Em. Sorenson et Jp. Gallagher, THE MEMBRANE HYPERPOLARIZATION OF RAT DORSOLATERAL SEPTAL NUCLEUS NEURONS IS MEDIATED BY A NOVEL NICOTINIC RECEPTOR, The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 277(3), 1996, pp. 1733-1743
The pharmacology, calcium dependence and G protein mediation of the me
mbrane hyperpolarization of rat dorsolateral septal nucleus (DLSN) neu
rons in response to nicotinic agonists was examined to classify the ni
cotinic receptor mediating the response. Intracellular recording from
DSLN neurons in a brain slice preparation was used to determine whethe
r chlorisondamine, trimethaphan, cytisine or strychnine inhibited the
membrane hyperpolarization in response to application of the nicotinic
agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP). Chlorisondamine was
found to block the response only at a high concentration (500 mu M) a
lthough strychnine (100 mu M) was without effect, Cytisine was neither
an effective agonist nor an antagonist (500 mu M). Surprisingly, trim
ethaphan appeared to act as an agonist, rather than an antagonist, wit
h a potency and efficacy similar to that reported for nicotine at this
receptor. The response was dependent on intracellular calcium stores
because it persisted in the absence of extracellular calcium but was b
locked by intracellular injection of ,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,
N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA). Injection of GTP gamma S into the neur
ons blocked the nicotinic response. Apamin, iberiotoxin and charybdoto
xin reduced but did not block the response at concentrations that sele
ctively block calcium-dependent potassium channels. These results indi
cate that the nicotinic response in DLSN neurons may be mediated by a
metabotropic nicotinic receptor coupled to a calcium-dependent potassi
um channel through the activation of a G-protein and release of intrac
ellular calcium stores. The unusual pharmacology of the nicotinic rece
ptor on DLSN neurons indicates that it may be a novel receptor which h
as yet to be cloned.