title: ATP activates non-selective cation channels and calcium release in inner hair cells of the guinea-pig cochlea.
abstract: 1. ATP-evoked currents and Ca2+ signals were simultaneously recorded in isolated inner hair cells (IHC) of guinea-pig cochlea by combining conventional whole-cell or perforated patch clamp recording with indo-1 dual emission microfluorometry. 2. In most IHCs, voltage clamped near resting membrane potential (-40 mV), extracellular ATP evoked a rapid inward current (time constant, 150 ms). This current was concomitant with a slow rise in [Ca2+]i (time constant, 5 s). The ATP-evoked inward currents could be repeated several times with only a small run-down in amplitude (< 10%), while the ATP-evoked Ca2+ responses showed a rapid run-down (> 80% at the third ATP application). 3. The current-voltage relationship of ATP-evoked currents showed a reversal potential at -11 +/- 6 mV (n = 8), suggesting that ATP essentially activated a non-specific cationic conductance. On the contrary, the amplitude of the ATP-evoked Ca2+ responses did not show significant dependence on holding membrane potential. 4. The Ca2+ response showed an apparent Kd for ATP (EC50, 1.8 +/- 0.3 microM; Hill coefficient, 1.0 +/- 0.1) eightfold smaller than for the evoked currents (EC50, 13.7 +/- 3.0 microM; Hill coefficient, 2.0 +/- 0.7). 5. Perfusion with high extracellular Ca2+ solution (10 mM CaCl2) reduced the amplitude of the ATP-evoked currents by 90%, while perfusion with zero Ca2+ solution increased it by more than 100%. However, similar variations in external Ca2+ concentration did not change the amplitude of the ATP-evoked Ca2+ responses. Furthermore, intracellular heparin (1 mg mL-1), a potent inhibitor of InsP3 receptors, did not significantly change the amplitude of ATP-evoked currents but reduced the ATP-evoked Ca2+ response, suggesting again that the latter is related to Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. 6. The results suggested that two types of P2-purinergic receptor are expressed in IHCs: ATP-gated ion channels and ATP-activated metabotropic receptors. At submicromolar ATP concentrations, the metabotropic receptors raising intracellular [Ca2+] would hyperpolarize IHCs via Ca(2+)-sensitive K+ channels. The ATP-gated ion channels activated at higher ATP concentrations would mainly have a depolarizing effect on IHCs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Audiologie Expérimentale, INSERM, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugasawa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erostegui
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanchet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dulon
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006199:Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007211:Indoles; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D058919:Purinergic P2 Receptor Antagonists
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007211:Indoles; D007473:Ion Channels; D058919:Purinergic P2 Receptor Antagonists; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006493:Heparin; C048960:indo-1; D002118:Calcium