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Updated: Apr 5, 2026
Preparation of Acute Spinal Cord Slices for Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recording in Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons
Published on: January 18, 2019
[Minocycline reduces hyperpolarization-activated current in rat substantia gelatinosa neurons]
Mengye Zhu1, Nana Liu, Sicong Peng
1Department of Pain Clinic, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of minocycline on hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) in the substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons in rat spinal dorsal horn.
Methods:
In vitro spinal cord transverse slices were prepared from 3-5-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. Using whole-cell patch clamp technique, Ih currents were recorded before and after bath application of minocycline (1-300 µmol/L) to the SG neurons.
Results:
Ih currents were observed in nearly 50% of the recorded neurons, and were blocked by Ih blocker CsCl and ZD7288. Minocycline rapidly and reversibly reduced the amplitude of Ih and decreased the current density in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 34 µmol/L.
Conclusion:
Minocycline suppresses the excitability of SG neurons through inhibiting the amplitude and current density of Ih and thereby contributes to pain modulation.
