Abstract
Previous studies resulted in conflicting conclusions that glutamate application either decreases or increases the activity of Ca 2+ channels in hippocampal neurons. We studied whole-cell Ca 2+ currents ( I Ca) in chick dorsal root ganglion neurons and rat hippocampal cells. For both cell types glutamate (1–30 μM) increased high-threshold Ca 2+ current. It was independent of the charge carriers, Ca 2+ or Ba 2+. Low-threshold Ca 2+ channel current and the fast sodium current were not changed with glutamate application. The effect developed within 1–2 min and then further facilitated after washout of the agonist. A second application of glutamate produced no additional increase in ICa . No changes in the time-course of whole-cell currents were observed, suggesting that glutamate recruits ‘sleepy’ Ca 2+ channels. Whatever its mechanism, overlasting increase of I Ca by glutamate may be important in neuronal plasticity.
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