FUNCTIONAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HUMAN NEOCORTICAL NEURONS MAINTAINED IN-VITRO

Citation
M. Avoli et A. Williamson, FUNCTIONAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HUMAN NEOCORTICAL NEURONS MAINTAINED IN-VITRO, Progress in neurobiology, 48(6), 1996, pp. 519-554
Citations number
124
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
03010082
Volume
48
Issue
6
Year of publication
1996
Pages
519 - 554
Database
ISI
SICI code
0301-0082(1996)48:6<519:FAPPOH>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
The availability of neocortical tissue obtained during brain surgery h as allowed for detailed studies of the membrane and synaptic propertie s of neurons maintained in vitro in a slice preparation. Many of the f indings obtained in these studies are summarized here. The majority of the basic electrophysiological properties appear to be similar when h uman and rodent neurons are compared. However, some notable exceptions regarding specific membrane properties have been reported. Since the majority of the material used in these studies is obtained from epilep tic patients, several neuroscientists have tried to determine whether this tissue retains any sign of epileptogenicity when analyzed in vitr o. Abnormal synaptic activity was only seen in a fraction of neurons n ear identified anatomical foci, including tumors, or within neocortica l areas that displayed abnormal electrographic activity in situ. This cellular activity included both the presence of all-or-none and graded synaptic bursts. Epileptiform activity comparable to that seen in rod ent tissue has been obtained in vitro using several pharmacological pr ocedures including the disinhibition and the Mg2+-free model. In concl usion, electrophysiological and pharmacological studies of the human n eocortex obtained during surgery have so far been unsuccessful in isol ating any definite cellular mechanism that may account for the express ion of the epileptiform activity in situ. Nevertheless, these studies have provided valuable information on the cellular and synaptic proper ties of human neocortex under normal conditions, and following experim ental procedures capable of increasing neuronal excitability. Copyrigh t (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd