Membrane potential dependent duration of action potentials in cultured rat hippocampal neurons

(1) Fluctuations of the membrane potential states are essential for the brain functions from the response of individual neurons to the cognitive function of the brain. It has been reported in slice preparations that the action potential duration is dependent on the membrane potential states. (2) In order to examine whether dependence of action potential duration on the membrane potential could happen in isolated individual neurons that have no network connections, we studied the membrane potential dependence of the action potential duration by artificially setting the membrane potentials to different states in individual cultured rat hippocampal neurons using patch-clamp technique. (3) We showed that the action potential of individual neurons generated from depolarized membrane potentials had broader durations than those generated from hyperpolarized membrane potentials. (4) Furthermore, the membrane potential dependence of the action potential duration was significantly reduced in the presence of voltage-gated K(+) channel blockers, TEA, and 4-AP, suggesting involvement of both delayed rectifier I (K) and transient I (A) current in the membrane potential dependence of the action potential duration. (5) These results indicated that the dependence of action potential duration on the membrane potential states could be an intrinsic property of individual neurons.