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Figure 6 | BMC Neuroscience

Figure 6

From: Synaptic depression and short-term habituation are located in the sensory part of the mammalian startle pathway

Figure 6

Repeated high frequency stimulation is required for synaptic depression in the PnC. A: Stimulation of PnC giant neurons with 100 single, double, or triple pulses with 4 ms ISI applied at 1 Hz to auditory fibers in rat brain slices. All cEPSC amplitudes were normalized to the first evoked cEPSC of each cell; error bars indicate standard error between cells. Inlays: Typical EPSC traces evoked by the specified stimulus. Top: Stimulation with 100 single pulses did not induce synaptic depression. The means of the first ten and last ten responses were not significantly different. Middle: Stimulation with 100 double pulses also failed to reduce cEPSC amplitudes. Bottom: Stimulation with 100 triple pulses induced an initial small potentiation followed by a weak decay of synaptic responses to about 93 ± 3 % of the initial amplitude. The means of the first ten and last ten averaged EPSCs were significantly different. B: Maximum cEPSC amplitudes in PnC giant neurons evoked by 100 bursts applied presynaptically at 1 Hz (n = 37) and 0.1 Hz (n = 10) to auditory fibers. Error bars indicate standard error between cells. All cEPSC amplitudes were normalized to the first evoked cEPSC of each cell. During 0.1 Hz stimulation, the cEPSC amplitudes declined to a plateau with about 64% of the initial amplitude. C: Amount of synaptic depression (in percent) induced by varying numbers of pulses within one burst applied to auditory fibers in rat brain slices at 1 Hz (diamonds) or 0.1 Hz (triangle). One and two pulse bursts did not induce synaptic depression while 100 triple pulses resulted in a small but significant decay. Four pulse bursts applied at 1 or 0.1 Hz induced synaptic depression of about 40% of the initial amplitude; stars indicate a significant decay.

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