Carbon monoxide effect on the membrane potential of cells in nervous tissue cultures

The effects of carbon monoxide (CO) on the membrane potential of neurons and glial cells were investigated using organotropic cultures of the cerebellum of newborn rats in two experimental groups. Group I comprised cultures maintained during 2, 3 and 4 weeks and exposed only once to CO during 30 minutes. In group II 3-week cultures were exposed twice to CO with a 30-minute interval between exposures. The gaseous environment of the cultures contained air with 10% of CO. The results of measurements of membrane potentials carried out immediately after exposure and 24 hours later were subjected to conventional statistical analysis. After one exposure to CO the membrane potential of the neurons and glial cells decreased, and after 24 hours it rose, without, however, reaching the value observed in the cells kept in standard cultures. Immediately after two exposures of 30 minutes each a significant fall of the membrane potential was observed in the neurons and glial cells, while 24 hours later the measurements of the resting potential in all cells showed zero value. The experiments with two exposures to CO for 10 minutes each demonstrated a fall in the membrane potential of neurons and glia, and after 24 hours this potential rose only in glial cells. The results of these investigations are compared with those reported in the literature and the mechanism of disturbances of cell membrane polarization during cytotoxic hypoxia is discussed.