Rapid membrane effects of adrenocorticoids on celiac ganglion cells of guinea pig

Intracellular recording technique was used to determine the effects of corticosterone, dexamethasone, aldosterone and cholesterol on the resting membrane potentials and membrane resistance of cells in isolated celiac ganglion of guinea pigs. Hyperpolarization was elicited by corticosterone in 15 out of 83 cells, but was not caused by dexamethasone, which depolarized the membrane in 2 out of 18 cells. In addition, depolarization was also elicited by corticosterone in 2 out of 83 cells. Aldosterone and cholesterol caused no detectable changes of membrane potential and membrane resistance. It is suggested that the membrane effects of adrenocorticoids, which obviously could not be explained by traditional genomic mechanism for their short latency, may indicate the existence of membrane receptors for adrenocorticoids in celiac ganglion neurons of guinea pigs.