title: Activation of potassium conductance by ophiopogonin-D in acutely dissociated rat paratracheal neurones.
abstract: 1. The effect of ophiopogonin-D (OP-D), a steroidal glycoside and an active component of Bakumondo-to, a Chinese herbal antitussive, on neurones acutely dissociated from paratracheal ganglia of 2-week-old Wistar rats was investigated using the nystatin-perforated patch recording configuration. 2. Under current-clamp conditions, OP-D (10 microM) hyperpolarized the paratracheal neurones from a resting membrane potential of -65.7 to -73.5 mV. 3. At the concentration of 1 microM and above, OP-D concentration-dependently activated an outward current accompanied by an increase in the membrane conductance under voltage-clamp conditions at a holding potential of -40 mV. 4. The reversal potential of the OP-D-induced current (I(OP-D)) was -79.4 mV, which is close to the K(+) equilibrium potential of -86.4 mV. The changes in the reversal potential for a 10 fold change in extracellular K(+) concentration was 53.1 mV, indicating that the current was carried by K(+). 5. The I(OP-D) was blocked by an extracellular application of 1 mM Ba2+ by 59.0%, but other K(+) channel blockers, including 4-aminopyridine (3 mM), apamin (1 microM), charybdotoxin (0.3 microM), glibenclamide (1 microM), tolbutamide (0.3 mM) and tetraethylammonium (10 mM), did not inhibit the I(OP-D). 6. OP-D also inhibited the ACh- and bradykinin-induced depolarizing responses which were accompanied with firing of action potentials. 7. The results suggest that OP-D may be of benefit in reducing the excitability of airway parasympathetic ganglion neurones and consequently cholinergic control of airway function and further, that the hyperpolarizing effect of OP-D on paratracheal neurones via an activation of K(+) channels might explain a part of mechanisms of the antitussive action of the agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygienic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-Honmachi, Kumamoto 862-0973, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochidome
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ichiki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahama
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000819:agonists*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013150:Spirostans; D014132:Trachea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D012503:Saponins; D013150:Spirostans; D001464:Barium; C046996:ophiopogonin D