title: Temperature-dependent activation of neurons by continuous near-infrared laser.
abstract: Optical control of neuronal activity has a number of advantages over electrical methods and can be conveniently applied to intact individual neurons in vivo. In this study, we demonstrated an experimental approach in which a focused continuous near-infrared (CNI) laser beam was used to activate single rat hippocampal neurons by transiently elevating the local temperature. Reversible changes in the amplitude and kinetics of neuronal voltage-gated Na and K channel currents were recorded following irradiation with a single-mode 980 nm CNI-laser. Using single-channel recordings under controlled temperatures as a means of calibration, it was estimated that temperature at the neuron rose by 14 degrees C in 500 ms. Computer simulation confirmed that small temperature changes of about 5 degrees C were sufficient to produce significant changes in neuronal excitability. The method should be broadly applicable to studies of neuronal activity under physiological conditions, in particular studies of temperature-sensing neurons expressing thermoTRP channels.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biomedical Optics, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116023, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bers
authors.forename: Changsen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000379:methods*; D006361:Heating; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology; D007834:Lasers; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015222:Sodium Channels
chemical_list: D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D015222:Sodium Channels