Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ

Whole-cell patch clamp recording has been successfully used in identifying the voltage-dependent gating and conductance properties of ion channels in a variety of cells. However, this powerful technique is of limited value in studying low membrane resistance cells, such as astrocytes in situ, becaus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular brain 2014-03, Vol.7 (1), p.18-18, Article 18
Main Authors: Ma, Baofeng, Xu, Guangjin, Wang, Wei, Enyeart, John J, Zhou, Min
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Astrocytes - cytology
Astrocytes - physiology
Cell Membrane - physiology
Design
Electrodes
Experiments
Ion Channel Gating
Medical research
Membrane Potentials - physiology
Methodology
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Patch-Clamp Techniques - methods
Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying - metabolism
Receptors, GABA-A - metabolism
Rodents
Studies
Time Factors
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Summary:Whole-cell patch clamp recording has been successfully used in identifying the voltage-dependent gating and conductance properties of ion channels in a variety of cells. However, this powerful technique is of limited value in studying low membrane resistance cells, such as astrocytes in situ, because of the inability to control or accurately measure the real amplitude of command voltages. To facilitate the study of ionic conductances of astrocytes, we have developed a dual patch recording method which permits membrane current and membrane potential to be simultaneously recorded from astrocytes in spite of their extraordinarily low membrane resistance. The utility of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the voltage-dependent activation of the inwardly rectifying K+ current abundantly expressed in astrocytes and multiple ionic events associated with astrocytic GABAA receptor activation. This protocol can be performed routinely in the study of astrocytes. This method will be valuable for identifying and characterizing the individual ion channels that orchestrate the electrical activity of low membrane resistance cells.
ISSN:1756-6606
1756-6606
DOI:10.1186/1756-6606-7-18