title: Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ.
abstract: Whole-cell patch clamp recording has been successfully used in identifying the voltage-dependent gating and conductance properties of ion channels in a variety of cells. However, this powerful technique is of limited value in studying low membrane resistance cells, such as astrocytes in situ, because of the inability to control or accurately measure the real amplitude of command voltages. To facilitate the study of ionic conductances of astrocytes, we have developed a dual patch recording method which permits membrane current and membrane potential to be simultaneously recorded from astrocytes in spite of their extraordinarily low membrane resistance. The utility of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the voltage-dependent activation of the inwardly rectifying K+ current abundantly expressed in astrocytes and multiple ionic events associated with astrocytic GABAA receptor activation. This protocol can be performed routinely in the study of astrocytes. This method will be valuable for identifying and characterizing the individual ion channels that orchestrate the electrical activity of low membrane resistance cells.
authors.forename: Baofeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guangjin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Enyeart
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. zhou.787@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000378:metabolism; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A