BKCa currents are enriched in a subpopulation of adult rat cutaneous nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons.

ABSTRACT: The biophysical properties and distribution of voltage-dependent, Ca(2+) -modulated K(+) (BK(Ca)) currents among subpopulations of acutely dissociated DiI-labeled cutaneous sensory neurons from the adult rat were characterized with whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. BK(Ca) currents were isolated from total K(+) current with iberiotoxin, charybdotoxin or paxilline. There was considerable variability in biophysical properties of BK(Ca) currents. There was also variability in the distribution of BK(Ca) current among subpopulations of cutaneous dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. While present in each of the subpopulations defined by cell body size, IB4 binding or capsaicin sensitivity, BK(Ca) current was present in the vast majority (> 90%) of small-diameter IB4+ neurons, but was present in on

SUBMITTER: Zhang XL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2843514 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature