Separation of ionic currents in the somatic membrane of frog sensory neurons.

Electrical properties of isolated frog primary afferent neurons were examined by suction pipette technique, which combines internal perfusion with current or voltage clamp using a switching circuit with a single electrode. When K+ in the external and internal solutions was totally replaced with Cs+, extremely prolonged Ca spikes, lasting for 5 to 10 sec, and Na spikes, having a short plateau phase of 10 to 15 msec, were observed in Na+-free and Ca2+-free solutions, respectively. Under voltage clamp, Ca2+ current (ICa) appeared at around -30 mV and maximum peak current was elicited at about 0 mV. With increasing test pulses to the positive side, ICa became smaller and flattened but did not reverse. Increases of [Ca]o induced a hyperbolic increase of ICa and also shifted its I-V curve along the voltage axis to the more positive direction. Internal perfusion of F- blocked ICa time-dependently. The Ca channel was permeable to foreign divalent cations in the sequence of ICa greater than IBa greater than ISr much greater than IMn greater than IZn. Organic Ca-blockers equally depressed the divalent cation currents dose- and time-dependently without shifting the I-V relationships, while inorganic blockers suppressed these currents dose-dependently and the inhibition appeared much stronger in the order of IBa = ISr greater than ICa greater than IMn = IZn.