Electrophysiological characterization of 5-hydroxytryptamine2 receptors in the rat medial prefrontal cortex.

The aim of the present study was to characterize 5-hydroxytryptamine2 (5-HT2) receptors in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFc) by single cell recording and microiontophoretic techniques. This was accomplished using 5-HT2 receptor agonists 1-[2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl]-2-aminopropane [(+/-)-DOI] and 1-[2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromophenyl]-2-aminopropane [(+/-)-DOB]. DOI ejected at a low current (0.5 nA) potentiates glutamate (GLU)-induced activation of mPFc neurons and this effect is blocked by spiperone. At higher currents. DOI invariably inhibits GLU-induced neuronal activity. The microiontophoretic ejection of both DOI and DOB predominantly inhibits spontaneously active mPFc cells. The inhibitory action of DOI on spontaneously active cells is dose-dependent and is blocked by putative 5-HT2 receptor antagonists, with a rank order of potency as follows: ritanserin greater than metergoline approximately LY-53857 greater than spiperone greater than mesulergine greater than mianserin approximately ketanserin. Interestingly, ketanserin and mianserin only weakly block the effect of DOI. The suppressant action of DOI is probably not related to its interaction with 5-HT10 sites as spiperone, which has low affinity for these sites, potently blocks the effect of DOI. The suppressant effect of DOI is not blocked by other receptor antagonists such as BRL-43694 (5-HT3), (+/-)-pindolol (5HT 1a,1b, beta adrenergic, beta), prazosin (adrenergic1, alpha-1), pyrilamine (histamine1, H1), l-sulpiride (dopamine2, D2) or SR 95103 (gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABAA). Overall our results indicate that DOI predominantly inhibits mPFc cells in a direct manner and this effect is mediated by 5-HT2 receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Double-barreled electrode for simultaneous iontophoresis and single unit recording during movement in awake monkeys.

A double-barreled electrode for simultaneous glutamate iontophoresis and chronic single unit recording from cortical neurons in awake monkeys during voluntary movement is described. Electrode assembly consists of pulling a heated, partitioned capillary tube over a sharpened tungsten rod. Glutamate iontophoresis increased the firing rates of wrist movement related cells an average of 34 Hz during the agonist phase of movement and 27 Hz during the antagonist phase of movement. However, in no case did glutamate iontophoresis alter the detailed structure of the cell's response pattern during wrist movement. This electrode is well suited to chronic recording applications that involve methods such as cross-correlation requiring overlapping activity of neurons and/or muscles. Other applications might involve activation of totally 'silent' neurons to avoid possible sampling bias or to detect effects in post-stimulus time histograms that would otherwise be subliminal.