Effect of GABAergic substances on firing rate and thermal coefficient of hypothalamic neurons in the juvenile chicken

The goal of the study is to investigate the GABAergic action on firing rate (FR) and temperature coefficient (TC) on hypothalamic neurons in the juvenile chicken. Extracellular recordings were obtained from 37 warm-sensitive, 32 cold-sensitive and 56 temperature-insensitive neurons in brain slices to determine the effect of GABAA-receptor agonist muscimol, GABAA-receptor antagonist bicuculline, GABAB-receptor agonist baclofen and GABAB-receptor antagonist CGP 35348. Muscimol and baclofen in equimolar concentrations (1 μM) significantly inhibited FR of the neurons, regardless of their type of thermosensitivity. In contrast, bicuculline, as well as CGP 35348 (10 μM) increased FR of the majority of the neurons. The TC of most chick hypothalamic neurons could not be estimated during muscimol application because FR was completely inhibited. GABAB-receptor agonist specifically increased TC. This effect was restricted to cold-sensitive neurons, which were determined in a high number. The TC was significantly increased (p < 0.05) by baclofen and significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by CGP 35348. The effects of muscimol and baclofen on FR and TC were prevented by co-perfusion of the appropriate antagonists bicuculline and CGP 35348. The results suggest that the fundamental mechanisms of GABAergic influence on temperature sensitive and insensitive neurons in the chicken PO/AH are conserved during evolution of amniotes.