Histamine Enhances Theta-Coupled Spiking and Gamma Oscillations in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex Consistent With Successful Spatial Recognition

Cereb Cortex. 2018 Jul 1;28(7):2439-2457. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhx145.

Abstract

Encoding of spatial information in the superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex (sMEC) involves theta-modulated spiking and gamma oscillations, as well as spatially tuned grid cells and border cells. Little is known about the role of the arousal-promoting histaminergic system in the modification of information encoded in the sMEC in vivo, and how such histamine-regulated information correlates with behavioral functions. Here, we show that histamine upregulates the neural excitability of a significant proportion of neurons (16.32%, 39.18%, and 52.94% at 30 μM, 300 μM, and 3 mM, respectively) and increases local theta (4-12 Hz) and gamma power (low: 25-48 Hz; high: 60-120 Hz) in the sMEC, through activation of histamine receptor types 1 and 3. During spatial exploration, the strength of theta-modulated firing of putative principal neurons and high gamma oscillations is enhanced about 2-fold by histamine. The histamine-mediated increase of theta phase-locking of spikes and high gamma power is consistent with successful spatial recognition. These results, for the first time, reveal possible mechanisms involving the arousal-promoting histaminergic system in the modulation of spatial cognition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biophysics
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Entorhinal Cortex / cytology
  • Entorhinal Cortex / drug effects*
  • Entorhinal Cortex / physiology
  • Gamma Rhythm / drug effects*
  • Histamine / pharmacology*
  • Histamine Agents / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / drug effects*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Space Perception / drug effects*
  • Synaptic Potentials / drug effects
  • Theta Rhythm / drug effects*
  • Wakefulness
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism

Substances

  • Histamine Agents
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Histamine