Subconvulsant doses of pentylenetetrazol uncover the epileptic phenotype of cultured synapsin-deficient Helix serotonergic neurons in the absence of excitatory and inhibitory inputs.

Synapsins are a family of presynaptic proteins related to several processes of synaptic functioning. A variety of reports have linked mutations in synapsin genes with the development of epilepsy. Among the proposed mechanisms, a main one is based on the synapsin-mediated imbalance towards network hyperexcitability due to differential effects on neurotransmitter release in GABAergic and glutamatergic synapses. Along this line, a non-synaptic effect of synapsin depletion increasing neuronal excitability has recently been described in Helix neurons. To further investigate this issue, we examined the effect of synapsin knock-down on the development of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced epileptic-like activity using single neurons or isolated monosynaptic circuits reconstructed on microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Compared to control neurons, synapsin-silenced neurons showed a lower threshold for the development of epileptic-like activity and prolonged periods of activity, together with the occurrence of spontaneous firing after recurrent PTZ-induced epileptic-like activity. These findings highlight the crucial role of synapsin on neuronal excitability regulation in the absence of inhibitory or excitatory inputs.

All-carbon multi-electrode array for real-time in vitro measurements of oxidizable neurotransmitters.

We report on the ion beam fabrication of all-carbon multi electrode arrays (MEAs) based on 16 graphitic micro-channels embedded in single-crystal diamond (SCD) substrates. The fabricated SCD-MEAs are systematically employed for the in vitro simultaneous amperometric detection of the secretory activity from populations of chromaffin cells, demonstrating a new sensing approach with respect to standard techniques. The biochemical stability and biocompatibility of the SCD-based device combined with the parallel recording of multi-electrodes array allow: i) a significant time saving in data collection during drug screening and/or pharmacological tests over a large number of cells, ii) the possibility of comparing altered cell functionality among cell populations, and iii) the repeatition of acquisition runs over many cycles with a fully non-toxic and chemically robust bio-sensitive substrate.

Dual action of leptin on rest-firing and stimulated catecholamine release via phosphoinositide 3-kinase-driven BK channel up-regulation in mouse chromaffin cells.

KEY POINTS: Leptin is an adipokine produced by the adipose tissue regulating body weight through its appetite-suppressing effect and, as such, exerts a relevant action on the adipo-adrenal axis. Leptin has a dual action on adrenal mouse chromaffin cells both at rest and during stimulation. At rest, the adipokine inhibits the spontaneous firing of most cells by enhancing the probability of BK channel opening through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase signalling cascade. This inhibitory effect is absent in db(-) /db(-) mice deprived of Ob receptors. During sustained stimulation, leptin preserves cell excitability by generating well-adapted action potential (AP) trains of lower frequency and broader width and increases catecholamine secretion by increasing the size of the ready-releasable pool and the rate of vesicle release. In conclusion, leptin dampens AP firing at rest but preserves AP firing and enhances catecholamine release during sustained stimulation, highlighting the importance of the adipo-adrenal axis in the leptin-mediated increase of sympathetic tone and catecholamine release. ABSTRACT: Leptin is an adipokine produced by the adipose tissue regulating body weight through its appetite-suppressing effect. Besides being expressed in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, leptin receptors (ObRs) are also present in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. In the present study, we report the effect of leptin on mouse chromaffin cell (MCC) functionality, focusing on cell excitability and catecholamine secretion. Acute application of leptin (1 nm) on spontaneously firing MCCs caused a slowly developing membrane hyperpolarization followed by complete blockade of action potential (AP) firing. This inhibitory effect at rest was abolished by the BK channel blocker paxilline (1 µm), suggesting the involvement of BK potassium channels. Single-channel recordings in 'perforated microvesicles' confirmed that leptin increased BK channel open probability without altering its unitary conductance. BK channel up-regulation was associated with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling cascade because the PI3K specific inhibitor wortmannin (100 nm) fully prevented BK current increase. We also tested the effect of leptin on evoked AP firing and Ca(2+) -driven exocytosis. Although leptin preserves well-adapted AP trains of lower frequency, APs are broader and depolarization-evoked exocytosis is increased as a result of the larger size of the ready-releasable pool and higher frequency of vesicle release. The kinetics and quantal size of single secretory events remained unaltered. Leptin had no effect on firing and secretion in db(-) /db(-) mice lacking the ObR gene, confirming its specificity. In conclusion, leptin exhibits a dual action on MCC activity. It dampens AP firing at rest but preserves AP firing and increases catecholamine secretion during sustained stimulation, highlighting the importance of the adipo-adrenal axis in the leptin-mediated increase of sympathetic tone and catecholamine release.

Heterogeneous distribution of exocytotic microdomains in adrenal chromaffin cells resolved by high-density diamond ultra-microelectrode arrays.

Here we describe the ability of a high-density diamond microelectrode array targeted to resolve multi-site detection of fast exocytotic events from single cells. The array consists of nine boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond ultra-microelectrodes (9-Ch NCD-UMEA) radially distributed within a circular area of the dimensions of a single cell. The device can be operated in voltammetric or chronoamperometric configuration. Sensitivity to catecholamines, tested by dose-response calibrations, set the lowest detectable concentration of adrenaline to ∼5 µm. Catecholamine release from bovine or mouse chromaffin cells could be triggered by electrical stimulation or external KCl-enriched solutions. Spikes detected from the cell apex using carbon fibre microelectrodes showed an excellent correspondence with events measured at the bottom of the cell by the 9-Ch NCD-UMEA, confirming the ability of the array to resolve single quantal secretory events. Subcellular localization of exocytosis was provided by assigning each quantal event to one of the nine channels based on its location. The resulting mapping highlights the heterogeneous distribution of secretory activity in cell microdomains of 12-27 µm2. In bovine chromaffin cells, secretion was highly heterogeneous with zones of high and medium activity in 54% of the cell surface and zones of low or no activity in the remainder. The 'non-active' ('silent') zones covered 24% of the total and persisted for 6-8 min, indicating stable location. The 9-Ch NCD-UMEA therefore appears suitable for investigating the microdomain organization of neurosecretion with high spatial resolution.

Development and characterization of a diamond-insulated graphitic multi electrode array realized with ion beam lithography.

The detection of quantal exocytic events from neurons and neuroendocrine cells is a challenging task in neuroscience. One of the most promising platforms for the development of a new generation of biosensors is diamond, due to its biocompatibility, transparency and chemical inertness. Moreover, the electrical properties of diamond can be turned from a perfect insulator into a conductive material (resistivity ~mΩ·cm) by exploiting the metastable nature of this allotropic form of carbon. A 16­channels MEA (Multi Electrode Array) suitable for cell culture growing has been fabricated by means of ion implantation. A focused 1.2 MeV He+ beam was scanned on a IIa single-crystal diamond sample (4.5 × 4.5 × 0.5 mm3) to cause highly damaged sub-superficial structures that were defined with micrometric spatial resolution. After implantation, the sample was annealed. This process provides the conversion of the sub-superficial highly damaged regions to a graphitic phase embedded in a highly insulating diamond matrix. Thanks to a three-dimensional masking technique, the endpoints of the sub-superficial channels emerge in contact with the sample surface, therefore being available as sensing electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements of solutions with increasing concentrations of adrenaline were performed to characterize the biosensor sensitivity. The reported results demonstrate that this new type of biosensor is suitable for in vitro detection of catecholamine release.

A new diamond biosensor with integrated graphitic microchannels for detecting quantal exocytic events from chromaffin cells.

An MeV ion-microbeam lithographic technique can be successfully employed for the fabrication of an all-carbon miniaturized cellular biosensor based on graphitic microchannels embedded in a single-crystal diamond matrix. The device is functionally characterized for the in vitro recording of quantal exocytic events from single chromaffin cells, with high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio, opening promising perspectives for the realization of monolithic all-carbon cellular biosensors.

The effect of CdSe-ZnS quantum dots on calcium currents and catecholamine secretion in mouse chromaffin cells.

Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) possess an enormous potential of applications in nanomedicine, drug delivery and bioimaging which derives from their unique photoemission and photostability characteristics. In spite of this, however, their interactions with biological systems and impact on human health are still largely unknown. Here we used neurosecretory mouse chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland for testing the effects of CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (5-36 nM) on Ca(2+) channels functionality and Ca(2+)-dependent neurosecretion. Prolonged exposure (24 h) to commonly used concentrations of CdSe-ZnS QDs (≥16 nM) showed that the semiconductor nanocrystal is effectively internalized into the cells without affecting cell integrity (no changes of membrane resistance and cell capacitance). QDs reduced the size of Ca(2+) currents by ∼28% in a voltage-independent manner without affecting channel gating. Correspondingly, depolarization-evoked exocytosis, measured at +10 mV, where Ca(2+) currents are maximal, was reduced by 29%. CdSe-ZnS QDs reduced the size of the readily releasable pool (RRP) of secretory vesicles by 32%, the frequency of release by 33% and the overall quantity of released catecholamines by 61%, as measured by carbon fibers amperometry. In addition, the Ca(2+)-dependence of exocytosis was reduced, whereas the catecholamine content of single granules, as well as the kinetics of release, remained unaltered. These data suggest that exposure to CdSe-ZnS QDs impairs Ca(2+) influx and severely interferes with the functionality of the exocytotic machinery, compromising the overall catecholamine supply from chromaffin cells.