Evidences for calcium-dependent inactivation of calcium current at the frog motor nerve terminal

Brain Res Bull. 2006 May 31;69(6):652-5. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2006.03.012. Epub 2006 Apr 18.

Abstract

Assessment of calcium-dependent inactivation of calcium current in nerve terminals is not feasible due to technical reasons. Perineural measurement of calcium-flow, however, might be utilized as indirect means to evaluate synaptic currents. Using perineural recording from frog neuromuscular junction, supra-threshold stimuli applied to motor nerve in paired-pulse manner with varying inter-pulse intervals (5-50 ms) are demonstrated in this study to cause paired-pulse depression (PPD) of Ca(2+)-current. PPD of Ca(2+)-flow was reduced at lower extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations, in BAPTA-AM and EGTA-AM treated preparations and after replacing extracellular Ca(2+) with Sr(2+). Using perineural measurement of calcium current as an indirect model to investigate synaptic ionic activity, our findings demonstrate that PPD may be attributed to calcium-dependent inactivation of Ca(2+)-current, which may serve as negative feedback in response to massive Ca(2+) entry to motor nerve terminals. A putative sensor of Ca(2+)-current is also proposed in this study.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anura
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calcium Channels / physiology*
  • Chelating Agents / pharmacology
  • Egtazic Acid / analogs & derivatives
  • Egtazic Acid / pharmacology
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Motor Neurons / drug effects
  • Motor Neurons / physiology*
  • Motor Neurons / radiation effects
  • Neuromuscular Junction / cytology
  • Neuromuscular Junction / metabolism
  • Neuromuscular Junction / radiation effects
  • Presynaptic Terminals / physiology*

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Chelating Agents
  • 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester
  • Egtazic Acid
  • EGTA acetoxymethyl ester
  • Calcium