[Effects of prenatal stress on kinetic properties of high-voltage-activated Ca2+ channel in freshly isolated offspring rat hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of prenatal stress (PNS) on kinetic properties of high-voltage-activated (HVA) Ca(2+) channel in freshly isolated offspring rat hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons.

METHODS

The pregnant rats were exposed to restraint stress, and the hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons were freshly isolated from the offspring rats to record voltage-gate Ca(2+) channel currents in these neurons using whole-cell configuration of patch-clamp technique.

RESULTS

PNS significantly increased HVA calcium current density and integral current but did not alter the steady-state activation and steady-state inactivation properties of HVA Ca(2+) channel in the offspring rat CA3 neurons. The maximal HVA calcium current density was -40.89-/+0.31 pA/pF in the control group (n=10) and -49.44-/+0.37 pA/pF in PNS group (n=8, P<0.01). The maximal integral current of the HVA Ca(2+) channel was 106.81-/+4.20 nAms in the control group (n=10) and 133.49-/+2.59 nAms in the PNS group (n=8, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Maternal exposure to stress during the critical phase of pregnancy may result in long-lasting effects on the ion channels of the hippocampal neurons in the offspring rats.