P122.-Repeated intermittent treatment with cocaine, caffeine or their combination alters intrinsic and synaptic properties of ventrobasal thalamic neurons

RIVERO ECHETO MC; MUÑIZ JA; GONZALEZ B; CADET JL; GARCIA-RILL E; BISAGNO V; URBANO FJ

HUERTA GRANDE, CORDOBA ARGENTINA

Congreso; XXIX ANNUAL MEETING AND SAN-ISN SMALL COFERENCE AND COURSE; 2014

SOCIEDAD ARGENTINA DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN NEUROCIENCIAS

Cocaine is a highly dangerous illegal stimulant that can cause dependence, and long-term consequences when abused. Caffeine is a stimulant drug found in a range of commercially available products. In addition, ?PACO? drug samples have reported quantities of caffeine mixed with other stimulants, including cocaine. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of chronic caffeine/cocaine binge administration on total calcium current and glutamatergic/GABAergic evoked and spontaneous activity, in Ventrobasal (VB) thalamic neurons. We used male mice C57/BL6J (P30-90) to administer chronic binge of caffeine (Caf) (5mg/kg), cocaine (Coc) (10mg/kg) and their combination (CC5) (Caffeine 5mg/kg + Coc 10mg/kg), compared them to control receiving saline solution; and performed whole-cell patch clamp using a N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) solution for perfusion, cutting and incubation of slices. We observed that peak calcium current density (pA/pF) during whole-cell patch clamp recording of VB neurons decreased significantly at -20mV after the two psychostimulants were administered together (Cocaine n=7, CC5 n=7, Control n=3 VB neurons; Kruskal Wallis one way analysis H:13, p