Figure 2

Synaptic depression in the PnC. A: Scheme of a rat brainstem slice at bregma -9.8 and interaural -0.8. Fibers of the secondary auditory neurons (emerging e.g. from the root of the 8^th nerve and/or the VCN) and from trigeminal neurons (emerging from the most ventral part of the Pr5) are plotted. Filled circles indicate the positions of the concentric bipolar extracellular stimulation electrodes. VCN: ventral cochlear nucleus, LSO: lateral superior olive, 8n: root of the auditory nerve, 7n: 7th nerve, Pr5: principal nucleus of the 5th nerve, PnC: caudal pontine reticular nucleus. B: Stimulation of auditory afferents with a short train of four pulses (within 12 ms) evoked a compound EPSC (cEPSC) in PnC giant neurons of rats, since single responses strongly summated. The maximum amplitude of the cEPSC decreased upon repeated activation. Original traces of the first and the 100^th cEPSC of one sequence are shown; the horizontal bar indicates 25 ms, the vertical bar 50 pA. C: cEPSC amplitudes in PnC giant neurons evoked by 100 bursts applied to auditory fibers (top) and trigeminal fibers (bottom) in rat slices exponentially decreased to 56 % and 60 % of the respective initial value (n = 29 for auditory and n = 44 for trigeminal stimulation). cEPSCs for each cell were normalized to the first evoked cEPSC of the respective cell.