title: Calcium currents in hair cells isolated from semicircular canals of the frog.
abstract: L-type and R-type Ca(2+) currents were detected in frog semicircular canal hair cells. The former was noninactivating and nifedipine-sensitive (5 microM); the latter, partially inactivated, was resistant to omega-conotoxin GVIA (5 microM), omega-conotoxin MVIIC (5 microM), and omega-agatoxin IVA (0.4 microM), but was sensitive to mibefradil (10 microM). Both currents were sensitive to Ni(2+) and Cd(2+) (>10 microM). In some cells the L-type current amplitude increased almost twofold upon repetitive stimulation, whereas the R-type current remained unaffected. Eventually, run-down occurred for both currents, but was prevented by the protease inhibitor calpastatin. The R-type current peak component ran down first, without changing its plateau, suggesting that two channel types generate the R-type current. This peak component appeared at -40 mV, reached a maximal value at -30 mV, and became undetectable for voltages > or =0 mV, suggestive of a novel transient current: its inactivation was indeed reversibly removed when Ba(2+) was the charge carrier. The L-type current and the R-type current plateau were appreciable at -60 mV and peaked at -20 mV: the former current did not reverse for voltages up to +60 mV, the latter reversed between +30 and +60 mV due to an outward Cs(+) current flowing through the same Ca(2+) channel. The physiological role of these currents on hair cell function is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Dipartimento di Biologia dell'Università-Sezione di Fisiologia Generale, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubbini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rispoli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018069:Hair Cells, Vestibular / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020748:Mibefradil / Q000494:pharmacology; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011893:Rana esculenta; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000502:physiology*; D014741:Video Recording; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA / Q000494:pharmacology; D020866:omega-Conotoxin GVIA / Q000494:pharmacology; D020960:omega-Conotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D020908:Calcium Channels, R-Type; D020867:omega-Agatoxin IVA; D020960:omega-Conotoxins; C075851:omega-conotoxin-MVIIC; D001464:Barium; D020748:Mibefradil; D020866:omega-Conotoxin GVIA; D009543:Nifedipine; D002118:Calcium