Regulation of extracellular pH in the developing hippocampus.

The increased propensity of the immature brain to have seizures may be due, in part, to an inability to regulate the extracellular ionic environment. Here, we tested the regulation of extracellular pH in the developing hippocampus during and after intense neuronal activity induced by 20 Hz electrical stimulation in vivo. In CA1, stimulus trains to the CA3 region elicited an early alkaline shift associated with a later slow acid shift in all ages tested (2 weeks old, 3 weeks old and adult). In the dentate gyrus in adults, stimulation only elicited acidification. An initial alkalinization was only observed in the dentate gyrus in 2-week-old animals. The rate of recovery of the extracellular pH after termination of the stimulation was slower in the younger animals compared to adults in both CA1 and the dentate gyrus. The results indicate that the extracellular pH is regulated by mechanisms that undergo developmental changes that parallel the development of the dentate gyrus and development of the regulation of extracellular potassium.