title: A novel osmosensitive voltage gated cation current in rat supraoptic neurones.
abstract: The magnocellular neurosecretory cells of the hypothalamus (MNCs) regulate water balance by releasing vasopressin and oxytocin as a function of plasma osmolality. Release is determined largely by the rate and pattern of action potentials generated in the MNC somata. Changes in firing are mediated in part by a stretch-inactivated non-selective cation current that causes the cells to depolarize when increased osmolality leads to cell shrinkage. We have obtained evidence for a new current that may regulate MNC firing during changes in external osmolality, using whole-cell patch clamp of acutely isolated rat MNC somata. In internal and external solutions lacking K+, with high concentrations of TEA, and with Na+ as the only likely permeant cation, the current appears as a slow inward current during depolarizations and yields a large tail current upon return to the holding potential of -80 mV. Approximately 60% of the MNCs tested (79 out of 134 cells) displayed a large increase in tail current density (from 5.2+/-0.9 to 10.5+/-1.4 pA pF-1; P<0.001) following an increase in external osmolality from 295 to 325 mosmol kg-1. The current is activated by depolarization to potentials above -60 mV and does not appear to depend on changes in internal Ca2+. The current is carried by Na+ under these conditions, but is blocked by Cs+ and Ba2+ and by internal K+, which suggests that the current could be a K+ current under physiological conditions. This current could play an important role in regulating the response of MNCs to osmolality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, 107 Wiggins Road, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E5.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002586:Cesium / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019789:Tetraethylammonium / Q000494:pharmacology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D014667:Vasopressins; D002586:Cesium; D001464:Barium; D010121:Oxytocin; D019789:Tetraethylammonium; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium