GAT inhibitors abolish the tonic current in the absence of exogenous GABA in vlPAG neurons from female rats. A, Whole-cell patch-clamp recording from a neuron from a CFA-treated female rat held at −70 mV in DNQX (10 μm). Superfusion of GAT inhibitors NO-711 (10 μm) and SNAP-5114 (SNAP; 10 μm) induces a change in the holding current. The GABAA inhibitor gabazine (20 μm) elicits no further effect on the holding current. B, Whole-cell patch-clamp recording from a neuron from a female CFA-treated rat held at −70 mV in DNQX (10 μm). sIPSCs are truncated for clarity of changes in membrane currents. Superfusion of GABA (10 μm) and GAT inhibitors NO-711 (10 μm) and SNAP (10 μm) increased the inward current. C, Compiled data showing the amplitude of the tonic current in individual cells in naive female rats in the presence of GABA and the increase induced by GAT inhibitors (paired t test, t(7) = 3.55, *p = 0.0093). D, Compiled data showing the amplitude of the tonic current in individual cells in CFA-treated female rats in the presence of GABA and the increase induced by GAT inhibitors (paired t test, t(8) = 3.95, *p = 0.0042). E, There was no significant difference in the increase in amplitude in the presence of GAT inhibitors in naive versus CFA-treated rats.