Dynamics of excitatory transmitter release: Analysis of synaptic responses in CA3 hippocampal neurons after repetitive stimulation of afferent fibers

The patch-clamp technique (whole cell configuration) was used to record excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) evoked by repetitive stimulation (4 pulses at 50-ms intervals) of afferent fibers in the stratum lucidum-radiatum. Different synaptic behaviors (EPSC patterns) were classified in terms of facilitation or depression of the mean amplitude of the second, third, and fourth EPSC with respect to the previous one. A large variety of EPSC patterns was observed by stimulating different afferent fibers. Experiments with the mGluR2/mGluR3 agonist 2-(2,3-dicarboxycyclopropyl)glycine (DCG-IV) (1 mu M), a compound that reduces release at mossy but not at associative commissural fibers and therefore allows to identify the origin of synaptic responses, showed that particular EPSC patterns could not be associated to the activation of a specific type of synaptic input. To investigate the role of the probability of release in the dynamics of synaptic activity, the extracellular calcium concentration was varied from 0.8 to 4 mM in several experiments. EPSC patterns dominated by depression, characteristics of high release probability conditions, could be observed in the majority of the cases in the presence of higher calcium concentrations. A quantitative model for dynamics of transmitter release has been developed. Experimental results were compared with data computed with the model taking into account the probability of release and the time course of reavailability. This work indicates that shea-term changes of presynaptic conditions occurring during a train of action potentials can account for the high variability of EPSC responses. The model that is proposed also suggests a general method of experimental data analysis to investigate the possible presynaptic mechanisms underlying long-lasting changes in synaptic efficacy.