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Published on: May 25, 2011
Potassium and calcium channel dependence of bursting in cultured neuronal networks
1Center for Network Neuroscience, University of North Texas, Denton 76203.
Abstract:
Increases in extracellular potassium concentrations reliably increase burst rates in cultured fetal murine spinal cord networks. This effect could be mimicked by either blocking voltage-gated potassium conductances or facilitating excitatory synaptic interactions, but not by blocking specific calcium-dependent potassium conductances or tonic depolarization. Spontaneous bursting in cultured networks is apparently dependent on potassium currents and intracellular calcium levels, but not on the pharmacologically characterized calcium-dependent potassium conductances.
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