Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 14, 1114-1122, Copyright © 1994 by Society for Neuroscience
Adenosine decreases action potential duration by modulation of A- current in rat locus coeruleus neurons
WJ Pan, SS Osmanovic and SA Shefner
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine 60612.
The possibility that adenosine modulates voltage-dependent conductances in
locus coeruleus neurons was investigated in current-clamp and voltage-clamp
experiments in a totally submerged rat brain slice preparation. Adenosine
(100 microM) reduced the duration of control action potentials and action
potentials prolonged by 1 mM barium. Adenosine (100 microM) also reduced
the amplitude and slightly reduced the duration of TTX-resistant "calcium"
action potentials. Action potential duration was also reduced by the
adenosine receptor agonist 2- chloroadenosine in a concentration-dependent
manner and the adenosine- induced reduction of action potential duration
was blocked by the adenosine receptor antagonist
8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline, indicating that this action of adenosine is
mediated by an adenosine receptor. The adenosine-induced reduction of
action potential duration persisted in the presence of externally applied
tetraethylammonium ion (6 mM) and cesium (3 mM). By contrast, adenosine did
not reduce the duration of the action potential in the presence of 500
microM 4-aminopyridine (4- AP). Furthermore, 4-AP (30 microM) blocked the
adenosine-induced reduction of action potential duration recorded in the
presence of 1 mM barium. These data suggested that adenosine may be acting
on the voltage-dependent, 4-AP-sensitive potassium current, IA. Single-
electrode voltage clamp was used to study IA directly. IA was activated by
depolarizing voltage pulses from a hyperpolarized holding potential and was
blocked by 1 mM 4-AP. Adenosine (300 microM) enhanced IA by shifting the
steady-state inactivation curve in the depolarizing direction.(ABSTRACT
TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)