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Secondhand smoke exposure alters K+channel function and intrinsic cell excitability in a subset of second-order airway neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius of young guinea pigs
- Source :
- European Journal of Neuroscience. 31:673-684
- Publication Year :
- 2010
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2010.
-
Abstract
- Extended exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in infants and young children increases the incidence of cough, wheeze, airway hyper-reactivity and the prevalence and earlier onset of asthma. The adverse effects may result from environmentally-induced plasticity in the neural network regulating cough and airway function. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in brainstem slices containing anatomically identified second-order lung afferent neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), we determined the effects of extended SHS exposure in young guinea pigs for a duration equivalent to human childhood on the intrinsic excitability of NTS neurons. SHS exposure resulted in marked decreases in the intrinsic excitability of a subset of lung afferent second-order NTS neurons. The neurons exhibited a decreased spiking capacity, prolonged action potential duration, reduced afterhyperpolarization, decrease in peak and steady-state outward currents, and membrane depolarization. SHS exposure effects were mimicked by low concentrations of the K+ channel blockers 4-aminopyridine and/or tetraethyl ammonium. The data suggest that SHS exposure downregulates K+ channel function in a subset of NTS neurons, resulting in reduced cell excitability. The changes may help to explain the exaggerated neural reflex responses in children exposed to SHS.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Guinea Pigs
Action Potentials
In Vitro Techniques
complex mixtures
Membrane Potentials
Random Allocation
Internal medicine
Potassium Channel Blockers
Solitary Nucleus
medicine
Animals
Channel blocker
Neurons, Afferent
4-Aminopyridine
Lung
Ion channel
Chemistry
General Neuroscience
Tetraethylammonium
Depolarization
Afterhyperpolarization
Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques
Endocrinology
medicine.anatomical_structure
nervous system
Anesthesia
Reflex
Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Brainstem
Airway
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14609568 and 0953816X
- Volume :
- 31
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European Journal of Neuroscience
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....84ce9a69d32d8e019f92cac014b44748