Veratridine stimulation of sodium influx in carotid body cells from newborn rabbits in primary culture.

It was examined whether or not 22Na+ influx into cultured cells of the carotid body (CB) from newborn rabbits might be stimulated by veratridine (VRT), using superior cervical ganglion (SCG) cells as a standard, showing the VRT-stimulating effects on 22Na+ influx. In a CB glomus cell-rich culture, VRT induced a 22Na+ influx increase, as seen in a SCG neuronal cell-rich culture, which was entirely inhibited by tetrodotoxin (TTX). In contrast, in a CB non-glomus cell culture as well as in a SCG non-neuronal cell culture, the VRT-stimulating effect was not seen. This indicates that the VRT-stimulating effect found in the CB glomus cell-rich culture was evoked from only glomus cells. It is concluded that glomus cells have TTX-sensitive voltage-dependent sodium channels, which might be indirectly involved in the chemotransduction mechanism in the CB.