Two high voltage-activated calcium currents are present in isolation in adult rat spinal neurons |
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Authors: | A Ferroni E Mancinelli S Camagni E Wanke |
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Affiliation: | Department of General Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Milano, Italy. |
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Abstract: | In neurons enzymatically isolated from adult rat dorsal root ganglia and used during the following 24 hours, the Ca2+ currents were investigated with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In contrast to the neonatal neurons, the salient feature of these adult neurons is the well separated (in the voltage-range) activation and inactivation properties of each recorded current. The low-threshold T-, the high-threshold inactivating N-, and the long-lasting L-currents have a threshold for activation at -60, -45 and -10 mV, and a 50% inactivation at -75, -45 and -5 mV respectively. The N and L currents were poorly affected by 100 microM Ni, a known blocker of T channels and completely blocked by 100 microM Cd2+. Frequently we could find neurons with only one type of current present. We conclude that adult sensory neurons are a better preparation for studying, in isolation, the physiological relevance of the three types of Ca2+ channels. |
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