title: Apamin increases NMDA-induced burst-firing of rat mesencephalic dopamine neurons.
abstract: Intracellular recordings made in vitro from rat midbrain dopamine neurons showed that apamin (100 nM) did not alter the regular spontaneous firing of the neurons, but it increased the occurrence of bursts of action potentials in N-methyl-D-aspartate. Apamin appeared to facilitate burst-firing induced by NMDA because, by blocking an outward calcium-activated potassium current, it increased the depolarizing action of NMDA.
authors.affiliation: Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seutin
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: North
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001030:Apamin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D001030:Apamin; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D004298:Dopamine