Beta-amyloid protein [Aβ(1-42)] plays an important role in the disease progress and pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Membrane properties and neuronal excitability are altered in the hippocampus of transgenic AD mouse models that overexpress amyloid precursor protein. Although gap junction hemichannels have been implicated in the early pathogenesis of AD, to what extent Pannexin channels contribute to Aβ(1-42)-mediated brain changes is not yet known. In this study we, therefore, investigated the involvement of Pannexin1 (Panx1) channels in Aβ-mediated changes of neuronal membrane properties and long-term potentiation (LTP) in an animal model of AD. We conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in CA1 pyramidal neurons 1 week after intracerebroventricular treatments of adult wildtype (wt) and Panx1 knockout (Panx1-ko) mice with either oligomeric Aβ(1-42), or control peptide. Panx1-ko hippocampi treated with control peptide exhibited increased neuronal excitability compared to wt. In addition, action potential (AP) firing frequency was higher in control Panx1-ko slices compared to wt. Aβ-treatment reduced AP firing frequency in both cohorts. But in Aβ-treated wt mice, spike frequency adaptation was significantly enhanced, when compared to control wt and to Aβ-treated Panx1-ko mice. Assessment of hippocampal LTP revealed deficits in Aβ-treated wt compared to control wt. By contrast, Panx1-ko exhibited LTP that was equivalent to LTP in control ko hippocampi. Taken together, our data show that in the absence of Pannexin1, hippocampi are more resistant to the debilitating effects of oligomeric Aβ. Both Aβ-mediated impairments in spike frequency adaptation and in LTP that occur in wt animals, are ameliorated in Panx1-ko mice. These results suggest that Panx1 contributes to early changes in hippocampal neuronal and synaptic function that are triggered by oligomeric Aβ.

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