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Properties of voltage-gated sodium channels in developing auditory neurons of the mouse in vitro
1Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029.
Objective:
To investigate the properties of voltage-gated sodium (Na+) channels in developing auditory neurons during early postnatal stages in the mammalian central nervous system.
Methods:
Using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique, we have studied changes in the electrophysiological properties of Na+ channels in the principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB).
Results:
We found that MNTB neurons already express functional Na+ channels at postnatal day 1 (P1), and that channel density begins to increase at P5 when the neurons receive synaptic innervation and reach its maximum (approximately 3 fold) at P11 when functional hearing onsets. These changes were paralleled by an age-dependent acceleration in both inactivation and recovery from inactivation. In contrast, there was very little alteration in the voltage-dependence of inactivation.
Conclusion:
These profound changes in the properties of voltage-gated Na+ channels may increase the excitability of MNTB neurons and enhance their phase-locking fidelity and capacity during high-frequency synaptic transmission.
