Biomaterial Database

Functional innervation of cultured hippocampal neurones by cholinergic afferents from co-cultured septal explants. 1985

B H Gahwiler, and D A Brown

The rat hippocampus receives a strong cholinergic innervation from the medial septum; information about the development and function of this pathway could help to elucidate the mechanisms of memory functions. Previous electrophysiological studies have shown that septal stimulation in vivo facilitates commissural and perforant path inputs and that stimulation of intrahippocampal cholinergic fibres in vitro produces a slow depolarization of rat hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurones and increases their excitability. We describe here a different approach to the investigation of this system, by co-culturing slices of young rat hippocampus and septum, then recording the effects of septal nucleus stimulation on single voltage-clamped hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurones. Under these conditions acetylcholinesterase-staining (presumed cholinergic) fibres grow out from the septum into the hippocampus. Single septal stimuli produce a short-latency non-cholinergic fast excitatory postsynaptic current, whereas trains of stimuli produce a slow inward current augmented by neostigmine and suppressed by atropine; hence this has a cholinergic origin. Our experiments provide both the first demonstration that functional synapses can be established between explanted cholinergic and cholinoceptive neuronal systems from the mammalian brain in organotypic culture and the first description of cholinergic slow excitatory postsynaptic currents in the mammalian central nervous system.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008564	Membrane Potentials	The voltage differences across a membrane. For cellular membranes they are computed by subtracting the voltage measured outside the membrane from the voltage measured inside the membrane. They result from differences of inside versus outside concentration of potassium, sodium, chloride, and other ions across cells' or ORGANELLES membranes. For excitable cells, the resting membrane potentials range between -30 and -100 millivolts. Physical, chemical, or electrical stimuli can make a membrane potential more negative (hyperpolarization), or less negative (depolarization).	Resting Potentials,Transmembrane Potentials,Delta Psi,Resting Membrane Potential,Transmembrane Electrical Potential Difference,Transmembrane Potential Difference,Difference, Transmembrane Potential,Differences, Transmembrane Potential,Membrane Potential,Membrane Potential, Resting,Membrane Potentials, Resting,Potential Difference, Transmembrane,Potential Differences, Transmembrane,Potential, Membrane,Potential, Resting,Potential, Transmembrane,Potentials, Membrane,Potentials, Resting,Potentials, Transmembrane,Resting Membrane Potentials,Resting Potential,Transmembrane Potential,Transmembrane Potential Differences
D009388	Neostigmine	A cholinesterase inhibitor used in the treatment of myasthenia gravis and to reverse the effects of muscle relaxants such as gallamine and tubocurarine. Neostigmine, unlike PHYSOSTIGMINE, does not cross the blood-brain barrier.	Synstigmin,Neostigmine Bromide,Neostigmine Methylsulfate,Polstigmine,Proserine,Prostigmin,Prostigmine,Prozerin,Syntostigmine,Bromide, Neostigmine,Methylsulfate, Neostigmine
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D002799	Cholinergic Fibers	Nerve fibers liberating acetylcholine at the synapse after an impulse.	Cholinergic Fiber,Fiber, Cholinergic,Fibers, Cholinergic
D004558	Electric Stimulation	Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses.	Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D006624	Hippocampus	A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation.	Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001285	Atropine	An alkaloid, originally from Atropa belladonna, but found in other plants, mainly SOLANACEAE. Hyoscyamine is the 3(S)-endo isomer of atropine.	AtroPen,Atropin Augenöl,Atropine Sulfate,Atropine Sulfate Anhydrous,Atropinol,Anhydrous, Atropine Sulfate,Augenöl, Atropin,Sulfate Anhydrous, Atropine,Sulfate, Atropine
D012688	Septum Pellucidum	A triangular double membrane separating the anterior horns of the LATERAL VENTRICLES of the brain. It is situated in the median plane and bounded by the CORPUS CALLOSUM and the body and columns of the FORNIX (BRAIN).	Septum Lucidum,Septum Pelusidum,Supracommissural Septum,Lucidum, Septum,Lucidums, Septum,Pellucidum, Septum,Pelusidum, Septum,Pelusidums, Septum,Septum Lucidums,Septum Pelusidums,Septum, Supracommissural,Septums, Supracommissural,Supracommissural Septums
D013569	Synapses	Specialized junctions at which a neuron communicates with a target cell. At classical synapses, a neuron's presynaptic terminal releases a chemical transmitter stored in synaptic vesicles which diffuses across a narrow synaptic cleft and activates receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the target cell. The target may be a dendrite, cell body, or axon of another neuron, or a specialized region of a muscle or secretory cell. Neurons may also communicate via direct electrical coupling with ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Several other non-synaptic chemical or electric signal transmitting processes occur via extracellular mediated interactions.	Synapse