title: Voltage gated calcium channel currents of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are blocked by Al3+.
abstract: The effects of the trivalent cation aluminum (Al3+) on voltage activated calcium channel currents were examined. Al3+ blocks sustained and transient components of voltage activated calcium channel currents of cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells. Currents were elicited by voltage jumps from -80 to 0 mV. The channel block was use dependent. Steady state blockade occurred after 1 to 5 min, when opening the channel every 10 s. There was little or no recovery after washing. Threshold concentration was about 20 microM Al3+ and total blockade (> 80%) was obtained at 200 microM Al3+; the IC50 was 83 microM and the Hill number was around 3. The degree of blockade was pH dependent, and increased with H+ concentration. The current-voltage relation frequently shifted to depolarised voltages after applying Al3+. The degree of the shift was a function of Al3+ concentration, but the magnitude differed from cell to cell. In the effective concentration range (< 200 microM Al3+) the effect was quite specific to voltage activated calcium channel currents. Voltage activated potassium and sodium channels were reduced less than 15% by 200 microM Al3+. We conclude that Al3+ is a potent and irreversible blocker of voltage activated calcium channel currents in mammalian neurons.
authors.affiliation: Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Physiologisches Institut II, FRG.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Büsselberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Carpenter
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D000535:Aluminum