| Tinnitus is as an auditory perception without an external auditory source. The inferior colliculus (IC) is a major structure in the central auditory pathway. It is one of the main candidates to be studied because of its possible involvement in generation of tinnitus. Salicylate is a well-known substance to produce reversible tinnitus in humans and animals. However, the neural origins and mechanisms of salicylate-induced tinnitus have not yet been fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of salicylate on intrinsic membrane properties of neurons in the central nucleus of IC (ICC). Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were made from ICC neurons in a rat brain slice, under current clamp mode. Application of salicylate did not have any effect on the passive membrane properties of the ICC neurons. Salicylate also showed no effect on action potential properties except for reduction of afterhyperpolarization amplitude. However, salicylate affected firing abilities of the ICC neurons, including the firing threshold and frequency. The results suggest that Salicylate increases membrane excitability of ICC neurons, which may account for an increase in spontaneous activity of ICC neurons, thus contributing to the generation of tinnitus. |
