Suppression of sleep spindle rhythmogenesis in mice with deletion of CaV3.2 and CaV3.3 T-type Ca2+ channels

Autor: Pellegrini C Lecci S Lüthi A Astori S
Rok vydání: 2016
Zdroj: Sleep
Popis: Study Objectives: Low threshold voltage gated T type Ca2+ channels (T channels or CaV3 channels) sustain oscillatory discharges of thalamocortical (TC) and nucleus Reticularis thalami (nRt) cells. The CaV3.3 subtype dominates nRt rhythmic bursting and mediates a substantial fraction of spindle power in the NREM sleep EEG. CaV3.2 channels are also found in nRt but whether these contribute to nRt dependent spindle generation is unexplored. We investigated thalamic rhythmogenesis in mice lacking this subtype in isolation (CaV3.2KO mice) or in concomitance with CaV3.3 deletion (CaV3.double knockout (DKO) mice). Methods: We examined discharge characteristics of thalamic cells and intrathalamic evoked synaptic transmission in brain slices from wild type CaV3.2KO and CaV3.DKO mice through patch clamp recordings. The sleep profile of freely behaving CaV3.2KO and CaV3.DKO mice was assessed by polysomnographic recordings. Results: CaV3.2 channel deficiency left nRt discharge properties largely unaltered but additional deletion of CaV3.3 channels fully abolished low threshold whole cell Ca2+ currents and bursting and suppressed burst mediated inhibitory responses in TC cells. CaV3.DKO mice had more fragmented sleep with shorter NREM sleep episodes and more frequent microarousals. The NREM sleep EEG power spectrum displayed a relative suppression of the s frequency band (10–15 Hz) which was accompanied by an increase in the d band (1–4 Hz). Conclusions: Consistent with previous findings CaV3.3 channels dominate nRt rhythmogenesis but the lack of CaV3.2 channels further aggravates neuronal synaptic and EEG deficits. Therefore CaV3.2 channels can boost intrathalamic synaptic transmission and might play a modulatory role adjusting the relative presence of NREM sleep EEG rhythms.
Databáze: OpenAIRE