ω-AgaIVA–Sensitive (P/Q-type) and –Resistant (R-type) High-Voltage–Activated Ba2+ Currents in Embryonic Cockroach Brain Neurons

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 2284-2293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Benquet ◽  
Janine Le Guen ◽  
Govindan Dayanithi ◽  
Yves Pichon ◽  
François Tiaho
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Primary Culture ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Hill Coefficient ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Brain Neurons ◽  
Voltage Dependent

By means of the whole cell patch-clamp technique, the biophysical and pharmacological properties of voltage-dependent Ba2+ currents ( I Ba) were characterized in embryonic cockroach brain neurons in primary culture. I Ba was characterized by a threshold of approximately −30 mV, a maximum at ∼0 mV, and a reversal potential near +40 mV. Varying the holding potential from −100 to −40 mV did not modify these properties. The steady-state, voltage-dependent activation and inactivation properties of the current were determined by fitting the corresponding curves with the Boltzmann equation and yielded V 0.5 of −10 ± 2 (SE) mV and −30 ± 1 mV, respectively. I Ba was insensitive to the dihydropyridine (DHP) agonist BayK8644 (1 μM) and antagonist isradipine (10 μM) but was efficiently and reversibly blocked by the phenylalkylamine verapamil in a dose-dependent manner ( IC 50 = 170 μM). The toxin ω-CgTxGVIA (1 μM) had no significant effect on IBa. Micromolar doses of ω-CmTxMVIIC were needed to reduce the current amplitude significantly, and the effect was slow. At 1 μM, 38% of the peak current was blocked after 1 h. In contrast, IBa was potently and irreversibly blocked by nanomolar concentrations of ω-AgaTxIVA in ∼81% of the neurons. Approximately 20% of the current was unaffected after treatment of the neurons with high concentrations of the toxin (0.4–1 μM). The steady-state dose-response relationship was fitted with a Hill equation and yielded an IC 50 of 17 nM and a Hill coefficient ( n) of 0.6. A better fit was obtained with a combination of two Hill equations corresponding to specific ( IC 50 = 9 nM; n = 1) and nonspecific ( IC 50 = 900 nM; n = 1) ω-AgaTxIVA–sensitive components. In the remaining 19% of the neurons, concentrations ≥100 nM ω-AgaTxIVA had no visible effect on IBa. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that embryonic cockroach brain neurons in primary culture express at least two types of voltage-dependent, high-voltage–activated (HVA) calcium channels: a specific ω-AgaTxIVA–sensitive component and DHP-, ω-CgTxGVIA–, and ω-AgaTxIVA–resistant component related respectively to the P/Q- and R-type voltage-dependent calcium channels.

Differential Modulation of the Cardiac L- and T-type Calcium Channel Currents by Isoflurane

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amadou K. S. Camara ◽  
Zeljana Begic ◽  
Wai-Meng Kwok ◽  
Zeljko J. Bosnjak
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Calcium Currents ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Inotropic Effects ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Steady State Inactivation ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Hyperpolarizing Shift

Background Volatile anesthetics exert their negative chronotropic and inotropic effects, in part by depressing the L- and T-type calcium channels. This study examines and compares the dose-dependent effects of isoflurane on atrial L- and T-type calcium currents (I(Ca,L) and I(Ca,T)) and ventricular I(Ca,L). Methods Whole cell I(Ca) was recorded from enzymatically isolated guinea pig cardiomyocytes. Current-voltage relations for atrial and ventricular I(Ca,L) was obtained from holding potentials of -90 and -50 mV to test a potential of +60 mV in 10-mV increments. Atrial I(Ca,T) was determined by subtraction of currents obtained from holding potentials of -50 and -90 mV. Steady state inactivation was determined using standard two-pulse protocols, and data were fitted with the Boltzmann equation. Results Isoflurane depressed I(Ca) in a dose-dependent manner, with Kd values of 0.23+/-0.03, 0.34+/-0.03, and 0.71+/-0.02 mM of anesthetic for atrial I(Ca,T) and I(Ca,L) and ventricular (ICa,L), respectively, and caused a significant (P < 0.05) hyperpolarizing shift in steady state inactivation. At 1.2 and 1.6 mm, isoflurane caused a significant (P < 0.05) depolarizing shift in the steady state activation in ventricular I(Ca,L) but not in atrial I(Ca,L) or I(Ca,T). In addition to the depression of I(Ca,L), isoflurane also induced a hyperpolarizing shift in the reversal potential of I(Ca) for both atrial and ventricular L-type calcium channels. Conclusion The results show that atrial I(Ca,T) is more sensitive to isoflurane than atrial I(Ca,L), and ventricular I(Ca,L) was the least responsive to the anesthetic. These differential sensitivities of the calcium channels in the atrial and ventricular chambers might reflect phenotypic differences in the calcium channels or differences in modulation by the anesthetic.

scholarly journals Ascorbic acid modulation of calcium channels in pancreatic beta cells.

1993 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
R V Parsey ◽  
D R Matteson
Keyword(s):  
Ascorbic Acid ◽  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Beta Cells ◽  
Pancreatic Beta Cells ◽  
Inactivation Kinetics ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Voltage Dependent Calcium Channels ◽  
Metal Catalyzed

We have studied the effect of ascorbic acid on voltage-dependent calcium channels in pancreatic beta cells. Using the whole-cell and perforated-patch variants of the patch clamp technique to record calcium tail currents, we have shown that the slowly deactivating (SD) calcium channel, which is similar to the T-type channel in other cells, is inhibited in a voltage-dependent manner by ascorbic acid (AA). The other channels that carry inward current in beta cells, FD calcium channels and sodium channels, are unaffected by AA. Ascorbic acid causes a voltage-dependent decrease in the magnitude of the SD channel conductance which can be explained by the hypothesis that approximately 50-60% of the channels have their voltage dependence shifted by approximately 62 mV in the depolarizing direction. Thus, ascorbate appears to modify only a fraction of the SD channels. The activation kinetics of the ascorbate-modified channels are slower than control channels in a manner that is consistent with this hypothesis. Deactivation and inactivation kinetics are unaffected by ascorbate. These effects of ascorbate require metal ions, and it appears that some of the activity of ascorbate is due to a product of its metal catalyzed oxidation, perhaps dehydroascorbate.

Inactivation Properties of Human Recombinant Class E Calcium Channels

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 671-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Jouvenceau ◽  
Federica Giovannini ◽  
Cath P. Bath ◽  
Emily Trotman ◽  
Emanuele Sher
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Pharmacological Properties ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Hek 293 ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Dependent Inactivation ◽  
Voltage Dependent

The electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of α1E-containing Ca2+ channels were investigated by using the patch-clamp technique in the whole cell configuration, in HEK 293 cells stably expressing the human α1E together with α2b and β1baccessory subunits. These channels had current-voltage ( I-V) characteristics resembling those of high-voltage–activated (HVA) Ca2+ channels (threshold at −30 mV and peak amplitude at +10 mV in 5 mM Ca2+). The currents activated and deactivated with a fast rate, in a time- and voltage-dependent manner. No difference was found in their relative permeability to Ca2+ and Ba2+. Inorganic Ca2+ channel blockers (Cd2+, Ni2+) blocked completely and potently the α1E,/α2bδ/β1b mediated currents (IC50 = 4 and 24.6 μM, respectively). α1E-mediated currents inactivated rapidly and mainly in a non–Ca2+-dependent manner, as evidenced by the fact that 1) decreasing extracellular Ca2+ from 10 to 2 mM and 2) changing the intracellular concentration of the Ca2+ chelator 1.2-bis(2-aminophenoxy) ethane- N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), did not affect the inactivation characteristics; 3) there was no clear-cut bell-shaped relationship between test potential and inactivation, as would be expected from a Ca2+-dependent event. Although Ba2+ substitution did not affect the inactivation of α1E channels, Na+substitution revealed a small but significant reduction in the extent and rate of inactivation, suggesting that besides the presence of dominant voltage-dependent inactivation, α1E channels are also affected by a divalent cation-dependent inactivation process. We have analyzed the Ca2+ currents produced by a range of imposed action potential–like voltage protocols (APVPs). The amplitude and area of the current were dependent on the duration of the waveform employed and were relatively similar to those described for HVA calcium channels. However, the peak latency resembled that obtained for low-voltage–activated (LVA) calcium channels. Short bursts of APVPs applied at 100 Hz produced a depression of the Ca2+ current amplitude, suggesting an accumulation of inactivation likely to be calcium dependent. The human α1E gene seems to participate to a Ca2+ channel type with biophysical and pharmacological properties partly resembling those of LVA and those of HVA channels, with inactivation characteristics more complex than previously believed.

Calcineurin-independent inhibition of KV1.3 by FK-506 (tacrolimus): a novel pharmacological property

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (5) ◽  
pp. C1714-C1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Sook Ahn ◽  
Sung Eun Kim ◽  
Bok Hee Choi ◽  
Jin-Sung Choi ◽  
Myung-Jun Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Concentration Dependent Manner ◽  
Fk 506 ◽  
Inactivation Curve ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Dependent Inhibition ◽  
Steady State Inactivation

The interaction of FK-506 with KV1.3, stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, was investigated with the whole cell patch-clamp technique. FK-506 inhibited KV1.3 in a reversible, concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 5.6 μM. Rapamycin, another immunosuppressant, produced effects that were similar to those of FK-506 (IC50 = 6.7 μM). Other calcineurin inhibitors (cypermethrin or calcineurin autoinhibitory peptide) alone had no effect on the amplitude or kinetics of KV1.3. In addition, the inhibitory action of FK-506 continued, even after the inhibition of calcineurin activity. The inhibition produced by FK-506 was voltage dependent, increasing in the voltage range for channel activation. At potentials positive to 0 mV (where maximal conductance is reached), however, no voltage-dependent inhibition was found. FK-506 exhibited a strong use-dependent inhibition of KV1.3. FK-506 shifted the steady-state inactivation curves of KV1.3 in the hyperpolarizing direction in a concentration-dependent manner. The apparent dissociation constant for FK-506 to inhibit KV1.3 in the inactivated state was estimated from the concentration-dependent shift in the steady-state inactivation curve and was calculated to be 0.37 μM. Moreover, the rate of recovery from inactivation of KV1.3 was decreased. In inside-out patches, FK-506 not only reduced the current amplitude but also accelerated the rate of inactivation during depolarization. FK-506 also inhibited KV1.5 and KV4.3 in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 of 4.6 and 53.9 μM, respectively. The present results indicate that FK-506 inhibits KV1.3 directly and that this effect is not mediated via the inhibition of the phosphatase activity of calcineurin.

Halothane Inhibition of Recombinant Cardiac L-type Ca2+ Channels Expressed in HEK-293 Cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 1156-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Gingrich ◽  
Son Tran ◽  
Igor M. Nikonorov ◽  
Thomas J. Blanck
Keyword(s):  
Charge Transfer ◽  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Current Time ◽  
Hek 293 ◽  
Hek 293 Cells ◽  
293 Cells ◽  
Dependent Inactivation ◽  
Voltage Dependent

Background Volatile anesthetics depress cardiac contractility, which involves inhibition of cardiac L-type calcium channels. To explore the role of voltage-dependent inactivation, the authors analyzed halothane effects on recombinant cardiac L-type calcium channels (alpha1Cbeta2a and alpha1Cbeta2aalpha2/delta1), which differ by the alpha2/delta1 subunit and consequently voltage-dependent inactivation. Methods HEK-293 cells were transiently cotransfected with complementary DNAs encoding alpha1C tagged with green fluorescent protein and beta2a, with and without alpha2/delta1. Halothane effects on macroscopic barium currents were recorded using patch clamp methodology from cells expressing alpha1Cbeta2a and alpha1Cbeta2aalpha2/delta1 as identified by fluorescence microscopy. Results Halothane inhibited peak current (I(peak)) and enhanced apparent inactivation (reported by end pulse current amplitude of 300-ms depolarizations [I300]) in a concentration-dependent manner in both channel types. alpha2/delta1 coexpression shifted relations leftward as reported by the 50% inhibitory concentration of I(peak) and I300/I(peak)for alpha1Cbeta2a (1.8 and 14.5 mm, respectively) and alpha1Cbeta2aalpha2/delta1 (0.74 and 1.36 mm, respectively). Halothane reduced transmembrane charge transfer primarily through I(peak) depression and not by enhancement of macroscopic inactivation for both channels. Conclusions The results indicate that phenotypic features arising from alpha2/delta1 coexpression play a key role in halothane inhibition of cardiac L-type calcium channels. These features included marked effects on I(peak) inhibition, which is the principal determinant of charge transfer reductions. I(peak) depression arises primarily from transitions to nonactivatable states at resting membrane potentials. The findings point to the importance of halothane interactions with states present at resting membrane potential and discount the role of inactivation apparent in current time courses in determining transmembrane charge transfer.

Association between Hsp90 and the ClC-2 chloride channel upregulates channel function

2006 ◽  
Vol 290 (1) ◽  
pp. C45-C56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Hinzpeter ◽  
Joanna Lipecka ◽  
Franck Brouillard ◽  
Maryvonne Baudoin-Legros ◽  
Michal Dadlez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chloride Channel ◽  
Fluid Transport ◽  
Cell Swelling ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Mass Spectrometry Identification ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Channel Expression ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Cellular Stresses

The voltage-dependent ClC-2 chloride channel has been implicated in a variety of physiological functions, including fluid transport across specific epithelia. ClC-2 is activated by hyperpolarization, weakly acidic external pH, intracellular Cl−, and cell swelling. To add more insight into the mechanisms involved in ClC-2 regulation, we searched for associated proteins that may influence ClC-2 activity. With the use of immunoprecipitation of ClC-2 from human embryonic kidney-293 cells stably expressing the channel, followed by electrophoretic separation of coimmunoprecipitated proteins and mass spectrometry identification, Hsp70 and Hsp90 were unmasked as possible ClC-2 interacting partners. Association of Hsp90 with ClC-2 was confirmed in mouse brain. Inhibition of Hsp90 by two specific inhibitors, geldanamycin or radicicol, did not affect total amounts of ClC-2 but did reduce plasma membrane channel abundance. Functional experiments using the whole cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique showed that inhibition of Hsp90 reduced ClC-2 current amplitude and impaired the intracellular Cl− concentration [Cl−]-dependent rightward shift of the fractional conductance. Geldanamycin and radicicol increased both the slow and fast activation time constants in a chloride-dependent manner. Heat shock treatment had the opposite effect. These results indicate that association of Hsp90 with ClC-2 results in greater channel activity due to increased cell surface channel expression, facilitation of channel opening, and enhanced channel sensitivity to intracellular [Cl−]. This association may have important pathophysiological consequences, enabling increased ClC-2 activity in response to cellular stresses such as elevated temperature, ischemia, or oxidative reagents.

scholarly journals Modulation of High-Voltage Activated Ca2+ Channels in the Rat Periaqueductal Gray Neurons by μ-Type Opioid Agonist

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1418-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Ju Kim ◽  
Jeong-Seop Rhee ◽  
Norio Akaike
Keyword(s):  
G Proteins ◽  
Opioid Receptor ◽  
High Voltage ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Periaqueductal Gray ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Opioid Agonist ◽  
Voltage Clamp Condition ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Clamp Condition

Kim, Chang-Ju, Jeong-Seop Rhee, and Norio Akaike. Modulation of high-voltage activated Ca2+ channels in the rat periaqueductal gray neurons by μ-type opioid agonist. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1418–1424, 1997. The effect of μ-type opioid receptor agonist, D-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly5-ol-enkephalin (DAMGO), on high-voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ channels in the dissociated rat periaqueductal gray (PAG) neurons was investigated by the use of nystatin-perforated patch recording mode under voltage-clamp condition. Among 118 PAG neurons tested, the HVA Ca2+ channels of 38 neurons (32%) were inhibited by DAMGO (DAMGO-sensitive cells), and the other 80 neurons (68%) were not affected by DAMGO (DAMGO-insensitive cells). The N-, P-, L-, Q-, and R-type Ca2+ channel components in DAMGO-insensitive cells shared 26.9, 37.1, 22.3, 7.9, and 5.8%, respectively, of the total Ca2+ channel current. The channel components of DAMGO-sensitive cells were 45.6, 25.7, 21.7, 4.6, and 2.4%, respectively. The HVA Ca2+ current of DAMGO-sensitive neurons was inhibited by DAMGO in a concentration-, time-, and voltage-dependent manner. Application of ω-conotoxin-GVIA occluded the inhibitory effect of DAMGO ∼70%. So, HVA Ca2+ channels inhibited by DAMGO were mainly the N-type Ca2+ channels. The inhibitory effect of DAMGO on HVA Ca2+ channels was prevented almost completely by the pretreatment of pertussis toxin (PTX) for 8–10 h, suggesting that DAMGO modulation on N-type Ca2+ channels in rat PAG neurons is mediated by PTX-sensitive G proteins. These results indicate that μ-type opioid receptor modulates N-type HVA Ca2+ channels via PTX-sensitive G proteins in PAG neurons of rats.

Single calcium channels in resistance-sized cerebral arteries from rats

1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (2) ◽  
pp. H470-H478 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Quayle ◽  
J. G. McCarron ◽  
J. R. Asbury ◽  
M. T. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Calcium Channels ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Membrane Depolarization ◽  
Barium Concentration ◽  
Voltage Dependent ◽  
Steady State Inactivation ◽  
Wistar Kyoto ◽  
Single Calcium Channels

Unitary currents through single calcium channels were measured from cell-attached patches on smooth muscle cells isolated from resistance-sized branches of posterior cerebral arteries from Wistar-Kyoto normotensive rats. Barium (80 and 10 mM) was used as the charge carrier, with and without the dihydropyridine calcium channel agonist BAY R 5417. Unitary currents decreased on membrane depolarization, with a slope conductance of 19.4 pS (80 mM barium). Channel open-state probability (Po) was steeply voltage dependent. Peak Po during test pulses from -70 mV increased e-fold per 4.5-mV depolarization. Mean peak Po at potentials positive to +10 mV was 0.44. Po at steady membrane potentials was also steeply voltage dependent, changing e-fold per 4.5 mV in the absence of inactivation. Steady-state Po at positive potentials was substantially lower than peak Po elicited by test pulses, suggesting that steady-state inactivation can reduce Po by as much as 10-fold. Membrane depolarization decreased the longest mean closed time but had little effect on the mean open time of single calcium channels measured during steady-state recordings. Lowering the external barium concentration from 80 to 10 mM reduced the single channel conductance to 12.4 pS and shifted the relationship between steady-state Po and membrane potential by about -30 mV. BAY R 5417 also shifted this relationship by about -15 mV.

scholarly journals Kinetic analysis of the action of Leiurus scorpion alpha-toxin on ionic currents in myelinated nerve.

1985 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 739-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
G K Wang ◽  
G Strichartz
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Ionic Currents ◽  
Na Channel ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Na Current ◽  
Toxin Concentration ◽  
Toxin Molecule ◽  
Channel Inactivation ◽  
Na Currents ◽  
Voltage Dependent

The effects of a neurotoxin, purified from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus, on the ionic currents of toad single myelinated fibers were studied under voltage-clamp conditions. Unlike previous investigations using crude scorpion venom, purified Leiurus toxin II alpha at high concentrations (200-400 nM) did not affect the K currents, nor did it reduce the peak Na current in the early stages of treatment. The activation of the Na channel was unaffected by the toxin, the activation time course remained unchanged, and the peak Na current vs. voltage relationship was not altered. In contrast, Na channel inactivation was considerably slowed and became incomplete. As a result, a steady state Na current was maintained during prolonged depolarizations of several seconds. These steady state Na currents had a different voltage dependence from peak Na currents and appeared to result from the opening of previously inactivated Na channels. The opening kinetics of the steady state current were exponential and had rates approximately 100-fold slower than the normal activation processes described for transitions from the resting state to the open state. In addition, the dependence of the peak Na current on the potential of preceding conditioning pulses was also dramatically altered by toxin treatment; this parameter reached a minimal value near a membrane potential of -50 mV and then increased continuously to a "plateau" value at potentials greater than +50 mV. The amplitude of this plateau was dependent on toxin concentration, reaching a maximum value equal to approximately 50% of the peak current; voltage-dependent reversal of the toxin's action limits the amplitude of the plateauing effect. The measured plateau effect was half-maximum at a toxin concentration of 12 nM, a value quite similar to the concentration producing half of the maximum slowing of Na channel inactivation. The results of Hill plots for these actions suggest that one toxin molecule binds to one Na channel. Thus, the binding of a single toxin molecule probably both produces the steady state currents and slows the Na channel inactivation. We propose that Leiurus toxin inhibits the conversion of the open state to inactivated states in a voltage-dependent manner, and thereby permits a fraction of the total Na permeability to remain at membrane potentials where inactivation is normally complete.

Characterization of a Hyperpolarization-Activated Inward Current in Cajal-Retzius Cells in Rat Neonatal Neocortex

2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 1681-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werner Kilb ◽  
Heiko J. Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Dissociation Constant ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Hill Coefficient ◽  
Resting Membrane Potential ◽  
Patch Clamp Technique ◽  
Apparent Dissociation Constant ◽  
Membrane Hyperpolarization ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Inward Current ◽  
Retzius Cells

Cajal-Retzius cells are among the first neurons appearing during corticogenesis and play an important role in the establishment of cortical lamination. To characterize the hyperpolarization-activated inward current ( I h) and to investigate whether I h contributes to the relatively positive resting membrane potential (RMP) of these cells, we analyzed the properties of I h in visually identified Cajal-Retzius cells in cortical slices from neonatal rats using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. Membrane hyperpolarization to −90 mV activated a prominent inward current that was inhibited by 1 mM Cs+ and was insensitive to 1 mM Ba2+. The activation time constant for I h was strongly voltage dependent. In Na+-free solution, I h was reduced, indicating a contribution of Na+. An analysis of the tail currents revealed a reversal potential of −45.2 mV, corresponding to a permeability coefficient (pNa+/pK+) of 0.13. While an increase in the extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]e) enhances I h, it was reduced by a [K+]e decrease. This [K+]e dependence could not be explained by an effect on the electromotive force on K+ but suggested an additional extracellular binding site for K+ with an apparent dissociation constant of 7.2 mM. Complete Cl−substitution by Br−, I−, or NO3 − had no significant effect on I h, whereas a complete Cl−substitution by the organic compounds methylsulfate, isethionate, or gluconate reduced I h by ∼40%. The I h reduction observed in gluconate could be abolished by the addition of Cl−. The analysis of the [Cl−]e dependence of I h revealed a dissociation constant of 9.8 mM and a Hill-coefficient of 2.5, while the assumption of a gluconate-dependent I h reduction required an unreasonably high Hill-coefficient >20. An internal perfusion with the lidocaine derivative lidocaine N-ethyl bromide blocks I h within 1 min after establishment of the whole cell configuration. An inhibition of I h by 1 mM Cs+ was without an effect on RMP, action potential amplitude, threshold, width, or afterhyperpolarization. We conclude from these results that Cajal-Retzius cells express a prominent I hwith characteristic properties that does not contribute to the RMP.

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