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Persistent sodium current, membrane properties and bursting behavior of pre-bötzinger complex inspiratory neurons in
Christopher A Del Negro1, Naohiro Koshiya, Robert J Butera
1Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neural Control, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4455, USA.
Abstract:
We measured persistent Na(+) current and membrane properties of bursting-pacemaker and nonbursting inspiratory neurons of the neonatal rat pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) in brain stem slice preparations with a rhythmically active respiratory network in vitro. In whole-cell recordings, slow voltage ramps ( g(NaP)/g(Leak) in nonpacemaker cells (P < 0.0002). We conclude that I(NaP) is ubiquitously expressed by pre-BötC inspiratory neurons and that bursting pacemaker behavior within the heterogeneous population of inspiratory neurons is achieved with specific ratios of these two conductances, g(NaP) and g(Leak).