Rhythmic multiunit neural activity in slices of hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus reflect prior photoperiod

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is an endogenous circadian pacemaker, and SCN neurons exhibit circadian rhythms of electrophysiological activity in vitro. In vivo, the functional state of the pacemaker depends on changes in day length (photoperiod), but it is not known if this property persists in SCN tissue isolated in vitro. To address this issue, we prepared brain sli ces from hamsters previously entrained to light-dark (LD) cycles of differe nt photoperiods and analyzed rhythms of SCN multiunit neuronal activity usi ng single electrodes. Rhythms in SCN slices from hamsters entrained to 8:16 -, 12:12-, and 14:10-h LD cycles were characterized by peak discharge rates relatively higher during subjective day than subjective night. The mean du ration of high neuronal activity was photoperiod dependent, compressed in s lices from the short (8:16 and 12:12 LD) photoperiods, and decompressed (ap proximately doubled) in slices from the long (14:10 LD) photoperiod. In sli ces from all photoperiods, the mean phase of onset of high neuronal activit y appeared to be anchored to subjective dawn. Our results show that the ele ctrophysiological activity of the SCN pacemaker depends on day length, exte nding previous in vivo data, and demonstrate that this capacity is sustaine d in vitro.