ISSN:
1432-1912
Keywords:
Key words Brain macrophages
;
Mice
;
Ca2+-activated K+ currents
;
Patch clamp
;
Whole-cell recording
;
Peptide toxins
;
Polyvalent cations
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Using the whole-cell configuration of the patch clamp technique, calcium-activated potassium currents (IK,Ca) were investigated in ramified murine brain macrophages. In order to induce IK,Ca the intracellular concentration of nominal free Ca2+ was adjusted to 1μM. The Ca2+-activated K+ current of brain macrophages did not show any voltage dependence at test potentials between –120 and +30mV. A tenfold change in extracellular K+ concentration shifted the reversal potential of IK,Ca by 51mV. The bee venom toxin apamin applied at concentrations of up to 1μM did not affect IK,Ca. Ca2+-activated K+ currents of ramified brain macrophages were highly sensitive to extracellularly applied charybdotoxin (CTX). The half-maximal effective concentration of CTX was calculated to be 4.3nM. In contrast to CTX, the scorpion toxin kaliotoxin did not inhibit IK,Ca at concentrations between 1 and 50nM. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) blocked 8.0% of IK,Ca at a concentration of 1mM, whereas 31.4% of current was blocked by 10mM TEA. Several inorganic polyvalent cations were tested at a concentration of 2mM for their ability to block IK,Ca. La3+ reduced IK,Ca by 72.8%, whereas Cd2+ decreased IK,Ca by 17.4%; in contrast, Ni2+ did not have any effect on IK,Ca. Ba2+ applied at a concentration of 1mM reduced IK,Ca voltage-dependently at hyperpolarizing potentials.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00005046
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