal tissue was transplanted into either the neostriatum or substantia nigra of adult rats. One to 6 months after transplantation, coronal brain slices were taken through the rostrocaudal extent of the transplants and neurons were characterized electrophysiologically using an in vitro slice preparation. When compared to control neurons taken from intact adult neostriata, transplanted neostriatal neurons (TSNs) had higher input resistances and longer time constants. All other passive and active membrane properties assessed were comparable between transplanted and control neostriatal neurons. Regardless of the transplantation site, local extracellular stimulation outside the graft elicited high-amplitude, long-duration depolarizing synaptic potentials that typically triggered bursts of action potentials. These synaptic potentials contrast with lower amplitude, shorter duration synaptic potentials consistently elicited in control neostriatal neurons. The depolarizing synaptic potentials evoked in the TSNs appeared to be mediated by a combined activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA excitatory amino acid receptors. Both the broad-spectrum excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid and the specific non-NMDA receptor antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione significantly reduced postsynaptic potentials elicited in TSNs. The specific NMDA antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate had less effect on the amplitude but markedly reduced the duration of the synaptic potentials. The duration and amplitude of the bursts were augmented by the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide, indicating that inhibition occurred in TSNs. TSNs were also more sensitive than control neurons to direct application of glutamate or NMDA. These findings demonstrate that TSNs express altered electrophysiological properties. The pharmacological analysis indicates that depolarizing postsynaptic potentials were mediated by activation of excitatory amino acid receptors, suggesting either innervation of the graft by host fibers which contain excitatory amino acids or development of novel local excitatory interactions intrinsic to the graft. Furthermore, the occurrence of high-amplitude, long-duration depolarizing synaptic potentials in TSNs, regardless of the site of transplantation, suggests that grafted neostriatal neurons become hyperexcitable to synaptic input.