title: Alterations of plasma membrane fatty acid composition modify the kinetics of Na+ current in cultured rat diencephalic neurons.
abstract: Properties of inward Na+ currents (INa) were examined in dissociated diencephalic neurons whose plasma membrane fatty acid composition had been altered. These neurons were grown in a defined medium supplemented with essential fatty acids (EFA) of either the w3 class (linolenic acid, 18:3w3) or the w6 class (linoleic acid, 18:2w6), which resulted in a two-fold increase in the plasma membrane phospholipid polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentration. The properties of the inward INa of these neurons were compared with those of control neurons grown in the absence of any supplemented fatty acids. The INa of neurons supplemented with a non-essential fatty acid (NFA) of w9 class (oleic acid, 18:1w9) was also examined. Several properties have been modified to different degrees. The ratio of the amplitudes between the fast and the slow decay components as well as the time constant of the fast decay component changed consistently and reversibly with the membrane phospholipid PUFA composition. The current-voltage relationships, channel selectivity, rates of inactivation and recovery from inactivation did not change. Other parameters, such as time-to-peak and steady-state inactivation curves, have changed in EFA- and NFA-supplemented cultures and did not reverse completely. These findings demonstrate that the kinetics of INa can be modified by fatty acid supplementation. These effects can be correlated, in part, with alterations in plasma membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, State University of New York, Buffalo 14214.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000187:drug effects*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D015222:Sodium Channels