| Daniel Ulrich and I examined the effects of adenosine on presynaptic inhibition in the thalamus. We find that adenosine, acting at A1 receptors, reduces both inhibitory and excitatory synaptic responses in thalamic relay and reticular cells. This was surprising, because previous work (mainly in hippocampus) from a number of laboratories suggested that the presynaptic effects of adenosine may be restricted to excitatory synaptic terminals. We predicted that the previously described slow thalamic network activity (Huguenard and Prince, J. Neurosci.14:5485-5502, 1994) would be dramatically down regulated by adenosine (50 uM), and this is indeed the case (Click on Figure to see more detail). | |