Ion channels in human axons

1. Until now, no direct electrophysiological information has been available on the molecular basis of human nerve excitability. We here report patch-clamp recordings, both single- and multichannel, from acutely dissociated human axons. 2. Voltage-dependent sodium channels with a conductance gamma = 13 pS (measured in Ringer at room temperature) are found in the nodal area. 3. There are several types of voltage-dependent potassium channels: I channels (gamma = 34 pS), F channels (gamma = 50 pS), and channels with small conductance (gamma = 7-9 pS, all measured in high potassium solution). Most of them are closely similar to those already reported in Xenopus and rat axons; in addition a 200-pS, calcium-dependent potassium channel, similar to that in Xenopus, is present. 4. Differences between the electrical behavior of human axons and those of other species are probably not due to the presence of fundamentally different channel types, but may be due to differences in channel density or distribution. 5. As well as increasing our understanding of the basis of excitability in human nerve, this method may prove useful in the investigation of inherited and other human neuropathies.