title: Two high voltage-activated calcium currents are present in isolation in adult rat spinal neurons.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferroni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mancinelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camagni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wanke
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000502:physiology*; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels