Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated transmission in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus plays an important role in functions such as sex steroid hormone dynamics and control of body temperature. The action of allopregnanolone, the primary metabolite of progesterone, on GABAergic transmission was investigated by employing patch clamp whole cell recording on acutely dissociated rat MPOA neurons with the functional connection of presynaptic terminals. Allopregnanolone enhanced spontaneous GABA release on the MPOA neurons and induced prolonged decay of miniature GABAergic-inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). The facilitation of GABA release from the presynaptic terminals by allopregnanolone disappeared in Ca2+-free extracellular solution. The presynaptic action of this neurosteroid was also blocked by bumetanide, a blocker of cation-Cl- cotransporters, and by removal of extracellular Na+. The results suggest that allopregnanolone enhances GABAergic transmission at the MPOA neurons by pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. The enhancement of GABA release by allopregnanolone might require a high Cl- concentration in the presynaptic terminal maintained by Na+-dependent, bumetanide-sensitive mechanisms (e.g., Na+-K+-Cl- cotransporter) and might be mediated by Ca2+ influx into presynaptic terminal.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00049.2002 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
MicroRNA-502-3p (MiR-502-3p), a synapse enriched miRNA is considerably implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our previous study found the high expression level of miR-502-3p in AD synapses relative to controls. Further, miR-502-3p was found to modulate the GABAergic synapse function via modulating the GABA A receptor subunit α-1 (GABRA1) protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlpha6-containing GABA receptors - Novel targets for the treatment of schizophrenia.
Pharmacol Res
January 2025
Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address:
α6-containing GABA receptors (α6GABARs) are strongly expressed in cerebellar granule cells and are of central importance for cerebellar functions. The cerebellum not only is involved in regulation of motor activity, but also in regulation of thought, cognition, emotion, language, and social behavior. Activation of α6GABARs enhances the precision of sensory inputs, enables rapid and coordinated movement and adequate responses to the environment, and protects the brain from information overflow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvolutionary origins of synchronization for integrating information in neurons.
Front Cell Neurosci
January 2025
The Research Center for Brain Function and Medical Engineering, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Japan.
The evolution of brain-expressed genes is notably slower than that of genes expressed in other tissues, a phenomenon likely due to high-level functional constraints. One such constraint might be the integration of information by neuron assemblies, enhancing environmental adaptability. This study explores the physiological mechanisms of information integration in neurons through three types of synchronization: chemical, electromagnetic, and quantum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAge- and cytokine-dependent modulation of GABAergic transmission within the basolateral amygdala of male Sprague Dawley rats.
Neuropharmacology
January 2025
Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA. Electronic address:
Alcohol binge drinking has a multitude of effects on CNS function, including changes in inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1β that may contribute to mood fluctuations associated with the intoxication-withdrawal cycle. Widely throughout the brain, including the amygdala, IL-6 mRNA is enhanced during intoxication, whereas IL-1β is initially suppressed during alcohol intoxication, with increased expression seen shortly after ethanol clearance, during acute hangover. Furthermore, induction of neuroimmune genes appears to be muted during adolescence in the amygdala, suggesting a broader functional immaturity of the adolescent neuroimmune system in structures involved in negative affect associated with ethanol exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHow spinal GABAergic circuits modulate cerebral processing of postsurgical pain.
Pharmacol Res
January 2025
Post-surgical pain affects millions each year, hindering recovery and quality of life. Surgical procedures cause tissue damage and inflammation, leading to peripheral and central sensitization, resulting in pain at rest or hyperalgesia to mechanical stimuli, among others. In a rat model for post-surgical pain, spinal GABAergic transmission via GABA receptors reduces mechanical hypersensitivity but has no effect on pain at rest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!