Wen Zhang1,3 • Shuai-shuai Li1,2 • Ying Han1,2 • Xiao-Hong Xu1,3
1 Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200031, China
2 University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3 Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200031, China
Abstract
Despite extensive characterization of sex differences in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) of the hypothalamus, we know surprisingly little about whether or how male and female mPOA neurons differ electrophysiologically, especially in terms of neuronal firing and behavioral pattern generation. In this study, by performing whole-cell patch clamp recordings of the mPOA, we investigated the influences of sex, cell type, and gonadal hormones on the electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons. Notably, we uncovered significant sex differences in input resistance (male > female) and in the percentage of neurons that displayed post-inhibitory rebound (male > female). Furthermore, we found that the current mediated by the T-type Ca2+ channel (IT), which is known to underlie post-inhibitory rebound, was indeed larger in male mPOA neurons. Thus, we have identified salient electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons, namely IT and post-inhibitory rebound, that are male-biased and likely contribute to the sexually dimorphic display of behaviors.
Keywords
Electrophysiological properties; Sex differences; mPOA; Post-inhibitory rebound; T-type calcium
[SpringerLink][PMC Full Text]
