Electrophysiological Effect of β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine on Retzius Nerve Cells of the Leech Haemopis sanguisuga

: We investigated the effect of β‐N‐methylamino‐L‐alanine (L‐BMAA) on input membrane resistance of leech Retzius nerve cells and the effect of the same substance on the membrane potential in the presence of 20 mM bicarbonate. Results of our experiments show that L‐BMAA significantly reduces input me...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2005-06, Vol.1048 (1), p.349-351
Main Authors: NEDELJKOV, VLADIMIR, LOPIČIĆ, SRDJAN, PAVLOVIĆ, DRAGAN, ČEMERIKIĆ, DUŠAN
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acids, Diamino - pharmacology
Animals
bicarbonate
Bicarbonates
Bicarbonates - pharmacology
BMAA
Conductance
Electrophysiology
Haemopis sanguisuga
Hirudinea
input membrane resistance
leech
Leeches
Leeches - physiology
Mathematical models
Membrane Potentials - drug effects
Membrane Potentials - physiology
Membranes
Nerves
Neurons - drug effects
Neurons - physiology
Neurotoxins - pharmacology
Permeability
Rats
Retzius cell
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Summary:: We investigated the effect of β‐N‐methylamino‐L‐alanine (L‐BMAA) on input membrane resistance of leech Retzius nerve cells and the effect of the same substance on the membrane potential in the presence of 20 mM bicarbonate. Results of our experiments show that L‐BMAA significantly reduces input membrane resistance on our model. This leads to the conclusion that L‐BMAA depolarizes the cell by increasing membrane permeability and conductance. The effect of L‐BMAA in 20 mM bicarbonate is significantly higher than in standard Ringer solution. These results indicate that bicarbonate increases the excitatory effect of L‐BMAA in our model.
ISSN:0077-8923
1749-6632
DOI:10.1196/annals.1342.034