Variation in serotonergic inhibition of calcium channel currents in four types of rat sensory neurons differentiated by membrane properties.

1. Rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cell bodies were screened according to action potential (AP) duration, capsaicin sensitivity, expression of IH, IA, and N-, L-, and T-type Ca2+ channel currents. AP duration was measured at half of total amplitude at a membrane potential of -60 mV. Sensitivity to capsaicin was defined as production of an inward current at a holding potential (HP) of -60 mV by 1 microM capsaicin. IH was evoked by a 787-ms hyperpolarization to -110 mV from an HP of -60 mV. IA was evoked by repolarization to -60 mV after a 787-ms hyperpolarization to -110 mV. High-threshold Ca2+ channel current was evoked by a depolarization to -10 or 0 mV from an HP of -60 mV, and L- and N-type Ca2+ channel current was fractionated using selective Ca2+ channel blockers (nimodipine and omega-conotoxin GVIA). T-type Ca2+ channel current was evoked by a depolarization to -40 mV from an HP of -90 mV. Ninety-seven of the 116 DRG cells studied fit closely into one of four categories based on expression of the above characteristics. These four categories, referred to as types 1-4, are described below. 2. Type 1 DRG cells (soma diameter 24.6 +/- 0.5 microns, mean +/- SE; n = 34) had long-duration APs (average = 9.8 ms) with a prominent shoulder on the falling limb and were capsaicin sensitive. Significant IH or IA was not expressed. High-threshold Ca2+ channel current was on average 28% omega-conotoxin GVIA sensitive (N-type) and 46% nimodipine sensitive (L-type); 26% was resistant to both blockers (resistant). T-type Ca2+ channel currents averaged 245 pA. 3. Type 2 DRG cells (soma diameter 25.2 +/- 0.9 microns, n = 19) had short-duration APs (average = 2.9 ms) with a small shoulder on the falling limb and were capsaicin sensitive. IH was negligible but IA averaged 184 pA. High-threshold Ca2+ channel current averaged 42% N-type, 23% L-type, and 35% resistant. T-type Ca2+ channel currents averaged 47 pA. 4. Type 3 DRG cells (soma diameter 18.6 +/- 0.8 microns, n = 21) had short-duration APs (average = 1.8 ms) and were insensitive to capsaicin. IA was not expressed but IH averaged 147 pA. High-threshold Ca2+ channel current averaged 27% N-type, 44% L-type, and 29% resistant. T-type Ca2+ channel currents averaged 306 pA. 5. Type 4 DRG cells (soma diameter 33.9 +/- 0.4 microns, n = 23) had short-duration APs (average = 1.1 ms) and were capsaicin insensitive. IA was not expressed but IH averaged 810 pA. High-threshold Ca2+ channel current was 16% N-type, 4% L-type, and 80% resistant. T-type Ca2+ channel currents averaged 4,031 pA. 6. There was a large variation in the inhibition of high-threshold Ca2+ channel currents by serotonin (5-HT) and (+)8-OH-DPAT in type 1 DRG cells versus types 2-4. On average, 5-HT (10 microM) inhibited high-threshold Ca2+ channel current by an average of 42% in type 1 DRG cells, compared with 15%, 18%, and 7% inhibition in types 2-4, respectively. Similarly, (+)8-OH-DPAT (1 microM) inhibited high-threshold Ca2+ channel current by an average of 35% in type 1 DRG cells, compared with 5%, 8%, and 3% inhibition in types 2-4, respectively. 7. It is possible that DRG cells that vary in their expression of membrane properties may represent sensory neurons that transmit different types of sensory information. Thus the variation in inhibition of Ca2+ channel current by 5-HT and (+)8-OH-DPAT in the above categories of DRG cells may indicate that 5-HT1A receptor activation inhibits Ca2+ entry into some types of DRG sensory neurons more than others.