Recovery of network-driven glutamatergic activity in rat hippocampal neurons during chronic glutamate receptor blockade

Previous studies indicated that a long-term decrease in the activity of ionotropic glutamate receptors induces cholinergic activity in rat and mouse hypothalamic neuronal cultures. Here we studied whether a prolonged inactivation of ionotropic glutamate receptors also induces cholinergic activity in hippocampal neurons. Receptor activity was chronically suppressed in rat hippocampal primary neuronal cultures with two proportionally increasing sets of concentrations of NMDA plus non-NMDA receptor antagonists: 100 μM/10 μM AP5/CNQX (1X cultures) and 200 μM/20 μM AP5/CNQX (2X cultures). Using calcium imaging we demonstrate that cholinergic activity does not develop in these cultures. Instead, network-driven glutamate-dependent activity, that normally is detected in hyper-excitable conditions, reappears in each culture group in the presence of these antagonists and can be reversibly suppressed by higher concentrations of AP5/CNQX. This activity is mediated by non-NMDA receptors and is modulated by NMDA receptors. Further, non-NMDA receptors, the general level of glutamate receptor activity and CaMK-dependent signaling are critical for development of this network-driven glutamatergic activity in the presence of receptor antagonists. Using electrophysiology, western blotting and calcium imaging we show that some neuronal parameters are either reduced or not affected by chronic glutamate receptor blockade. However, other parameters (including neuronal excitability, mEPSC frequency, and expression of GluR1, NR1 and βCaMKII) become up-regulated and, in some cases, proportionally between the non-treated, 1X and 2X cultures. Our data suggest recovery of the network-driven glutamatergic activity after chronic glutamate receptor blockade. This recovery may represent a form of neuronal plasticity that compensates for the prolonged suppression of the activity of glutamate receptors.