JN Ad Instruments
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Neurophysiol 81: 954-958, 1999;
0022-3077/99 $5.00
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lo, F.-S.
Right arrow Articles by Mize, R. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lo, F.-S.
Right arrow Articles by Mize, R. R.

The Journal of Neurophysiology Vol. 81 No. 2 February 1999, pp. 954-958
Copyright ©1999 by the American Physiological Society

RAPID COMMUNICATION

Retinal Input Induces Three Firing Patterns in Neurons of the Superficial Superior Colliculus of Neonatal Rats

Fu-Sun Lo1 and R. Ranney Mize1,2

 1Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and  2Department of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University, Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112

Retinal input induces three firing patterns in neurons of the superficial superior colliculus of neonatal rats. By using an in vitro isolated brain stem preparation, we recorded extracellular responses to electrical stimulation of the optic tract (OT) from 71 neurons in the superficial superior colliculus (SC) of neonatal rats (P1-13). At postnatal day 1 (P1), all tested neurons (n = 10) already received excitatory input from the retina. Sixty-nine (97%) superficial SC neurons of neonatal rats showed three response patterns to OT stimulation, which depended on stimulus intensity. A weak stimulus evoked only one spike that was caused by activation of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors. A moderate stimulus elicited a short train (<250 ms) of spikes, which was induced by activation of both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors. A strong stimulus gave rise to a long train (>300 ms) of spikes, which was associated with additional activation of L-type high-threshold calcium channels. The long train firing pattern could also be induced either by temporal summation of retinal inputs or by blocking gamma -aminobutyric acid-A receptors. Because retinal ganglion cells show synchronous bursting activity before eye opening at P14, the retinotectal inputs appear to be sufficient to activate L-type calcium channels in the absence of pattern vision. Therefore activation of L-type calcium channels is likely to be an important source for calcium influx into SC neurons in neonatal rats.

0022-3077/99 $5.00 Copyright © 1999 The American Physiological Society



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Physiol.Home page
S. A. Neale and T. E. Salt
Modulation of GABAergic inhibition in the rat superior colliculus by a presynaptic group II metabotropic glutamate receptor
J. Physiol., December 1, 2006; 577(2): 659 - 669.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurophysiol.Home page
C. Henneberger, R. Juttner, T. Rothe, and R. Grantyn
Postsynaptic Action of BDNF on GABAergic Synaptic Transmission in the Superficial Layers of the Mouse Superior Colliculus
J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2002; 88(2): 595 - 603.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurophysiol.Home page
F.-S. Lo and R. S. Erzurumlu
L-Type Calcium Channel-Mediated Plateau Potentials in Barrelette Cells During Structural Plasticity
J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2002; 88(2): 794 - 801.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Neurosci.Home page
F.-S. Lo and R. R. Mize
Synaptic Regulation of L-Type Ca2+ Channel Activity and Long-Term Depression during Refinement of the Retinocollicular Pathway in Developing Rodent Superior Colliculus
J. Neurosci., February 1, 2000; 20(3): RC58 - RC58.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Visit Other APS Journals Online