Differential sensitivities of TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive sodium channels to anesthetic concentrations of ethanol in rat sensory neurons

Ethanol at concentration of 200 mM induces anesthesia in experimental animals and depresses neurotransmission in isolated spinal cords. To determine whether actions on primary afferent nerve terminals contribute to ethanol's depressant effects on spinal cord, a study was undertaken to test whether ethanol blocks sodium currents (I_Na) in dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGn). Whole-cell patch clamp was used to examine I_Na in DRGn isolated from 1- to 15-day-old rats. At a holding potential of −80 mV ethanol (200 mM) decreased peak tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) and tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) I_Na by 19.0% ± 2.7 (mean ± SEM) and 8.5% ± 2.2, respectively. Maximal available I_Na was reduced to 82 ± 4% (TTX-R) and 93 ± 1% (TTX-S) of control. Steady-state inactivation curves were shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction by 2.1 ± 0.2 mV (TTX-R) and 1.1 ± 0.1 mV (TTX-S). At prepulse potentials of −30 mV (TTX-R) and −70 mV (TTX-S), these shifts contributed an additional 17 ± 1% (TTX-R) and 7 ± 1% (TTX-S) reduction in available I_Na. Ethanol thus selectively induced both voltage-independent and voltage-dependent block of TTX-R I_Na in DRGn. Because DRGn TTX-R sodium channels are associated with small-diameter primary afferent fibers, these results are consistent with a role for ethanol actions on sodium channels in depression of nociceptive-related neurotransmission in spinal cord. J. Neurosci. Res. 54:433–443, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.