title: Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on voltage-gated K+ and Na+ channels in rat olfactory receptor neurons.
abstract: Although the polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are enriched in the olfactory mucosa, their possible contribution to olfactory transduction has not been investigated. This study characterized their effects on voltage-gated K+ and Na+ channels of rat olfactory receptor neurons. Physiological (3-10 microm) concentrations of AA and DHA potently and irreversibly inhibited the voltage-gated K+ current in a voltage-independent manner. In addition, both compounds significantly reduced the inhibitory potency of the odorants acetophenone and amyl acetate at these channels. By comparison, the steady-state effects of both AA and DHA on the voltage-gated Na+ channel were relatively weak, with half-maximal inhibition requiring approximately 35 microm of either compound. However, a surprising finding was that the initial application of 3 microm AA to a naïve neuron caused a strong but transient inhibition of the Na+ current. The channels became almost completely resistant to this inhibition within 1 min, and a 2-min wash in control solution was insufficient to restore the strong inhibitory effect. These observations suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids have the potential to strongly influence the coding of odorant information by olfactory receptor neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Benchamaporn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seebungkert
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D000098:Acetophenones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D003545:Cysteine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006639:Histidine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000077222:Limonene; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000439:Pentanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000098:Acetophenones; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D000439:Pentanols; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D015222:Sodium Channels; D013729:Terpenes; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D006639:Histidine; C005716:amyl acetate; D000077222:Limonene; D003545:Cysteine; C038699:acetophenone