title: Membrane properties of area postrema neurons.
abstract: Intrinsic membrane properties, voltage-dependent sodium and voltage-dependent potassium currents of area postrema neurons in culture have been characterized with respect to their voltage dependence, time dependence and sensitivity to specific blocking agents. The area postrema is a hindbrain circumventricular organ which is known to have an important role in the central regulation of cardiovascular function. This study is the first to describe the biophysical properties of ion channels present in rat area postrema neurons. Recordings in current-clamp mode revealed a mean resting membrane potential of -55.0 +/- 1.6 (n = 24) mV and an input resistance of 213.6 +/- 23 M omega. For the 24 neurons tested, the evoked action potential had a mean threshold of 38.8 +/- 2 mV and a mean amplitude of 107.3 +/- 15 mV. Our results show that the area postrema possesses only one principle sodium current which is completely abolished by 5 microM tetrodotoxin (TTX) (n = 28). This current activated near -50 mV and reached peak amplitude at -30 mV. The area postrema does not possess a TTX insensitive sodium current. The area postrema has at least two types of potassium currents. All area postrema neurons studied with tetraethylamonium (TEA) (n = 40) showed the presence of a slowly activating outward current which was present at voltages greater than -40 mV and was blocked by 10 mM TEA. In addition, 75% of the neurons studied (n = 30/40) also showed a rapidly inactivating, 4-AP sensitive IA type current which activated near -30 mV. Angiotensin II attenuated both the peak and the steady-state potassium currents, suggesting that angiotensin II may modulate area postrema activity by inhibiting voltage-gated potassium channels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 78284-7756, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hay
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lindsley
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D013757:Tetraethylammonium Compounds; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D000804:Angiotensin II; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D012964:Sodium; D015761:4-Aminopyridine; D011188:Potassium