The electrophysiological properties of voltage-dependent outward currents were investigated under voltage-clamp conditions in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y before and after in vitro differentiation with retinoic acid, by using the whole cell variant of the patch-clamp technique. Voltage steps to depolarizing potentials from a holding level of -90 mV elicited, in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells, outward potassium currents that were blocked by tetraethylammonium, but were unaffected by 4-aminopyridine, cadmium, and by shifts of the holding potentials to -40 mV. These currents activated rapidly and inactivated slowly in a voltage-dependent manner. In undifferentiated cells the threshold for current activation was about -30 mV, with a steady-state half activation potential of 19.5 mV. Maximum conductance was 4.3 nS and mean conductance density was 0.34 mS/cm2. Steady-state half inactivation potential was -13.8 mV and approximately 10% of the current was resistant to inactivation. Both activation and inactivation kinetics were voltage dependent. In differentiated cells the threshold for current activation was about -20 mV, with a half potential for steady-state activation of 37.0 mV. Maximum conductance was 15.2 nS and mean conductance density was 0. 78 mS/cm2. Steady-state half inactivation potential was -9.7 mV and approximately 37% of the current was resistant to inactivation. Both activation and inactivation kinetics were voltage dependent. This diversity in potassium channel properties observed between undifferentiated and differentiated cells was related to differences in cell excitability. Under current-clamp conditions, the action potential repolarization rate in differentiated cells was about threefold faster than that of the abortive action potentials elicitable in undifferentiated cells. Furthermore, during prolonged stimulation, trains of spikes could be generated in some differentiated cells but not in undifferentiated cells.

The European Commission (EC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) jointly sponsored a workshop on October 18-20, 2011 in Brussels to discuss the feasibility and benefits of an international collaboration in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI) research. The workshop brought together scientists, clinicians, patients, and industry representatives from around the globe as well as funding agencies from the EU, Spain, the United States, and Canada. Sessions tackled both the possible goals and governance of a future initiative and the scientific questions that would most benefit from an integrated international effort: how to optimize data collection and sharing; injury classification; outcome measures; clinical study design; and statistical analysis. There was a clear consensus that increased dialogue and coordination of research at an international level would be beneficial for advancing TBI research, treatment, and care. To this end, the EC, the NIH, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research expressed interest in developing a framework for an international initiative for TBI Research (InTBIR). The workshop participants recommended that InTBIR initially focus on collecting, standardizing, and sharing clinical TBI data for comparative effectiveness research, which will ultimately result in better management and treatments for TBI.

1. The electrophysiological properties of voltage-dependent sodium currents were studied in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y before and after in vitro differentiation with retinoic acid, with the use of the whole cell variant of the patch-clamp technique. 2. Voltage steps from a holding level of -90 mV to depolarizing potentials elicited, in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells, fast inward sodium currents that were full inactivating and tetrodotoxin sensitive. 3. In undifferentiated cells the current peaked at -10 mV, the half-activation potential was -35 mV, and the half-inactivation potential was -81 mV. In differentiated cells the current peaked at + 10 mV, the half-activation potential was -28 mV, and the half-inactivation potential was -56 mV. Moreover, the peak current amplitude was about a factor of 2 larger and inactivation kinetics was about a factor of 2 slower than in undifferentiated cells. 4. This diversity in sodium channel properties was related to differences in cell excitability. Under current-clamp conditions, intracellular injection of rectangular depolarizing current stimuli from a hyperpolarized membrane potential of about -100 mV elicited graded and weak regenerative responses in undifferentiated cells, whereas overshooting action potentials with faster rising phases could be elicited in differentiated cells.

The consequences of sustained activation of GABA(B) receptors on GABA(B)-mediated inhibition and network activity were investigated in the neonatal rat hippocampus using whole-cell and extracellular field recordings. GABA(B)-mediated presynaptic control of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release progressively diminished with time in spite of the continued presence of the agonist (100 microM baclofen, 15 min), indicating acute desensitization of presynaptic GABA(B)-mediated inhibition on GABAergic terminals. By contrast, neither GABA(B)-mediated inhibition of glutamate release nor postsynaptic GABA(B)-mediated inhibition seemed to produce this desensitization. Efficacy of presynaptic GABA(B) receptors was still reduced by 49% 30 min after baclofen washout, suggesting a long timeframe for recovery from desensitization. The 15-min baclofen application was followed by a dramatic modification of the spontaneous network activity, with the occurrence of epileptiform events called ictal-like discharges (ILDs). Extracellular field recordings confirmed the epileptic nature of the discharges that could be recorded up to 4 h after baclofen washout. ILDs did not occur when the GABA(B) receptor antagonist CGP35348 was coapplied with baclofen. This indicates that ILD induction is a consequence of the sustained activation of GABA(B) receptors and the correlated changes in GABA(B)-mediated inhibition. Furthermore, ILDs were also induced when blocking with CGP35348 an amount of GABA(B) receptors that exactly mimicked the loss of inhibition obtained with desensitization. These results show that presynaptic GABA(B)-mediated inhibition of GABA release acutely and specifically desensitizes following a sustained application of the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen. Conditions that induce desensitization of the GABA(B)-mediated responses also trigger persistent epileptiform discharges in the neonatal rat hippocampus.