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. 1977 Mar;74(3):1287–1290. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.3.1287

Calcium modulation in brain extracellular microenvironment demonstrated with ion-selective micropipette.

C Nicholson, G T Bruggencate, R Steinberg, H Stöckle
PMCID: PMC430669  PMID: 265573

Abstract

Changes in extracellular Ca2+ concentration were directly measured in the rat cerebellum, using an ion-selective micropipette. Extracellular K+ was measured simultaneously with a second ion-selective micropipette. The potential reference barrels of the ion electrodes also provided fast field and slow potentials. During repetitive stimulation of the parallel fiber--Purkinje cell cerebellar circuit, extracellular Ca2+ fell to about 80% of base line concentration. During the spreading depression of Leão, extracellular Ca2+ fell to about 10% of base line; decreases of this magnitude also occurred during terminal anoxia. In all cases extracellular K+ increased substantially. These results show that extracellular Ca2+ is modulated during neuronal activity in the central nervous system and that under some conditions the Ca2+ change can be extreme. Given the well-established and antagonistic effects of reduce extracellular Ca2+ on axonal excitability and synaptic transmission, these results suggest that Ca2+ modulation in the brain cell microenvironment may be a significant parameter in the behavior of neuronal ensembles.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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