Figure 3.

Effects of repeated isoflurane exposures on basal GABAergic synaptic activity in the BLA. Whole-cell recordings of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) were obtained from principal neurons, at a holding potential of +30 mV. (a) Representative traces of sIPSCs recorded from a control rat (top trace) and from rats who received repeated exposures to isoflurane; recordings were obtained at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after the last of the three exposures. (b) Group data showing that the total charge carried by the recorded currents was increased at 1 day and 1 week after the last of the three exposures but returned to levels that did not differ significantly from the control, 1 month after the exposures. (c) Group data of the frequency of sIPSCs, which was significantly increased at 1 day after repeated exposures. (d) Group data of the amplitude of sIPSCs, which was significantly higher than that in the control group, at 1 day and 7 days after repeated exposures. ^∗∗∗ P < 0.001 and ^∗∗ P < 0.01; n = 13 for the control group; n = 17 for the 1-day group, n = 9 for the 1-week group; and n = 16 for the 1-month group.