Effects of excitatory amino acids and nimodipine on calcium currents in cultured rat cortical neurons.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of excitatory amino acid (EAA) and calcium channel blocker on neuronal calcium channels.


METHODS
With path-clamp technique (whole-cell recording), the effects of Bay-K-8644, cesium glutamate, potassium aspartate, and nimodipine (Nim) on calcium currents (ICa) in cultured cortical neurons of neonatal rats were studied.


RESULTS
ICa was raised obviously by Bay-K-8644 and glutamate. ICa was raised concentration-dependently by aspartate (0.5, 5, 50 mmol.L-1), with increasing rates 15% +/- 3%, 37% +/- 3%, and 53% +/- 6%, respectively. The inhibition of ICa was obvious while adding Nim in the bath solution. With Nim 10 mumol.L-1, the inhibitory rate was 46% +/- 4%.


CONCLUSIONS
EAA had increasing effects on neuronal calcium currents and Nim inhibited Ca2+ influx in neurons.
Ning
K
K
Department of Neurosurgery, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Wang
Z G
ZG
Chen
C C
CC
Li
J M
JM
Zhu
P F
PF
D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D009553:Nimodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D018846:Excitatory Amino Acids; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D009553:Nimodipine; D001498:3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-, Methyl ester