title: Na+ channel block prevents the ischemia-induced release of norepinephrine from spinal cord slices.
abstract: The principal finding of the present study with rat spinal cord slices was the novel demonstration of the [Ca2+]o-independent effect of ischemia on norepinephrine release and its antagonism by tetrodotoxin and low temperature (10 degrees C). Our finding that tetrodotoxin antagonized the effects of glucose deprivation on norepinephrine release in a [Ca2+]o-independent way suggests that Na+ channel block alone, i.e., the prevention of Na+ accumulation, may account for the protective action. Low temperature completely prevented the effect of ischemia on norepinephrine release but did not change the release associated with axonal activity. This finding is in good agreement with the observation that small changes in brain temperature critically determine the extent of neuronal injury from ischemia and suggests that both [Ca2+]o-independent release and cell injury are associated with the norepinephrine membrane carrier. It is suggested, therefore, that drugs able to attenuate the increase in [Na+]i during ischemia may be useful agents to protect against ischemic damage if given before the insult.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchihashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bencsics
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Vizi
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D003080:Cold Temperature; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000378:metabolism; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D008012:Lidocaine; D015761:4-Aminopyridine; D002118:Calcium; D009638:Norepinephrine