title: Noise enhances subthreshold oscillations in injured primary sensory neurons.
abstract: Noise can play a constructive role in the detection of weak signals in various kinds of peripheral receptors and neurons. What the mechanism underlying the effect of noise is remains unclear. Here, the perforated patch-clamp technique was used on isolated cells from chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) model. Our data provided new insight indicating that, under conditions without external signals, noise can enhance subthreshold oscillations, which was observed in a certain type of neurons with high-frequency (20-100 Hz) intrinsic resonance from injured DRG neurons. The occurrence of subthreshold oscillation considerably decreased the threshold potential for generating repetitive firing. The above effects of noise can be abolished by blocking the persistent sodium current (I(Na, P)). Utilizing a mathematical neuron model we further simulated the effect of noise on subthreshold oscillation and firing, and also found that noise can enhance the electrical activity through autonomous stochastic resonance. Accordingly, we propose a new concept of the effects of noise on neural intrinsic activity, which suggests that noise may be an important factor for modulating the excitability of neurons and generation of chronic pain signals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Jian-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Jun-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wen-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hui-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guo-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jun-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: San-Jue
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000473:pathology*; D008433:Mathematics; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009622:Noise; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D013779:Tetrodotoxin