Depressant and convulsant barbiturates both inhibit neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

The firing frequency of spontaneous action potentials and their corresponding evoked exocytosis are increased in chromaffin cells of CCl4 -induced cirrhotic rats with respect to control rats

High catecolamine plasma levels because of sympathetic nervous system over-activity contribute to cirrhosis progression. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland might potentiate the deleterious effect exerted by this over-activity. Electrophysiological patch-clamp and amperometric experiments with carbon-fibre electrodes were conducted in single chromaffin cells of control and CCl₄ -induced cirrhotic rats. The spontaneous action potential firing frequency was increased in chromaffin cells of cirrhotic rats with respect to control rats. The exocytosis evoked by that firing was also increased. However, exocytosis elicited by ACh did not vary between control and cirrhotic rats. Exocytosis triggered by depolarizing pulses was also unchanged. Amperometric recordings confirmed the lack of increased catecholamine charge released in cirrhosis after ACh or depolarization stimuli. However, the amperometric spikes exhibited faster kinetics of release. The overall Ca²⁺ entry through voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels (VDCC), or in particular through Cav1 channels, did not vary between chromaffin cells of control and cirrhotic rats. The inhibition of VDCC by methionine-enkephaline or ATP was not either altered, but it was increased by adrenaline in cells of cirrhotic rats. When a cocktail composed by the three neurotransmitters was tested in order to approach a situation closer to the physiological condition, the inhibition of VDCC was similar between both types of cells. In summary, chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland might contribute to exacerbate the sympathetic nervous system over-activity in cirrhosis because of an increased exocytosis elicited by an enhanced spontaneous electrical activity.

Electrophysiology of airway nerves

Several different electrophysiological approaches have been used to study the pharmacology of the afferent, central, and efferent nervous systems in airways. This unit describes electrophysiological methods used to study nerves in these pathways and includes: (1) extracellular recording of afferent nerve activity in vivo and from the isolated airway in vitro, (2) intracellular and patch clamp recording of identified airway sensory neurons, (3) patch clamp recording of secondary afferent central nervous system neurons, (4) in vitro and in vivo intracellular recording of intact parasympathetic ganglionic neurons, and (5) patch recordings of dissociated parasympathetic ganglionic neurons.