L-Aspartic acid induces a region of negative slope conductance in the current-voltage relationship of cultured spinal cord neurons.
Individual murine spinal cord neurons were grown in dissociated tissue cultures. Using either one or two conventional intracellular microelectrodes neurons were voltage-clamped and current-voltage (I-V) curves were constructed using command pulses. L-Aspartic acid was then applied and I-V curves repeated in the presence of this excitatory amino acid. L-Aspartic acid induced a region of negative slope conductance (RNSC) in the steady-state I-V relationships of these neurons. Such a RNSC accounts for the apparent reduction of conductance in response to excitatory amino acids and its instability likely contributes to the electrogenesis of bursting in central neurons.
D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005333:Fetus; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D001224:Aspartic Acid