title: Zn2+ depresses GABAA receptor mediated responses in acutely dissociated sacral dorsal commissural neurons.
abstract: The effects of Zn2+ on GABAA-receptor mediated responses in acutely isolated rat sacral dorsal commissural nucleus (SDCN) were studied using nystatin-perforated whole cell recording techniques. The results demonstrated that (1) GABA induced inward currents through activation of GABAA-receptor at a holding potential of -40 mV; (2) GABAA-receptor mediated responses were suppressed by Zn2+ in a reversible and voltage-independent manner; and (3) in the presence of Zn2+, the concentration-response curve of GABA-induced responses was shifted to the right in a parallel manner. The results suggest that Zn2+ allosterically depresses GABAA-receptor mediated currents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032.
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009761:Nystatin; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018756:GABA Antagonists; D058787:GABA-A Receptor Antagonists; D009761:Nystatin; D015032:Zinc