title: Characterization and developmental changes of Na+ currents of petrosal neurons with projections to the carotid body.
abstract: Carotid body chemoreceptors transduce a decrease in arterial oxygen tension into an increase in spiking activity on the sinus nerve, and this response increases with postnatal age over the first week or two of life. Previous work from our laboratory has suggested a major role of axonal Na(+) channels in the initiation of afferent spiking activity. Using RT-PCR of the petrosal ganglia we identified Na(+) channel TTX-S isoforms Na(v)1.1, Na(v)1.6, and Na(v)1.7 and the TTX-resistant (TTX-R) isoforms Na(v)1.8 and Na(v)1.9 at high levels. Electrophysiologic recordings (at 3 ages: 3 days, 9 days, 18-20 days) of neurons that project to the carotid body exhibited predominantly fast-inactivating sodium currents, with a bimodal recovery from inactivation at -80 mV (fast component approximately 8 ms; slow component approximately 90 ms). Developmental age had little effect with no change in peak current density (approximately 1.4 nA/pF) and was associated with a slight, but significant increase in the speed of recovery from inactivation at -140 and -120 mV but not at other potentials. Assuming that the same Na(+) channel complement is present at the nerve terminal as at the soma, the association of a sensory modality (chemoreception) with a relatively uniform Na(+) channel profile suggests that the rapid kinetics of TTX-S channels may be essential for some aspects of chemoreceptor function beyond mediating simple axonal conduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven Connecticut 06510, USA. Theodore.Cummins@Yale.edu
authors.forename: Theodore R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: Sulayman D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Dib-Hajj
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Waxman
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Donnelly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000502:physiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005724:Ganglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels; D013779:Tetrodotoxin