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Spontaneous Openings of NMDA Receptor Channels in Cultured Rat Hippocampal Neurons
Author(s) -
Tureček Rostislav,
Vlachová Viktorie,
Vyklický Ladislav
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.1997.tb01368.x
Subject(s) - nmda receptor , hippocampal formation , neuroscience , chemistry , biology , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry
Spontaneous and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA)‐evoked single‐channel currents were studied in outside‐out patches isolated from cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Both spontaneous and NMDA‐evoked single‐channel currents reversed at potentials close to 0 mV and exhibited multiple amplitude levels of similar amplitude. Both spontaneous and NMDA‐evoked single‐channel currents were inhibited by Mg 2+ in a voltage‐dependent manner and by 7‐chlorokynurenic acid. The activity of spontaneous single‐channel currents was reduced by the competitive NMDA receptor antagonists, but by one to three orders of magnitude less than expected assuming that the spontaneous activity is due to an ambient NMDA receptor agonist present in the extracellular solution. Our results suggest that, similar to other ligand‐gated ion channels, NMDA receptor channels have a dual mode of activation ‐ spontaneous and agonist induced.