Kobe Journal of Medical Sciences, 1999

TI: Glutamate-induced currents in acutely dissociated guinea pig locus coeruleus neurons.

AU: Sengoku-A; Mori-M; Okada-Y; Kamidono-S

AD: Department of Physiology, Kobe University School of Medicine.

SO: Kobe-J-Med-Sci. 1999 Apr; 45(2): 85-92

ISSN: 0023-2513

PY: 1999

LA: ENGLISH

CP: JAPAN

AB: To investigate the properties of L-glutamate (Glu) receptors in single locus coeruleus (LC) neurons at mature stage, we recorded the Glu-induced currents in the LC neurons acutely dissociated from adult guinea pigs, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The concentration-current relationships show that Glu-induced currents in LC neurons might be predominantly mediated by non-NMDA receptors rather than NMDA receptors. The current-voltage relationship of NMDA or non-NMDA receptor-mediated currents indicated that both subtypes of the Glu-receptors operate non-selective cation channels, and that the NMDA receptor-operated channels but not the non-NMDA receptor-operated channels are permeable to Ca2+. These results suggest that in LC neurons, the normal excitatory neurotransmission may be mediated through non-NMDA receptors, and that NMDA receptors may be involved in intracellular signal transduction by their Ca2+ permeability.