title: Bicuculline free base blocks voltage-activated K+ currents in rat medial preoptic neurons.
abstract: The effects of the well-known GABA(A)-receptor blocker bicuculline on voltage-gated K(+) currents were studied in neurons from the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) of rat. Whole-cell currents were recorded using the perforated-patch technique. Voltage steps from -54 to +6 mV resulted in tetraethylammonium-sensitive K(+) currents of delayed rectifier type. The total K(+) current (at 300 ms), including Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent components, was reversibly reduced (17 +/- 4%) by 100 microM bicuculline methiodide and (37 +/- 5%) by 100 microM bicuculline as free base. The Ca(2+)-independent fraction (77 +/- 2%) of K(+) current evoked by a voltage step was, however, reduced (54 +/- 6%) only by bicuculline free base, but was not affected by bicuculline methiodide. The half-saturating concentration of bicuculline free base for blocking this purely voltage-gated K(+) current was 113 microM, whereas for blocking a steady Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) current it was 36 microM. The bicuculline-sensitive voltage-gated K(+) current was composed of 4-AP-sensitive and 4-AP-resistant components with different kinetic properties. No component of the purely voltage-gated K(+) current was affected neither by 100 nM alpha-dendrotoxin nor by 100 nM I-dendrotoxin. The possible K(+)-channel subtypes mediating the bicuculline-sensitive current in MPN neurons are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Section for Physiology, Umeå University, S-901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Druzin
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haage
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johansson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D001640:Bicuculline