Peripheral nerve damage does not alter release properties of developing central trigeminal afferents.

ABSTRACT: The infraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve (ION) is essential in whisker-specific neural patterning ("barrelettes") in the principal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve (PrV). The barrelettes are formed by the ION terminal arbors, somata, and dendrites of the PrV cells; they are abolished after neonatal damage to the ION. Physiological studies show that disruption of the barrelettes is accompanied by conversion of functional synapses into silent synapses in the PrV. In this study, we used whole cell recordings with a paired-pulse stimulation protocol and MK-801 blocking rate to estimate the presynaptic release probability (Pr) of ION central trigeminal afferent terminals in the PrV. We investigated Pr during postnatal development, following neonatal ION damage, and determined whether conv

SUBMITTER: Lo FS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3075289 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature