Figure 2.

nAChR activation increases IPSC and EPSC frequency. Spontaneous events were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques in the presence of atropine (20 μm) and either gabazine (40 μm) to isolate sEPSCs (A) or APV (50 μm) and DNQX (20 μm) to isolate sIPSCs (B). Each group is representative of 20 s taken during the baseline condition (purple) immediately after application of a 1 mm ACh puff (green) and after the addition of the nAChR antagonist mecamylamine (10 μm) to the bath solution. ACh increased the frequency, but not the amplitude (data not shown), of both sIPSCs and sEPSCs. (sEPSCs: n = 9 neurons, sIPSCs: n = 15 neurons). Paired t tests were used for statistical analysis; **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05.