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- Title
Modularity and neuronal heterogeneity: Two properties that influence in vitro neuropharmacological experiments.
- Authors
Brofiga, Martina; Poggio, Fabio; Callegari, Francesca; Tedesco, Mariateresa; Massobrio, Paolo
- Abstract
Introduction: The goal of this work is to prove the relevance of the experimental model (in vitro neuronal networks in this study) when drug-delivery testing is performed. Methods: We used dissociated cortical and hippocampal neurons coupled to Micro-Electrode Arrays (MEAs) arranged in different configurations characterized by modularity (i.e., the presence of interconnected sub-networks) and heterogeneity (i.e., the co-existence of neurons coming from brain districts). We delivered increasing concentrations of bicuculline (BIC), a neuromodulator acting on the GABAergic system, and we extracted the IC50 values (i.e., the effective concentration yielding a reduction in the response by 50%) of the mean firing rate for each configuration. Results: We found significant lower values of the IC50 computed for modular cortical-hippocampal ensembles than isolated cortical or hippocampal ones. Discussion: Although tested with a specific neuromodulator, this work aims at proving the relevance of ad hoc experimental models to perform neuropharmacological experiments to avoid errors of overestimation/underestimation leading to biased information in the characterization of the effects of a drug on neuronal networks.
- Subjects
HETEROGENEITY; PHARMACODYNAMICS; NEURONS; HIPPOCAMPUS (Brain); NEURAL circuitry
- Publication
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 2023, Vol 17, p1
- ISSN
1662-5102
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3389/fncel.2023.1147381