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Blockade and Recovery of Spontaneous Rhythmic Activity after Application of Neurotransmitter Antagonists to Spinal Networks of the Chick Embryo

We studied the regulation of spontaneous activity in the embryonic (day 10–11) chick spinal cord. After bath application ofeither an excitatory amino acid (AP-5 or CNQX) and a nicotinic cholinergic (DHβE or mecamylamine) antagonist,or glycine and GABA receptor (bicuculline, 2-hydroxysaclofen, and strychnine) antagonists, spontaneous activity was blocked for a period (30–90 min) but then reappeared in the presence of the drugs. The efficacy of the antagonists was assessed by their continued ability to block spinal reflex pathways during the reappearance of spontaneous activity. Spontaneous activity ceased over the 4–5 hour monitoring period when both sets of antagonists were applied together. After application of glycine and GABA receptor antagonists, the frequency of occurrence of spontaneous episodes slowed and became highly variable. By contrast, during glutamatergic and nicotinic cholinergic blockade, the frequency of occurrence of spontaneous episodes initially slowed and then recovered to stabilize near the predrug level of activity. Whole-cell recordings made from ventral spinal neurons revealed that this recovery was accompanied by an increase in the amplitude of spontaneously occurring synaptic events. We also measured changes in the apparent equilibrium potential of the rhythmic, synaptic drive of ventral spinal neurons using voltage or discontinuous current clamp. After excitatory blockade, the apparent equilibrium potential of the rhythmic synaptic drive shifted ∼10 mV more negative to approximately −30 mV. In the presence of bicuculline, the apparent equilibrium potential of the synaptic drive shifted toward the glutamate equilibrium potential. Considered with other evidence, these findings suggest that spontaneous rhythmic output is a general property of developing spinal networks, and that GABA and glycinergic networks alter their function to compensate for the blockade of excitatory transmission.