Calcium currents in pyramidal neurons acutely dissociated from the rat frontal cortex: a study by the nystatin perforated patch technique.
We studied electrical and pharmacological properties of voltage-activated Ca2+ currents (ICa) in freshly dissociated rat frontal cortical pyramidal neurons by using nystatin perforated patch and conventional patch-clamp techniques. With either nystatin perforated patch technique or conventional patch-clamp technique, low voltage-activated ICa (LVA ICa) and high voltage-activated ICa (HVA ICa) were recorded. However, in conventional whole-cell recording, HVA ICa ran down within 5-20 min, whereas the current remained stable for 50 min at least in nystatin perforated patch recording. The HVA ICa recorded by nystatin perforated patch technique was further classified to L-type, N-type and a current component resistant to both nicardipine and omega-conotoxin by their current kinetics, voltage- and drug-sensitivities. Present results suggest that the perforated patch technique is a useful method for studying the properties of high voltage-activated Ca2+ channels.
Ye
J H
JH
Department of Neurophysiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Akaike
N
N
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009761:Nystatin; D051381:Rats
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009761:Nystatin; D002118:Calcium