Antagonists‐resistant calcium currents in rat embryo motoneurons

Ca²⁺ channels diversity of cultured rat embryo motoneurons was investigated with whole-cell current recordings. In 5–20 mm Ba²⁺, the whole-cell currents were separated in low- (LVA) and high-voltage-activated (HVA) current. The LVA current was evident since the first day in culture, while the HVA component was small and increased with time. Recordings after 4 days revealed ≈ 20% L-, ≈ 45% N- and ≈ 35% P- and R-type currents. P-type currents were revealed only in 40% of motoneurons, in which 20–200 nm ω-Aga-IVA caused 20% irreversible block of total current. The remaining 60% of cells were insensitive even to higher doses of the toxin (500 nm in 5 mm Ba²⁺), suggesting weak expression and heterogeneous distribution of P-type channels compensated by high densities of HVA Ca²⁺ channels resistant to all the antagonists (R-type). A significant residual current could also be resolved after prolonged applications of 5 μm ω-CTx-MVIIC, which allowed separation of N- and P-type currents by the distinct onset of toxin block. The antagonists-resistant current reveals biophysical characteristics typical of HVA channels, but distinct from the α_1E channel. The current activates around ?20 mV in 20 mm Ba²⁺; inactivates slowly and independently of Ca²⁺; is blocked by low [Cd²⁺] and high [Ni²⁺]; and is larger with Ba²⁺ than Ca²⁺. The uncovered R-type calcium current can account for part of the presynaptic Ca²⁺ current controlling neurotransmitter release at the mammalian neuromuscular junction whose activity is resistant to DHP- and ω-CTx-GVIA, and displays anomalous sensitivity to ω-Aga-IVA and ω-CTx-MVIIC ( 1 ) J. Physiol. (Lond.), 482, 283–290; 2 ) Eur. J. Neurosci., 9, 817–823].     

Presynaptic inhibition of excitatory neurotransmission by lamotrigine in the rat amygdalar neurons

Lamotrigine (LAG) is a new antiepileptic drug which is licensed as adjunctive therapy for partial and secondary generalized seizures. In the present study, the mechanisms responsible for its antiepileptic effect were studied in rat amygdaloid slices using intracellular recording and whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Bath application of LAG (50 μM) reversibly suppressed the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and currents (EPSCs) evoked by stimulating ventral endopyriform nucleus. Synaptic response mediated by the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (EPSP _NMDA) was isolated pharmacologically by application of a solution containing non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX,10 μM) and γ-aminobutyric acid_A receptor antagonist bicuculline (20 μM). LAG produced a parallel inhibition of EPSP _NMDA. Postsynaptic depolarization induced by α-amino-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) was not altered by LAG. In addition, LAG increased the ratio of the second pulse response to the first pulse response (P₂/P₁), which is consistent with a presynaptic mode of action. The L-type Ca⁺⁺ channel blocker nifedipine (20 μM) had no effect on LAG-induced presynaptic inhibition. However, the depressant effect of LAG was markedly reduced in slices pretreated with N-type Ca⁺⁺ channel blocker ωconotoxin-GVIA (ω-CgTX-GVIA, 1 μM) or a broad spectrum Ca⁺⁺ channel blocker ω-conotoxin-MVIIC (ω-CgTX-MVIIC, 1 μM). It is concluded that a reduction in ω-CgTX-GVIA-sensitive Ca⁺⁺ currents largely contributes to LAG-induced presynaptic inhibition. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Effects of methylmercury on perineurial Na and Ca-dependent potentials at neuromuscular junctions of the mouse

The ability of acute application of the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg) to disrupt the function of presynaptic Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ channels at intact neuromuscular junctions was examined using mouse triangularis sterni motor nerves. In Ba²⁺-containing solutions, potential changes arising from Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channel function could be recorded from the perineurial sheath surrounding motor neurons when K⁺ channels were blocked by tetraethylammonium chloride and 3,4-diaminopyridine. MeHg (100 μM) reduced both Na⁺- and Ba²⁺-dependent components to block within 3–5 min at apparently equivalent rates. Time to block was approximately 7 min after exposure to 50 μM MeHg. In 2 of 5 preparations exposed to 50 μM MeHg, the Ca²⁺ channel-mediated component was blocked prior to the Na⁺ channel-mediated component. In the remaining three preparations, Na⁺- and Ba²⁺-dependent potentials were blocked at similar times. Following block by MeHg, neither perfusing the preparation in MeHg-free solutions nor increasing the intensity and/or duration of stimulus to the intercostal nerves resulted in recovery of Na⁺ or Ca²⁺ potentials. In the presence of K⁺ channel blockers, repetitive firing of nerves in response to a single stimulus was observed in 20–30% of the triangularis preparations; in the two preparations treated with MeHg in which repetitive firing was observed, it decreased prior to block of the stimulus-induced Na⁺/Ba²⁺ potentials. These results corroborate the results obtained in isolated synaptosomes and pheochromocytoma cells, and suggest that MeHg decreases motor nerve excitability by disrupting Na⁺ channel function and may block neurotransmitter release by disrupting Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channel function.     

Blockade of N- and Q-type Ca channels inhibit K-evoked [H]acetylcholine release in rat hippocampal slices

In the present study, we examined the contribution of specific Ca²⁺ channels to K⁺-evoked hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release using [³H]choline loaded hippocampal slices. [³H]ACh release was Ca²⁺-dependent, blocked by the nonspecific Ca²⁺ channel blocker verapamil, but not by blockade of L-type Ca²⁺ channels. The N-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker, ω-conotoxin GVIA (ω-CgTx GVIA; 250 nM) inhibited [³H]ACh release by 44% and the P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker ω-agatoxin IVA (ω-Aga IVA; 400 nM) inhibited [³H]ACh release by 27%, with the combination resulting in a nearly additive 79% inhibition. Four hundred or one thousand nM ω-Aga IVa was necessary to inhibit [³H]ACh release, ω-Conotoxin MVIIC (ω-CTx-MVIIC) was used after first blocking N-type Ca²⁺ channels with ω-CgTx GVIA (1 μM). Under these conditions, 500 nM ω-CTx-MVIIC led to a nearly maximal inhibition of the ω-CgTx GVIA-insensitive [³H]ACh release. Based on earlier reports about the relative sensitivity of cloned and native Ca²⁺ channels to these toxins, this study indicates that N- and Q-type Ca²⁺ channels primarily mediate K⁺-evoked hippocampal [³H]ACh release.     

Potassium depolarization of mammalian vestibular sensory cells increases [Ca2+]i through voltage‐sensitive calcium channels

The existence of voltage-sensitive Ca²⁺ channels in type I vestibular hair cells of mammals has not been conclusively proven. Furthermore, Ca²⁺ channels present in type II vestibular hair cells of mammals have not been pharmacologically identified. Fura-2 fluorescence was used to estimate, in both cell types, intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) variations induced by K⁺ depolarization and modified by specific Ca²⁺ channel agonists and antagonists. At rest, [Ca²⁺]_i was 90 ± 20 nm in both cell types. Microperifusion of high-K⁺ solution (50 mm ) for 1 s increased [Ca²⁺]_i to 290 ± 50 nm in type I (n = 20) and to 440 ± 50 nm in type II cells (n = 10). In Ca²⁺-free medium, K⁺ did not alter [Ca²⁺]_i. The specific L-type Ca²⁺ channel agonist, Bay K, and antagonist, nitrendipine, modified in a dose-dependent manner the K⁺-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase in both cell types with maximum effect at 2 μm and 400 nm , respectively. Ni²⁺, a T-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker, reduced K⁺-evoked Ca²⁺ responses in a dose-dependent manner. For elevated Ni²⁺ concentrations, the response was differently affected by Ni²⁺ alone, or combined to nitrendipine (500 nm ). In optimal conditions, nitrendipine and Ni²⁺ strongly depressed by 95% the [Ca²⁺]_i increases. By contrast, neither ω-agatoxin IVA (1 μm ), a specific P- and Q-type blocker, nor ω-conotoxin GVIA (1 μm ), a specific N-type blocker, affected K⁺-evoked Ca²⁺_i responses. These results provide the first direct evidence that L- and probably T-type channels control the K⁺-induced Ca²⁺ influx in both types of sensory cells.     

Inhibition of N-type Calcium Channels: The Only Mechanism by which Presynaptic α2-Autoreceptors Control Sympathetic Transmitter Release

α₂-Adrenoceptors are known to inhibit voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels located at neuronal cell bodies; the present study investigated whether this or alternative mechanisms, possibly downstream of Ca²⁺ entry, underlie the presynaptic α₂-adrenergic modulation of transmitter release from chick sympathetic neurons. Using chick sympathetic neurons, overflow of previously incorporated [³H]noradrenaline was elicited in the presence of extracellular Ca²⁺ by electrical pulses, 25 mM K⁺ or 10μM nicotine, or by adding Ca²⁺ to otherwise Ca²⁺-free medium when cells had been made permeable by the calcium ionophore A23187 or by α-latrotoxin. Pretreatment of neurons with the N-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker ω-conotoxin GVIA and application of the α₂-adrenergic agonist UK 14304 reduced the overflow elicited by electrical pulses, K⁺ or nicotine, but not the overflow caused by Ca²⁺ after permeabilization with α-latrotoxin or A23187. In contrast, the L-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker nitrendipine reduced the overflow due to K⁺ and nicotine, but not the overflow following electrical stimulation or α-latrotoxin- and A23187-permeabilization. The inhibition of electrically evoked overflow by UK 14304 persisted in the presence of nitrendipine and the L-type Ca²⁺ channel agonist BayK 8644, which per se enhanced overflow. In ω-conotoxin GVIA-treated cultures, electrically evoked overflow was also enhanced by BayK 8644 and almost reached the value obtained in untreated neurons. However, UK 14304 lost its effect under these conditions. Whole-cell recordings of voltage-activated Ca²⁺ currents corroborated these results: UK 14304 inhibited Ca²⁺ currents by 33%, nitrendipine caused a 7% reduction, and BayK 8644 increased the currents by 30%. Moreover, the dihydropyridines failed to abolish the inhibition by UK 14304, but pretreatment with ω-conotoxin GVIA, which reduced mean amplitude from 0.95 to 0.23 nA, entirely prevented α₂-adrenergic effects. Our results indicate that the α₂-autoreceptor-mediated modulation of noradrenaline release from chick sympathetic neurons relies exclusively on the inhibition of ω-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive N-type Ca²⁺ channels. Mechanisms downstream of these channels and voltage-sensitive Ca²⁺ channels other than N-type appear not to be important.     

PACAP Increases the Cytosolic Ca2−/ Concentration and Stimulates Somatodendritic Vasopresson Release in Rat Supraoptic Neurons

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP)-like immunoreactivity and its receptor mRNA have been reported in the supraoptic and the paraventricular nucleus (SON and PVN, respectively) and PACAP has been implicated in the regulation of magnocellular neurosecretory cell function. To examine the site and the mechanism of the action of PACAP in the neurosecretory cells, we measured AVP release from SON slice preparations and the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) from single dissociated SON neurons. PACAP at concentrations from 10^?12 to 10^?7 M increased [Ca²⁺]_i in dissociated SON neurons in a dose-dependent manner. The patterns of the PACAP-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase were either sustained increase or cytosolic Ca²⁺ oscillations. PACAP (10^?7 M) increased [Ca²⁺]_i in 27 of 27 neurons and glutamate (10^?4 M) increased [Ca²⁺]_i in 19 of 19 SON neurons examined, whereas angiotensin II (10^?7 M) increased [Ca²⁺]_i in only 15 of 60 SON neurons examined. PACAP at lower concentrations (10^?10 to 10^?8 M) increased [Ca²⁺]_i in 70–80% of neurons examined. Although the onset and recovery of the PACAP-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase were slower than those observed with glutamate, the spatial distribution of the [Ca²⁺]_i increases in response to the two ligands were similar: [Ca²⁺]_i increase at the proximal dendrites was larger and faster and that at the center of the soma was smaller and slower. The PACAP-induced [Ca²⁺]_i responseswere abolished by extracellular Ca²⁺ removal, the l -type Ca²⁺-channel blocker, nicardipine, or by replacement of extracellular Na⁺ with N-methyl d-glucamine, and were partially inhibited by the Na⁺-channel blocker, tetrodotoxin. The N-type Ca²⁺-channel blocker, ω-conotoxin GVIA did not significantly inhibit the PACAP-induced [Ca²⁺]_i responses. Furthermore, PACAP (10^?7 M) as well as glutamate (10^?4 M) increased AVP release from SON slice preparations, and extracellular Ca²⁺ removal or nicardipine inhibited the AVP release in response to PACAP. These results indicate that PACAP enhances Ca²⁺ entry via voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels and increases [Ca²⁺]_i, which, in turn, stimulates somatodendritic vasopressin release by directly activating PACAP receptors on SON neurons. The results also suggest that PACAP in the SON may play a pivotal role in the control of the neurohypophyseal function at the level of the soma or the dendrites.     

Effects of drugs interfering with sodium channels and calcium channels on the release of endogenous dopamine from superfused substantia nigra slices

The importance of voltage-dependent sodium channels and different types of voltage-sensitive calcium channels for depolarisation-induced release of endogenous dopamine from dendrites and cell bodies in superfused guinea pig substantia nigra slices was investigated. The stimulatory effect of veratridine (10 μM) on dopamine release was only marginally attenuated in Ca²⁺-free medium but was completely blocked by tetrodotoxin (1 μM) and by the dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR 12909 (10 μM). Low extracellular concentration of Na⁺ stimulated the dopamine release. Potassium-evoked dopamine release was completely Ca²⁺-dependent, not blocked by GBR 12909 and partially blocked by tetrodotoxin. Nifedipine (20 μM), ω-conotoxin GVIA (0.5 μM), penfluridol (5 μM), and Ni²⁺ (20 μM) had no effect, amiloride (1 mM) attenuated and neomycin (350 μM), and ω-agatoxin IVA (1 μM) almost totally blocked the potassium-induced dopamine release. The results suggest that veratridine released dopamine mostly by reversing the dopamine transporter. High concentrations of potassium induced release of nigral dopamine by opening of voltage-sensitive calcium channels of P/Q type but not L-type, N-type and probably not T-type. The depolarisation evoked by high concentrations of potassium seems to open voltage-sensitive calcium channels both by the depolarisation induced by potassium per se and by the secondary depolarisation induced by opening of voltage-dependent sodium channels. Synapse 26:359–369, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Differential responses to ω-agatoxin IVA in murine frontal cortex and spinal cord derived neuronal networks

ω-Agatoxin-IVA is a well known P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channel blocker and has been shown to affect presynaptic Ca²⁺ currents as well postsynaptic potentials. P/Q-type voltage gated Ca²⁺ channels play a vital role in presynaptic neurotransmitter release and thus play a role in action potential generation. Monitoring spontaneous activity of neuronal networks on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) provides an important tool for examining this neurotoxin. Changes in extracellular action potentials are readily observed and are dependent on synaptic function. Given the efficacy of murine frontal cortex and spinal cord networks to detect neuroactive substances, we investigated the effects of ω-agatoxin on spontaneous action potential firing within these networks. We found that networks derived from spinal cord are more sensitive to the toxin than those from frontal cortex; a concentration of only 10 nM produced statistically significant effects on activity from spinal cord networks whereas 50 nM was required to alter activity in frontal cortex networks. Furthermore, the effects of the toxin on frontal cortex are more complex as unit specific responses were observed. These manifested as either a decrease or increase in action potential firing rate which could be statistically separated as unique clusters. Administration of bicuculline, a GABA_A inhibitor, isolated a single response to ω-agatoxin, which was characterized by a reduction in network activity. These data support the notion that the two clusters detected with ω-agatoxin exposure represent differential responses from excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations.     

R‐type Ca2+ channels contribute to fast synaptic excitation and action potentials in subsets of myenteric neurons in the guinea pig intestine

Background R‐type Ca²⁺ channels are expressed by myenteric neurons in the guinea pig ileum but the specific function of these channels is unknown. Methods In the present study, we used intracellular electrophysiological techniques to determine the function of R‐type Ca²⁺ channels in myenteric neurons in the acutely isolated longitudinal muscle‐myenteric plexus. We used immunohistochemical methods to localize the Ca_V2.3 subunit of the R‐type Ca²⁺ channel in myenteric neurons. We also studied the effects of the non‐selective Ca²⁺ channel antagonist, CdCl₂ (100 μmol L^?1), the R‐type Ca²⁺ channel blockers NiCl₂ (50 μmol L^?1) and SNX‐482 (0.1 μmol L^?1), and the N‐type Ca²⁺ channel blocker ω‐conotoxin GVIA (CTX 0.1 μmol L^?1) on action potentials and fast and slow excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs and sEPSPs) in S and AH neurons in vitro. Key Results Ca_V2.3 co‐localized with calretinin and calbindin in myenteric neurons. NiCl₂ and SNX‐482 reduced the duration and amplitude of action potentials in AH but not S neurons. NiCl₂ inhibited the afterhyperpolarization in AH neurons. ω‐conotoxin GVIA, but not NiCl₂, blocked sEPSPs in AH neurons. NiCl₂ and SNX‐482 inhibited cholinergic, but not cholinergic/purinergic, fEPSPs in S neurons. Conclusions and Inferences These data show that R‐type Ca²⁺ channels contribute to action potentials, but not slow synaptic transmission, in AH neurons. R‐type Ca²⁺ channels contribute to release of acetylcholine as the mediator of fEPSPs in some S neurons. These data indicate that R‐type Ca²⁺ channels may be a target for drugs that selectively modulate activity of AH neurons or could alter fast synaptic excitation in specific pathways in the myenteric plexus.     

Dendritic Ca2+ accumulations and metabotropic glutamate receptor activation associated with an n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-independent long-term potentiation in hippocampal CA1 neurons

Bathing hippocampal slices in the potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA), while stimulating the Schafer collaterals at a low frequency, induces Ca²⁺ -dependent, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-independent long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission (LTP_k) in CA1 neurons. We have combined ratio imaging of fura-2 and mag-fura-5 in hippocampal CA1 neurons with intracellular and field recordings to evaluate postsynaptic Ca²⁺ changes that occur in the induction of LTP_k. Test stimuli were applied at 0.05 Hz to stratum radiatum in the presence of the NMDA receptor antagonists D , L -2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (100μM) or MK-801 (10μM). During TEA exposure (15–25 mM; 10 min), cells fired prolonged action potentials both spontaneously and in response to test stimuli resulting in transient, micromolar Ca²⁺ accumulations in both somata and dendrites. The initial EPSP slope, measured 60 min after TEA wash-out, was potentiated to approximately 200% of control. The Ca²⁺ channel blocker nimodipine (10 μM) greatly reduced Ca²⁺ transients in both magnitude and duration and prevented LTP_k induction. Pretreatment of slices with compounds that block metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis, L -2-amino-3-phosphonopropionic acid (L -AP3, 50-200 μM) or L -aspartate-β-hydroxamate (50–100 μM), as well as protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors (sphingosine, 20 μM; RO-31-8220, 0.2 μM; or calphostin C, 2 μM) also blocked LTP_k. Ca²⁺ transients were unaffected by L -AP3 or RO-31-8220. These findings suggest that Ca²⁺ influx through voltage-gated channels and co-activation of PKC by mGluRs are both necessary for induction of LTP_k. Activation of mGluRs must also occur in NMDA receptor-dependent induction paradigms, but is possibly of lesser importance owing to the much greater gating of Ca²⁺ directly into the dendritic spines. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Differential acetylcholine and GABA release from cultured chick retina cells

In the present work we investigated the mechanisms controlling the release of acetylcholine (ACh) and of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from cultures of amacrine-like neurons, containing a subpopulation of cells which are simultaneously GABAergic and cholinergic. We found that 81.2 ± 2.8% of the cells present in the culture were stained immunocytochemically with an antibody against choline acetyltransferase, and 38.5 ± 4.8% of the cells were stained with an antibody against GABA. Most of the cells containing GABA (87.0 ± 2.9%) were cholinergic. The release of acetylcholine and GABA was mostly Ca²⁺-dependent, although a significant release of [³H]GABA occurred by reversal of its transporter. Potassium evoked the Ca²⁺-dependent release of [³H]GABA and [³H]acetylcholine, with EC₅₀ of 31.0 ± 1.0 mm and 21.6 ± 1.1 mm , respectively. The Ca²⁺-dependent release of [³H]acetylcholine was significantly inhibited by 1 μm tetrodotoxin and by low (30 nm ) ω-conotoxin GVIA (ω-CgTx GVIA) concentrations, or by high (300 nm ) nitrendipine (Nit) concentrations. On the contrary, the release of [¹⁴C]GABA was reduced by 30 nm nitrendipine, or by 500 nm ω-CgTx GVIA, but not by this toxin at 30 nm . The release of either transmitters was unaffected by 200 nm ω-Agatoxin IVA (ω-Aga IVA), a toxin that blocks P/Q-type voltage-sensitive Ca²⁺ channels (VSCC). The results show that Ca²⁺-influx through ω-CgTx GVIA-sensitive N-type VSCC and through Nit-sensitive L-type VSCC induce the release of ACh and GABA. However, the significant differences observed regarding the Ca²⁺ channels involved in the release of each neurotransmitter suggest that in amacrine-like neurons containing simultaneously GABA and acetylcholine the two neurotransmitters may be released in distinct regions of the cells, endowed with different populations of VSCC.     

Suppression of presynaptic calcium influx by metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists in neonatal rat hippocampus

Mechanisms of presynaptic inhibition by metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) agonists were investigated in neonatal rat hippocampal CA1 region using the optical recording technique recently developed. Following selective loading of presynaptic terminals with a fluorescent Ca²⁺ indicator dye rhod-2 AM, changes in Ca²⁺ signals and the corresponding field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) induced by single electrical stimuli to the Schaffer collateral-commissural (SCC) pathway were recorded simultaneously. Application of a mGluR agonist, 1 S,3 R-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicar?ylic acid (1 S,3 R-ACPD; 100 μM) or (±)-1-aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicar?ylic acid (trans-ACPD; 100 μM), reversibly reduced both the field EPSP and the presynaptic Ca²⁺ transient, and the quantitative relationship between them was quite similar to that observed during application of Cd²⁺, a non-selective Ca²⁺ channel blocker, or in a Ca²⁺-free solution. Application of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 1 mM), a blocker of certain subtypes of voltage-dependent K⁺ channels, significantly inhibited the 1 S,3 R-ACPD effect. Application of DCG-IV, a novel mGluR2/mGluR3-selective agonist, suppressed field EPSPs only slightly even at a high dose (3 μM). These results suggest that activation of presynaptic mGluR different from mGluR2/mGluR3 suppresses the action potential-triggered Ca²⁺ influx, probably via 4-AP-sensitive mechanisms, and thereby reduces glutamate release in neonatal rat hippocampal CA1 region.     

Lambert-eaton myasthenic syndrome immunoglobulins react with multiple types of calcium channels in small-cell lung carcinoma

Barium currents through voltage-gated calcium (Ca²⁺) channels were studied in the small-cell lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H345 using patch clamp techniques. Pharmacological dissection of whole-cell barium currents revealed that 23% of the current was sensitive to nitrendipine, 35% to ω-conotoxin GVIA, and between 10 and 39% to ω-Aga-IVA. This implies that these cells express L-, N-, and P-type calcium channels. Only large cells expressed current that was sensitive to ω-Aga-IVA. The size dependency of this P-type channel expression may reflect the cell cycle stage. Cell-attached recordings revealed three unitary conductances: 5 to 6 pS, 10 to 12 pS, and 20 to 23 pS. The largest conductance channel (20-23 pS) was sensitive to bay K 8644 and is presumed to represent L-type calcium channels. The frequency of observing the medium conductance channel (10-12 pS) was reduced by exposure to ω-conotoxin GVIA and may represent N-type channels. Incubation of cells with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome IgG for 24 to 48 hours removed up to 71% of the whole-cell current. Incubation with control human IgG (normal or myasthenia gravis) had no effect. Lambert-Eaton maysthenic syndrome IgG did not selectively target one “presynaptic” type of calcium channel, but rather appeared to target many of the calcium channel types that are expressed on small-cell lung carcinoma cells.     

Calcium spikes and calcium currents in neurons from the medial preoptic nucleus of rat

Ca²⁺ spikes, their contribution to firing patterns, and the underlying Ca²⁺ currents in neurons of the medial preoptic nucleus of rat were investigated by tight-seal whole-cell recordings in a slice preparation. Two different types of spikes were recorded: Low-threshold spikes were generated from membrane potentials <−75 mV. High-threshold spikes were recorded when K⁺ currents were reduced, and were readily evoked from membrane potentials near −40 mV. Both types of spikes were blocked by substitution of Co²⁺ for Ca²⁺ in the external medium, but were insensitive to 2.0 μM TTX. Under voltage-clamp conditions, two main types of Ca²⁺ currents were characterized: low-threshold currents that activated at membrane potentials >−60 mV, and high-threshold currents that activated at potentials >−30 mV. The low-threshold current and the low-threshold spike were more sensitive to block by external Ni²⁺ than to block by Cd²⁺, whereas the high-threshold current and the high-threshold spike were more sensitive to block by external Cd²⁺ than to block by Ni²⁺. Significant fractions of the high-threshold currents were blocked by 10 μM nifedipine, 1.0 μM ω-conotoxin GVIA, 50 nM ω-agatoxin IVA and 1.0 μM ω-conotoxin MVIIC, suggesting the presence of L-, N-, P- and Q-type Ca²⁺ channels. There were also a high-threshold current component insensitive to the above mentioned toxins. It is proposed that the low-threshold current serves as a trigger for short bursts of fast spikes from hyperpolarized levels, whereas the high-threshold current is involved in the Cd²⁺-sensitive burst firing seen in relatively depolarized neurons.     

Divalent Cation Entry in Cultured Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells Measured Using Mn2+ Quench of Fura 2 Fluorescence

In this study the rate of Mn²⁺ quench of fura-2 fluorescence evoked by glutamatergic and cholinergic agonists, depolarization and Ca²⁺ store modulators was measured in cultured cerebellar granule cells, in order to study their effects on Ca²⁺ entry in isolation from effects on Ca²⁺ store release. The rate of fluorescence quench by 0.1 mM Mn²⁺ was markedly increased by 25 mM K⁺- evoked depolarization or by 200 μM N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), with a significantly greater increase occurring during the rapid-onset peak phase compared to the plateau phase of the K⁺- or NMDA-evoked [Ca²⁺]_i response. The stimulatory effect of NMDA on Mn²⁺ quench was abolished by dizocilpine (10 μM), but nitrendipine (2 μM), while decreasing the rate of basal quench, did not affect NMDA-stimulated Mn²⁺ entry. This suggests that nitrendipine may not act on NMDA channels in granule cells, at least under these conditions, and that voltage-operated Ca²⁺ channels are involved in control quench whereas the NMDA-evoked quench is dependent on entry through the receptor channel. The t_1/2 of quench was unaffected by α-amino-hydroxyisoxazole propionic acid (200 μM) and carbamyl choline (1 mM). Neither thapsigargin (10 μM) nor dantrolene (30 μM) significantly affected the rate of quench under control or NMDA- or K⁺-stimulated conditions, which confirms that the previously reported inhibitory effects on [Ca²⁺]_i elevations evoked by these agents are due to actions on Ca²⁺ stores. However, thapsigargin elevated [Ca²⁺Ii in the presence of normal [Ca²⁺]_i, but not in nominally Ca²⁺-free medium, indicating that it evokes Ca²⁺ entry in cerebellar granule cells, probably subsequent to store depletion, which appears to be either too small to be detected by Mn²⁺ quench or to occur via Mn²⁺-impermeant channels.     

Calcium influx through N- and P/Q-type channels activate apamin-sensitive calcium-dependent potassium channels generating the late afterhyperpolarization in lamprey spinal neurons

Lamprey spinal neurons exhibit a fast afterhyperpolarization and a late afterhyperpolarization (AHP) which is due to the activation of apamin-sensitive SK Ca²⁺-dependent K⁺ channels (K_Ca) activated by calcium influx through voltage-dependent channels during the action potential ( 1 , Neuroreport, 3, 943–945). In this study we have investigated which calcium channel subtypes are responsible for the activation of the K_Ca channels underlying the AHP. The effects of applying specific calcium channel blockers and agonists were analysed with regard to their effects on the AHP. Blockade of N-type calcium channels by ω-conotoxin GVIA resulted in a significant decrease in the amplitude of the AHP by 76.2 ± 14.9% (mean ± SD). Application of the P/Q-type calcium channel blocker ω-agatoxin IVA reduced the amplitude of the AHP by 20.3 ± 10.4%. The amplitude of the AHP was unchanged during application of the L-type calcium channel antagonist nimodipine or the agonist (±)-BAY K 8644, as was the compound afterhyperpolarization after a train of 10 spikes at 100 Hz. The effects of calcium channel blockers were also tested on the spike frequency adaptation during a train of action potentials induced by a 100–200 ms depolarizing pulse. The N- and P/Q-type calcium channel antagonists decreased the spike frequency adaptation, whereas blockade of L-type channels had no effect. Thus in lamprey spinal cord motor- and interneurons, apamin-sensitive K_Ca channels underlying the AHP are activated primarily by calcium entering through N-type channels, and to a lesser extent through P/Q-type channels.     

Properties of the Ryanodine-sensitive Release Channels that Underlie Caffeine-induced Ca2+ Mobilization from Intracellular Stores in Mammalian Sympathetic Neurons

The most compelling evidence for a functional role of caffeine-sensitive intracellular Ca²⁺ reservoirs in nerve cells derives from experiments on peripheral neurons. However, the properties of their ryanodine receptor calcium release channels have not been studied. This work combines single-cell fura-2 microfluorometry, [³ H]ryanodine binding and recording of Ca²⁺ release channels to examine calcium release from these intracellular stores in rat sympathetic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion. Intracellular Ca²⁺ measurements showed that these cells possess caffeine-sensitive intracellular Ca²⁺ stores capable of releasing the equivalent of 40% of the calcium that enters through voltage-gated calcium channels. The efficiency of caffeine in releasing Ca²⁺ showed a complex dependence on [Ca²⁺]_i. Transient elevations of [Ca²⁺]_i by 50–500 nM were facilitatory, but they became less facilitatory or depressing when [Ca²⁺]_i reached higher levels. The caffeine-induced Ca²⁺ release and its dependence on [Ca²⁺]_i was further examined by [³ H]ryanodine binding to ganglionic microsomal membranes. These membranes showed a high-affinity binding site for ryanodine with a dissociation constant (K_D= 10 nM) similar to that previously reported for brain microsomes. However, the density of [³H]ryanodine binding sites (B_max= 2.06 pmol/mg protein) was at least three-fold larger than the highest reported for brain tissue. [³ H]Ryanodine binding showed a sigmoidal dependence on [Ca²⁺] in the range 0.1–10 μM that was further increased by caffeine. Caffeine-dependent enhancement of [³ H]ryanodine binding increased and then decreased as [Ca²⁺] rose, with an optimum at [Ca²⁺] between 100 and 500 nM and a 50% decrease between 1 and 10 μM. At 100 μM [Ca²⁺], caffeine and ATP enhanced [³ H]ryanodine binding by 35 and 170% respectively, while binding was reduced by >90% with ruthenium red and MgCl₂. High-conductance (240 pS) Ca²⁺ release channels present in ganglionic microsomal membranes were incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayers. These channels were activated by caffeine and by micromolar concentrations of Ca²⁺ from the cytosolic side, and were blocked by Mg²⁺ and ruthenium red. Ryanodine (2 μM) slowed channel gating and elicited a long-lasting subconductance state while 10 mM ryanodine closed the channel with infrequent opening to the subconductance level. These results show that the properties of the ryanodine receptor/Ca²⁺ release channels present in mammalian peripheral neurons can account for the properties of caffeine-induced Ca²⁺ release. Our data also suggest that the release of Ca²⁺ by caffeine has a bell-shaped dependence on Ca²⁺ in the physiological range of cytoplasmic [Ca²⁺].