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Axonal expression of sodium channels in rat spinal neurones during postnatal development
Author(s) -
Safronov Boris V.,
Wolff Matthias,
Vogel Werner
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7793.1999.729ad.x
Subject(s) - soma , spinal cord , axon , neuroscience , patch clamp , sodium channel , electrophysiology , anatomy , chemistry , central nervous system , biology , sodium , organic chemistry
1 Postnatal expression of Na + channels and development of somatic excitability were studied in dorsal horn neurones of rat using patch‐clamp recordings from spinal cord slices in combination with the ‘entire soma isolation’ method. 2 The amplitude of Na + current in the intact neurone in the slice increased with postnatal development (days 0‐39) with a mean rate of 83 pA day −1 . 3 The Na + current in the neuronal soma did not increase with age and the soma, separated from the axon, was not able to fire spikes at any stage of development studied. 4 It is concluded that the postnatal development of the spinal dorsal horn neurone is accompanied by intensive expression of Na + channels in the axonal but not somatic membrane. The estimated minimum density of Na + channels in the axon initial segment is ≈160 channels μm −2 .