Figure 6.
Blockers are effective in GnRH neurons identified as OFQ responsive. A–D, Left, Calcium imaging recordings of explants showing that OFQ (100 pm) evoked a potent decrease in the frequency of calcium oscillations in GnRH neurons (first application, A–D). The inhibition is repeatable (second application, A) and blocked by UFP-101 (ORL1 antagonist), cesium (broad-spectrum blocker of Kir channels), and PMA (PKC activator). A–D, Right, Heatmaps of changes in the levels of intracellular calcium in cells recorded simultaneously during different paradigms (left). Each row represents changes in a single cell. White lines indicate the time of drug application. Note the large number of GnRH cells inhibited by OFQ (first application, A–D), the repeatability of the inhibition (second application, A), and the effectiveness of UFP-101 (ORL1 antagonist), cesium (broad-spectrum blocker of Kir channels), and PMA (PKC activator; B, C, and D, respectively, second application) to prevent OFQ inhibition. Note the homogeneity of the response throughout the cells within an explant.