title: Mercury (Hg2+) suppression of potassium currents of outer hair cells.
abstract: The heavy metal mercury (Hg(2+)) is an insidious environmental pollutant that causes toxic effects on sensory systems. It is well known that the group IIB divalent cation Hg(2+) is an inhibitor of the group I monovalent potassium (K(+)) cation pore-forming channel in several biological preparations. Here, we used the whole cell patch clamp technique on freshly isolated outer hair cells (OHCs) of the guinea pig cochlea to record outward K(+) currents and inward K(+) currents treated with mercuric chloride (HgCl(2)). HgCl(2) affected K(+) currents in a voltage- and dose-dependent manner. The effects of HgCl(2) at 1.0-100 microM are more pronounced on onset peak current than on steady-state end current. HgCl(2) depolarized also the resting membrane potential. Although the effect of HgCl(2) at 1.0 microM was partially washed out over several minutes, the effects at 10 and 100 microM were irreversible to washout. Since K(+) channels of OHCs are targets for HgCl(2) ototoxicity, this may lead to auditory transduction problems, including a loss in hearing sensitivity. A better understanding of fundamental mechanisms underlying K(+) channelopathies in OHCs due to HgCl(2) poisoning may lead to better preventive or therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: ENT Research Laboratory and Institute for Hearing and Communication Research, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: G-H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Järlebark
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulfendahl
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D008627:Mercuric Chloride