title: [Inhibitory effects of clonidine on GABA-activated currents in rat DRG neurons].
abstract: Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on neurons from freshly isolated rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) to investigate modulatory effects of clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, on GABA-activated currents. In the majority of the neurons examined (72/75), GABA (10(-6)-10(-3) mol/L) induced a concentration-dependent inward current, which could be blocked by bicuculine (10(-4)-10(-5) mol/L). In 51 out of 72 cells, pretreatment with different dosages of clonidine (10(-8)-10(-4) mol/L) decreased the GABA (10(-4) mol/L)-activated current by 8.5%, 19.0%, 33.4%, 44.4% and 40.3%, respectively, while clonidine itself only induced a slight inward current in a few cells (12/72). The inhibitory action of clonidine blockable by yohimbine (10(-4) mol/L) was voltage-independent and did not change the membrane conductance during the activation of GABAA receptor. Unlike NA, (-)-isoproternol (10(-4)-10(-5) mol/L) exerted no effect on GABA-activated currents. Intracellular application of H-7 (10(-4) mol/L) via micropipette resulted in a significant blockade of clonidine inhibition (19/20) except one cell showing only a slight inhibition (11.2%). The results suggest that the inhibitory effect of clonidine on GABA-activated currents in DRG neurons might involve phosphorylation of GABAA receptor following activation of alpha 2-adrenoceptor through a mechanism of intracellular transduction.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre of Experimental Medicine, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan 430030.
authors.forename: Q W
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Z W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D003000:Clonidine