Effects of excitatory amino acids and nimodipine on calcium currents in cultured rat cortical neurons
Abstract
AIM:
To study the effect of excitatory amino acid (EAA) and calcium channel blocker on neuronal calcium channels.
METHODS:
With path-clamp technique (whole-cell recording), the effects of Bay-K-8644, cesium glutamate, potassium aspartate, and nimodipine (Nim) on calcium currents (ICa) in cultured cortical neurons of neonatal rats were studied.
RESULTS:
ICa was raised obviously by Bay-K-8644 and glutamate. ICa was raised concentration-dependently by aspartate (0.5, 5, 50 mmol.L-1), with increasing rates 15% +/- 3%, 37% +/- 3%, and 53% +/- 6%, respectively. The inhibition of ICa was obvious while adding Nim in the bath solution. With Nim 10 mumol.L-1, the inhibitory rate was 46% +/- 4%.
CONCLUSION:
EAA had increasing effects on neuronal calcium currents and Nim inhibited Ca2+ influx in neurons.
Keywords:
To study the effect of excitatory amino acid (EAA) and calcium channel blocker on neuronal calcium channels.
METHODS:
With path-clamp technique (whole-cell recording), the effects of Bay-K-8644, cesium glutamate, potassium aspartate, and nimodipine (Nim) on calcium currents (ICa) in cultured cortical neurons of neonatal rats were studied.
RESULTS:
ICa was raised obviously by Bay-K-8644 and glutamate. ICa was raised concentration-dependently by aspartate (0.5, 5, 50 mmol.L-1), with increasing rates 15% +/- 3%, 37% +/- 3%, and 53% +/- 6%, respectively. The inhibition of ICa was obvious while adding Nim in the bath solution. With Nim 10 mumol.L-1, the inhibitory rate was 46% +/- 4%.
CONCLUSION:
EAA had increasing effects on neuronal calcium currents and Nim inhibited Ca2+ influx in neurons.