Kv7 Channels as an Important Contributor to Alcohol-Induced Modulation of Neuronal Excitability in Neonatal Rat...

Normal alcohols (n-alcohols) exhibit contrasting effects on neuronal excitability; specifically, ethanol enhances neuronal firing, while hexanol suppresses it. Both compounds are known to inhibit sodium currents, yet the mechanisms behind their differing effects remain unclear. Our previous studies demonstrated that Kv7 channels are modulated differently by alcohol chain length, prompting investigation into their role in these contrasting effects. We conducted whole-cell patch clamp recordings on neonatal (P5-P7) rat superior cervical ganglion neurons to assess alcohol impacts on action potential firing and ionic currents, utilizing tetrodotoxin (TTX), XE991, and retigabine (RTG). Ethanol (100 mM) increased action potential frequency, whereas hexanol (3 mM) decreased it, despite both inhibiting sodium currents by 12% and 45%, respectively. Notably, ethanol inhibited Kv7 currents by 16%, while hexanol enhanced them by 29%. TTX alone did not affect firing frequency until sodium current inhibition exceeded 76%, indicating moderate sodium channel blockade cannot fully explain the effects of alcohol. XE991 increased firing frequency and depolarized the resting membrane potential, while retigabine produced opposite effects. The combination of TTX with Kv7 modulators replicated the effects observed with each alcohol. These findings suggest Kv7 channel modulation plays an important role in the chain length-dependent effects of alcohol on neuronal excitability.