GALANIN-INDUCED MEMBRANE DEPOLARIZATION OF NEONATAL RAT CULTURED DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION-CELLS

In this study we examined the effects of galanin on membrane currents recorded from neonatal rat cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones usin g the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. When neurones were voltage-cla mped at -60 mV, galanin (1-300 nM) evoked an inward current associated with an increase in input conductance. These effects were observed in 21 of the 33 dorsal root ganglion neurones studied and were not atten uated by the galanin receptor antagonist galantide. Galanin fragments, galanin-(1-16) and galanin-(21-29) (300 nM) also elicited an inward c urrent at -60 mV. The inward current induced by galanin was not linear ly related to membrane potential indicating that the membrane current response was the result of more than one ionic event.