摘要
Objective. To investigate the properties of voltage-gated sodium (Na+) channels in developing auditoryneurons during early postnatal stages in the mammalian central nervous system.Methods. Using the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique, we have studied changes in the electrophysi-ological properties of Na+ channels in the principal neurons of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB).Results. We found that MNTB neurons already express functional Na+ channels at postnatal day 1 (P1),and that channel density begins to increase at P5 when the neurons receive synaptic innervation andreach its maximum (～3 fold) at P11 when functional hearing onsets. These changes were paralleled byan age-dependent acceleration in both inactivation and recovery from inactivation. In contrast, there wasvery little alteration in the voltage-dependence of inactivation.Conclusion. These profound changes in the properties of voltage-gated Na+ channels may increase theexcitability of MNTB neurons and enhance their phase-locking fidelity and capacity during high-frequencysynaptic transmission.
基金
This work was supported by an operaing grant and a scholarship from the Medical Research Council of Canada(MRC)and by a start-up fund from the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute to L,Y.W.
