Chonnam Med J.  2002 Sep;38(3):195-201.

Effects of Ginkgolide B on the Neuronal Excitability of Medial Vestibular Nuclear Neurons in the Rat

• Jeong HS
• Kim JS
• Kim BC
• Lim YC
• Kim JH
• Park JS

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the ginkgolide B on the neuronal excitability ofthe rat vestibular nuclear neurons by whole cell patch clamp technique. When cells were held at -70 mV and depolarized from -60 mV to + 40 mV in 10 mV increments, sustained outward potassium currents were evoked. The outward potassium currents were dose-dependently decreased by the additions of 5, 10, and 20 microM ginkgolide B. DMSO, solvent of ginkgolide B, did not affect the outward potassium currents at different concentrations. High EGTA containing pipette solution (11 mM) reduced the control currents and ginkgolide B did not inhibited the outward potassium currents. 0.1 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) reduced the control currents and 10 microM ginkgolide B did not inhibited the TEA-induced outward potassium currents reduction. These results suggest that ginkgolide B inhibits the calcium-sensitive potassium channels in the dissociated rat medial vestibular nuclear neuron.

Keyword

Potassium channel; Medial vestibular nucleus; Ginkgolide B; Patch clamp

MeSH Terms

Animals
Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Egtazic Acid
Neurons*
Potassium
Potassium Channels
Rats*
Tetraethylammonium
Vestibular Nuclei
Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Egtazic Acid
Potassium
Potassium Channels
Tetraethylammonium