title: Modulation of neuronal activity by EGCG.
abstract: This study aims to investigate whether (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) affects neuronal activity of acutely isolated rat medial vestibular nuclear neurons in whole-cell configuration patch-clamp experiments. EGCG (0.5 and 1 muM) lowered the spontaneous firing rate and hyperpolarized the membrane potential of medial vestibular nuclear neurons. However, it did not change the amplitude of afterhyperpolarization or the spike width of the action potential. A second application of EGCG with the same concentration elicited lesser responses. These results suggest that EGCG decreases neuronal activity by affecting potassium currents which are responsible for membrane potentials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-190, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Seong
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Yo-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate