Adenosine antagonists prevent hypoxia-induced depression of excitatory but not inhibitory synaptic currents.

Hypoxia induces depression of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in CA1 neurons of the hippocampus. The effect of antagonists that act at the A1 adenosine receptor on hypoxia-induced depression of EPSCs and IPSCs were examined in hippocampal slices with the patch clamp technique (whole-cell configuration). The A1 receptor antagonists 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) (200 nM) and 8-phenyltheophilline (8-PT) (10 microM) significantly prevented depression of EPSCs by hypoxia but failed to protect IPSCs. This result suggests that the hypoxia-induced depression of the EPSC involves the activation of adenosine receptors (possibly of the A1 subtype), whereas depression of the IPSC results from a different mechanism.