Abstract

Electrophysiological studies have revealed an increase in the level of tonic inhibition in the hippocampus following prenatal protein malnutrition in rats. In the present study, whole cell patch clamp recordings of bipolar interneurons in the stratum radiatum of the CA3 subfield were used to determine whether this increase in inhibition can be accounted for by a change in the electrophysiological properties of GABAergic interneurons. Hippocampal slices were prepared from juvenile rats whose dams were fed either a normal (25% casein) or low (6% casein) protein diet throughout pregnancy. Intrinsic membrane and action potential properties were unaltered by the prenatal nutritional insult. In most respects the characteristics of GABA_A receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) and the modulation of such currents by the benzodiazepine agonist zolpidem were also similar in cells from the two nutritional groups. While the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory currents was unaltered, miniature (Tetrodotoxin resistant) inhibitory currents occurred at a significantly increased frequency in interneurons from prenatally protein malnourished rats. Thus, while the basic membrane properties of interneurons are preserved, there is a significant increase in the probability of GABA release from interneurons following prenatal protein malnutrition.