title: The effect of variations in sodium conductances on pacemaking in a dopaminergic retinal neuron model.
abstract: Dopaminergic neurons in the retina show spontaneous tetrodotoxin-sensitive pacemaking, which has been explained by a reduced Hodgkin-Huxley-type computer model. The present study used this model to investigate the effect of variations in transient and persistent sodium conductance values on pacemaking, under variable leakage conductance levels. This study indicated that transient sodium conductance plays an indispensable role in pacemaking, which occurs under conditions in which only a persistent sodium conductance is considerably reduced, thus contributing to a detailed understanding of the relationship between sodium conductance and pacemaking.
authors.affiliation: Tokushima Bunri University, Kagawa School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sanuki, Kagawa, Japan. tshi@ph.bunri-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirahata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D055351:Retinal Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels; D012964:Sodium; D004298:Dopamine