Cerebrospinal fluid and serum from patients with inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy have opposite effects on sodium channels.
The effects of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from patients having Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) on voltage-dependent Na+ channels were compared. Bathing human myoballs in CSF substantially reduced their Na+ currents (by > 40% with 8 of 10 patients) elicited at 1 Hz under whole-cell recording conditions. This was because, at the resting potential, more Na+ channels were inactivated (left-shift of the h infinity curve). CSF from patients with other neurological diseases (OND) produces a similar, but smaller, effect. In contrast, serum samples from the same GBS and OND patients caused an increase of the Na+ currents by reducing the number of Na+ channels inactivated at the resting potential. This right-shift of the h infinity curve is in part explained by the effect of serum albumin. We confirm that the CSF of most GBS and CIDP patients contains factors inhibiting voltage-dependent Na+ currents. There is no indication that such factors are effective in the serum of these patients.
Würz
A
A
Department of General Physiology, University of Ulm, Germany.
Brinkmeier
H
H
Wollinsky
K H
KH
Mehrkens
H H
HH
Kornhuber
H H
HH
Rüdel
R
R
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D003470:Culture Media; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012712:Serum Globulins; D015222:Sodium Channels; D012964:Sodium