Figure 5.

Reducing glutamate levels affects mIPSC activity in OT neurons of lactating rats. A, Traces showing mIPSC activity recorded in two OT and one VP neurons in lactating rats before, during and after bath application of ATPA in the presence of GPT and pyruvate. ATPA had two opposite actions on OT neurons. It either increased (upper traces) or decreased (middle traces) mIPSC activity. B, Summary histogram illustrating the change in mIPSC mean frequency induced by ATPA in the presence of GPT and pyruvate in lactating rats. In 6 OT neurons (empty bars; left), the agonist increased mIPSC frequency whereas in 6 others OT cells (empty bars, middle), it reduced it. In contrast, the effect of ATPA in VP neurons (black bars; n = 7) was similar to that recorded in the absence of the glutamate scavenger (see Fig. 4). *p < 0.05.