Effects of a delta-opioid Agonist on the Brainstem Vestibular Nuclear Neuronal Activity of Rats.
- Author:
Tae Sun KIM
1
;
Mei HUANG
;
Myung Joo JANG
;
Han Seong JEONG
;
Jong Seong PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Physiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-190, Korea. parkjs@chonnam.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Medial vestibular nuclear neurons;
Action potential;
[D-Ala2, D-Leu5]-enkephalin (DADLE)
- MeSH:
Action Potentials;
Animals;
Brain Stem*;
Digestion;
Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine;
Ether;
Membrane Potentials;
Neurons*;
Patch-Clamp Techniques;
Potassium;
Rats*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- From:The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
2005;9(3):137-141
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of [D-Ala2, D-Leu5]-enkephalin (DADLE) on the spontaneous activity of medial vestibular nuclear neurons of the rat. Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 14 to 16 days, were anesthetized with ether and decapitated. After enzymatic digestion, the brain stem portion of medial vestibular nuclear neuron was obtained by micropunching. The dissociated neurons were transferred to a recording chamber mounted on an inverted microscope, and spontaneous action potentials were recorded by standard patch-clamp techniques. The spontaneous action potentials were increased by DADLE in 12 cells and decreased in 3 cells. The spike frequency and resting membrane potential of these cells were increased by DADLE. The depth of afterhyperpolarization was not affected by DADLE. The potassium currents were decreased in 20 cells and increased in 5 cells. These results suggest that DADLE increases the neuronal activity of the medial vestibular nuclear neurons by altering resting membrane potential.
