title: Guinea pig visceral C-fiber neurons are diverse with respect to the K+ currents involved in action-potential repolarization.
abstract: 1. Intracellular recordings were made from C-fiber neurons identified by antidromic conduction velocity in intact guinea pig nodose ganglia maintained in vitro, and whole-cell patch clamp recordings were made from dissociated guinea pig nodose neurons to investigate the contribution of various K+ conductances to action-potential repolarization. 2. The repolarizing phase of the intracellularly recorded action potential was prolonged in a concentration-dependent manner by charybdotoxin (Chtx; EC50 = 39 nM) or iberiatoxin (Ibtx; EC50 = 48 nM) in a subpopulation of 16/36 C-fiber neurons. In a subset of these experiments, removal of extracellular Ca2+ reversibly prolonged action-potential duration (APD) in the same 4/9 intracellularly recorded C-fiber neurons affected by Chtx (> or = 100 nM). These convergent results support that a Ca(2+)-activated K+ current (IC) contributes to action-potential repolarization in a restricted subpopulation of C-fiber neurons. 3. Tetraethylammonium (TEA; 1-10 mM) increased APD considerably further in the presence of 100-250 nM Chtx or Ibtx, or in nominally Ca(2+)-free superfusate in 14/14 intracellularly recorded C-fiber neurons. TEA affected APD similarly in subpopulations of neurons with and without IC, suggesting that a voltage-dependent K+ current (IK) contributes significantly to action-potential repolarization in most nodose C-fiber neurons. 4. Substitution of Mn2+ for Ca2+ reduced outward whole-cell currents elicited by voltage command steps positive to -30 mV (2-25 ms) in a subpopulation of 21/36 dissociated nodose neurons, supporting the heterogeneous expression of IC. The kinetics of outward tail current relaxations (tau s of 1.5-2 ms) measured at the return of 2-3 ms depolarizing steps to -40 mV were indistinguishable in neurons with and without IC, precluding a separation of the nodose IC and IK by a difference in deactivation rates. 5. Chtx (10-250 nM) reduced in a subpopulation of 3/8 C-fiber neurons the total outward current elicited by voltage steps depolarized to -30 mV in single microelectrode voltage-clamp recordings. TEA (5-10 mM) further reduced outward current in the presence of 100-250 nM Chtx in all eight experiments. The Chtx-sensitive current was taken to represent IC, and the TEA-sensitive current, the IK component contributing to action-potential repolarization. 6. Rapidly inactivating current (IA) was implicated in action-potential repolarization in a subpopulation of intracellularly recorded C-fiber neurons. In 4/7 neurons, incremented hyperpolarizing prepulses negative to -50 mV progressively shortened APD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, ZENECA Pharmaceuticals Group, Wilmington, Delaware 19897-2300.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Togo
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Naper
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000502:physiology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D014781:Viscera / Q000294:innervation*
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium