Different Alterations of Hippocampal and Reticulo-Thalamic GABAergic Parvalbumin-Expressing Interneurons Underlie Different States of Unconsciousness

We traced the changes in GABAergic parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons of the hippocampus and reticulo-thalamic nucleus (RT) as possible underlying mechanisms of the different local cortical and hippocampal electroencephalographic (EEG) microstructures during the non-rapid-eye movement (NREM) sleep compared with anesthesia-induced unconsciousness by two anesthetics with different main mechanisms of action (ketamine/diazepam versus propofol). After 3 h of recording their sleep, the rats were divided into two experimental groups: one half received ketamine/diazepam anesthesia and the other half received propofol anesthesia. We simultaneously recorded the EEG of the motor cortex and hippocampus during sleep and during 1 h of surgical anesthesia. We performed immunohistochemistry and analyzed the PV and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) expression. PV suppression in the hippocampus and at RT underlies the global theta amplitude attenuation and hippocampal gamma augmentation that is a unique feature of ketamine-induced versus propofol-induced unconsciousness and NREM sleep. While PV suppression resulted in an increase in hippocampal PSD-95 expression, there was no imbalance between inhibition and excitation during ketamine/diazepam anesthesia compared with propofol anesthesia in RT. This increased excitation could be a consequence of a lower GABA interneuronal activity and an additional mechanism underlying the unique local EEG microstructure in the hippocampus during ketamine/diazepam anesthesia.