Coupled potassium channels induced by arachidonic acid in cultured neurons

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Exposure of the inside surface of patches of membrane excised from cultured rat hippocampal neurons to arachidonic acid (10-100 $\mu $M) caused the appearance of potassium currents of variable amplitude similar to those activated by GABA or baclofen in cell-attached patches. The amplitude of single-channel currents increased with time after exposure to 20 or 50 $\mu $M arachidonic acid and also increased when arachidonic acid concentration was increased from 20 to 50 or 100 $\mu $M. Current-amplitude probability histograms had peaks at integral multiples of an `elementary' current. It is proposed that arachidonic acid or its metabolites cause synchronous opening and closing of coupled conducting units (co-channels) in cell membranes.