Effect of nitric oxide on the somatic membrane of rat DRG neurons / 中国应用生理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>AIM</b>To observe the role of nitric oxide in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and its related ionic mechanisms, and explore the function of NO in pain transmission process.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In freshly isolated rat DRG samples, using intracellular recording technique, we perfused sodium nitroprusside (NO donor) to observe the role of NO in DRG neurons.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 77.45% of the bath cells, application of sodium nitroprusside (10 -100 mmol/L) induced concentration-dependent membrane hyperpolarization (79/102), and remaining neurons had no response. The membrane conductance increased from control value of (21.06 +/- 1.94) nS to (23.08 +/- 0.92) nS during sodium nitroprusside induced hyperpolarization. L-NAME (1 mmol/L), CdCl2 (0.1 mmol/L) and non-sodium BSS failed to change the amplitude of sodium nitroprusside induced hyperpolarization. When BSS containing 10 mmol/L TEA was used, sodium nitroprusside induced hyperpolarization was obviously inhibited.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sodium nitroprusside could cause concentration-dependent hyperpolarization in DRG neurons by activating K+ channels.</p>