Modulation of Spreading Depression by Changes in Extracellular pH

Spreading depression (SD) and related phenomena have been implicated in hypoxic-ischemic injury. In such settings, SD occurs in the presence of marked extracellular acidosis. SD itself can also generate changes in extracellular pH (pHo), including a pronounced early alkaline shift. In a hippocampal slice model, we investigated the effect of interstitial acidosis on the generation and propagation of SD in the CA1 stratum radiatum. In addition, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (benzolamide) was used to decrease buffering of the alkaline shift to investigate its role in the modulation of SD. pHo was lowered by a decrease in saline HCO3 − (from 26 to 13 to 6.5 mM at 5% CO2), or by an increase in the CO2 content (from 5 to 15% in 26 mM HCO3 −). Recordings with pH microelectrodes revealed respective pHo values of 7.23 ± 0.13, 6.95 ± 0.10, 6.67 ± 0.09, and 6.97 ± 0.12. The overall effect of acidosis was an increase in the threshold for SD induction, a decrease in velocity, and a shortened SD duration. This inhibition was most pronounced at the lowest pHo(in 6.5 mM HCO3 −) where SD was often blocked. The effects of acidosis were reversible on return to control saline. Benzolamide (10 μM) caused an approximate doubling of the early alkaline shift to an amplitude of 0.3–0.4 U pH. The amplified alkalosis was associated with an increased duration and/or increased velocity of the wave. These effects were most pronounced in acidic media (13 mM HCO3 −/5% CO2) where benzolamide increased the SD duration by 55 ± 32%. The initial velocity (including time for induction) and propagation velocity (measured between distal electrodes) were enhanced by 35 ± 25 and 26 ± 16%, respectively. Measurements of [Ca2+]o demonstrated an increase in duration of the Ca2+ transient when the alkaline shift was amplified by benzolamide. The augmentation of SD caused by benzolamide was blocked in media containing the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonistdl−2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid. These data indicate that the induction and propagation of SD is inhibited by a fall in baseline pH characteristic of ischemic conditions and that the early alkaline shift can remove this inhibition by relieving the proton block on NMDA receptors. Under ischemic conditions, the intrinsic alkalosis may therefore enable SD and thereby contribute to NMDA receptor-mediated injury.

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Endogenous pH Shifts Facilitate Spreading Depression by Effect on NMDA Receptors

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1999.81.4.1988 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 81 (4) ◽

pp. 1988-1991 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

C. K. Tong ◽

M. Chesler

Keyword(s):

Nmda Receptor ◽

Carbonic Anhydrase ◽

Nmda Receptors ◽

Spreading Depression ◽

Hippocampal Slices ◽

Nmda Receptor Antagonist ◽

Ringer Solution ◽

Stratum Radiatum ◽

Alkaline Shift ◽

Potential Electrode

Endogenous pH shifts facilitate spreading depression by effect on NMDA receptors. Rapid extracellular alkalinizations accompany normal neuronal activity and have been implicated in the modulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Particularly large alkaline transients also occur at the onset of spreading depression (SD). To test whether these endogenous pH shifts can modulate SD, the alkaline shift was amplified using benzolamide, a poorly permeant inhibitor of interstitial carbonic anhydrase. SD was evoked by microinjection of 1.2 M KCl into the CA1 stratum radiatum of rat hippocampal slices and recorded by a proximal double-barreled pH microelectrode and a distal potential electrode. In Ringer solution of pH 7.1 containing picrotoxin (but not at a bath pH of 7.4), addition of 10 μM benzolamide increased the SD alkaline shift from 0.20 ± 0.07 to 0.38 ± 0.17 unit pH (means ± SE). This was correlated with a significant shortening of the latency and an increase in the conduction velocity by 26 ± 16%. In the presence of the NMDA receptor antagonist dl−2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV), benzolamide still amplified the alkaline transient, however, its effect on the SD latency and propagation velocity was abolished. The intrinsic modulation of SD by its alkaline transient may play an important role under focal ischemic conditions by removing the proton block of NMDA receptors where interstitial acidosis would otherwise limit NMDA receptor activity.

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Imaging NMDA- and kainate-induced intrinsic optical signals from the hippocampal slice

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1996.76.4.2707 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 76 (4) ◽

pp. 2707-2717 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

R. D. Andrew ◽

J. R. Adams ◽

T. M. Polischuk

Keyword(s):

Nmda Receptor ◽

Receptor Antagonist ◽

Ampa Receptors ◽

Hippocampal Slice ◽

Field Potential ◽

Nmda Receptor Antagonist ◽

Light Transmittance ◽

Stratum Radiatum ◽

Cell Swelling ◽

Tissue Resistance

1. Brain ischemia causes excess release and accumulation of glutamate that binds to postsynaptic receptors. This opens ionotropic channels that mediate neuronal depolarization and ionic fluxes that can lead to neuronal death. 2. The CA1 pyramidal cell region of the hippocampus is particularly susceptible to this neurotoxic process. Brain cell swelling is considered an early excitotoxic event, but remains poorly under stood and documented. As cells swell, light transmittance (LT) increases through brain tissue, so we hypothesized that brief exposure to glutamate agonists would elicit cell swelling that could be imaged in real time in the hippocampal slice. 3. A 1-min bath application of 100 microM N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) or 100 microM kainate at 22 degrees C greatly increased LT, particularly in the dendritic regions of CA1. The response peaked by 2-3 min and slowly reversed over the subsequent 20 min following exposure. Peak LT increases were > 50% in CA1 stratum radiatum and > 20% in both CA1 stratum oriens and the dendritic region of the dentate gyrus, all areas with a high concentration of NMDA and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptors. The CA3 stratum radiatum, which contains fewer of these receptors, showed a comparatively small LT increase. 4. The NMDA receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP-5) [but not 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX)] blocked the CA1 response to NMDA, whereas the non-NMDA receptor antagonist CNQX (but not AP-5) blocked the response to kainate. The relative tissue resistance measured across CA1 stratum radiatum increased after NMDA or kainate exposure with a time course similar to the LT change described above. The increase in relative tissue resistance was blocked by kynurenate, a nonspecific glutamate antagonist. Increases in both LT and tissue resistance provide two independent lines of evidence that cell swelling rapidly developed in CA1 dendritic areas after activation of NMDA or AMPA receptors. 5. This swelling at 22 degrees C was accompanied by a temporary loss of the evoked CA1 field potential. However, at 37 degrees C the dendritic swelling rapidly progressed to an irreversible LT increase (swelling) of the CA1 cell bodies accompanied by a permanent loss of the evoked field. 6. We propose that dendritic swelling mediated by NMDA and AMPA receptors is an early excitotoxic event that can herald permanent damage to CA1 neurons, those cells most vulnerable to ischemic insult.

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Extracellular pH Changes and Accompanying Cation Shifts During Ouabain-Induced Spreading Depression

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.2000.83.3.1338 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

pp. 1338-1345 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

G. Menna ◽

C. K. Tong ◽

M. Chesler

Keyword(s):

Spreading Depression ◽

Cyclopiazonic Acid ◽

Stratum Radiatum ◽

Ph Changes ◽

Alkaline Shift ◽

Gradual Onset ◽

High K ◽

Ion Shifts ◽

Free Media ◽

Peak Value

Interstitial ionic shifts that accompany ouabain-induced spreading depression (SD) were studied in rat hippocampal and cortical slices in the presence and absence of extracellular Ca2+. A double-barreled ion-selective microelectrode specific for H+, K+, Na+, or Ca2+ was placed in the CA1 stratum radiatum or midcortical layer. Superfusion of 100 μM ouabain caused a rapid, negative, interstitial voltage shift (2–10 mV) after 3–5 min. The negativity was accompanied by a rapid alkaline transient followed by prolonged acidosis. In media containing 3 mM Ca2+, the alkalosis induced by ouabain averaged 0.07 ± 0.01 unit pH. In media with no added Ca2+ and 2 mM EGTA, the alkaline shift was not significantly different (0.09 ± 0.02 unit pH). The alkaline transient was unaffected by inhibiting Na+-H+ exchange with ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA) or by blocking endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ uptake with thapsigargin or cyclopiazonic acid. Alkaline transients were also observed in Ca2+-free media when SD was induced by microinjecting high K+. The late acidification accompanying ouabain-induced SD was significantly reduced in Ca2+-free media and in solutions containing EIPA. The ouabain-induced SD was associated with a rapid but relatively modest increase in [K+]o. In the presence of 3 mM external Ca2+, the mean peak elevation of [K+]o was 12 ± 0.62 mM. In Ca2+-free media, the elevation of [K+]o had a more gradual onset and reached a significantly larger peak value, which averaged 22 ± 1.1 mM. The decrease in [Na+]o that accompanied ouabain-induced SD was somewhat greater. The [Na+]o decreased by averages of 40 ± 7 and 33 ± 3 mM in Ca2+ and Ca2+-free media, respectively. In media containing 1.2 mM Ca2+, ouabain-induced SD was associated with a substantial decrease in [Ca2+]o that averaged 0.73 ± 0.07 mM. These data demonstrate that in comparison with conventional SD, ouabain-induced SD exhibits ion shifts that are qualitatively similar but quantitatively diminished. The presence of external Ca2+ can modulate the phenomenon but is irrelevant to the generation of the SD and its accompanying alkaline pH transient. Significance of these results is discussed in reference to the propagation of SD and the generation of interstitial pH changes.

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Extracellular pH Changes during Spreading Depression and Cerebral Ischemia: Mechanisms of Brain pH Regulation

Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism ◽

10.1038/jcbfm.1984.3 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 17-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 211

Author(s):

W. A. C. Mutch ◽

A. J. Hansen

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Ischemia ◽

Parietal Cortex ◽

Spreading Depression ◽

Rapid Change ◽

Extracellular Ph ◽

Disulfonic Acid ◽

Mammalian Brain ◽

Negative Deflection ◽

Alkaline Shift ◽

Complete Cerebral Ischemia

We have examined the extracellular pH (pHe) during spreading depression and complete cerebral ischemia in rat parietal cortex utilizing double-barrelled H+ liquid ion exchanger microelectrodes. The baseline pHe of the parietal cortex was 7.33 at a mean arterial Pco2 of 38 mm Hg. Following spreading depression and cerebral ischemia, highly reproducible triphasic changes in pHe occurred, which were intimately related to the negative deflection in tissue potential (Ve). The changes in pHe for spreading depression (n = 23) were a small initial acidic shift, beginning before the rapid change in Ve, followed by a rapid transient alkaline shift of 0.16 pH units, the onset of which coincided with the negative deflection in Ve. A prolonged acidic shift of 0.42 pH units then occurred. The maximal decrease in pHe was to 6.97 and the mean duration of the triphasic pHe change was 7.8 min. The lactate concentration in brain cortex increased from baseline 1.2 m M to 7.0 m M (n = 6) during the maximal acidic change in spreading depression. In addition, lactate levels correlated well with resolution of the pHe changes during spreading depression. The triphasic pHe changes following complete cerebral ischemia were an initial acidic shift of 0.43 pH units which developed over 2 min, then an alkaline shift of 0.10 pH units coincident with the negative deflection in Ve, and a final acidic shift of 0.26 pH units. The terminal pHe was 6.75. Superfusion of the cortex with inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase (acetazolamide), Na+/H+ counter transport (amiloride), and Cl−/HCO3− countertransport (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid) altered the triphasic pHe changes in a similar fashion for both spreading depression and cerebral ischemia, providing insights into the pHe regulatory mechanisms in mammalian brain.

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Role of voltage-gated calcium channels in the generation of activity-induced extracellular pH transients in the rat hippocampal slice

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1996.75.6.2354 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 75 (6) ◽

pp. 2354-2360 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

P. Paalasmaa ◽

K. Kaila

Keyword(s):

Calcium Channels ◽

Pyramidal Neurons ◽

Hippocampal Slices ◽

Extracellular Ph ◽

Stratum Radiatum ◽

Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽

Voltage Gated ◽

Voltage Gated Calcium Channels ◽

Alkaline Shift

1. The role of voltage-gated calcium channels in the generation of activity-induced alkaline shifts in extracellular pH (pHo) was studied in rat hippocampal slices (area CAI) by means of Ca(2+)-and H(+)-selective microlectrodes inserted into the stratum pyramidale and/or stratum radiatum. 2. After complete pharmacological blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors and gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors, trains (5-10 Hz, 5-10s) of antidromic spikes in pyramidal neurons were associated with a fast alkaline transient of up to 0.17 pH units and a fall in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]o). The alkaline shift was strongly enhanced upon inhibition of extracellular carbonic anhydrase. 3. Application of 100 microM Ni2+ plus 100 microM Cd2+ inhibited both the fall in [Ca2+]o and the alkaline transient triggered by antidromic spikes. The alkaline shift was abolished in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. 4. In the absence of postsynaptic receptor antagonists, alkaline transients linked to a given level of synaptic excitation in s. radiatum were strongly suppressed after blockade of somatic (and, consequently, of dendritic “backpropagating”) spikes by microdrop application of tetrodotoxin to the cell-body layer. 5. We have previously shown that activity-induced alkaline transients in the CAI region are due to an influx of Ca2+ into neurons, which triggers an influx of H+ ions probably caused by activation of a plasmalemmal Ca2+/H+ ATPase. The present results indicate that much (in s. pyramidale perhaps all) of the pH-changing influx of Ca2+ is mediated by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.

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Protective Effect of Ifenprodil Against Spreading Depression in the Mouse Entorhinal Cortex

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00466.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 92 (4) ◽

pp. 2610-2614 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Leonardo Coutinho Faria ◽

Istvan Mody

Keyword(s):

Nmda Receptor ◽

Entorhinal Cortex ◽

Spreading Depression ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Brain Slices ◽

Nmda Receptor Antagonist ◽

Cerebrovascular Diseases ◽

Nr2b Receptor Subunit ◽

Nr2b Receptor

In the brain, spreading depression (SD) is characterized by a large extracellular DC shift, a massive failure of ion homeostasis and a transient cessation of neuronal function. Clinically, SD is believed to be involved in various neurological disorders including migraine and cerebrovascular diseases. The propagation of cortical SD requires the release of glutamate, and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a crucial role in this process. Here, we have isolated the NMDA receptor-mediated component of extracellularly recorded field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) in layers 2–3 of the entorhinal cortex of murine brain slices. In the absence of GABAA and AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission, stimulation of layer 6 afferents every 15–90 s elicited spontaneous SD on average within 18.5 min after the start of the stimulation. In the presence of ifenprodil, an NR2B receptor subunit-selective NMDA receptor antagonist, the occurrence of SD was nearly abolished. Our results are consistent with an important role of NR2B subunits in triggering SD in the entorhinal cortex.

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