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J Physiol 1989 Apr;411:115-30 Related Articles, Books

Published erratum appears in J Physiol (Lond) 1989 Aug;415:following 624

Voltage-dependent potassium channels in mouse Schwann cells.

Konishi T

Department of Neurology, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.

1. Ionic currents in Schwann cells cultured from enzymatically dissociated

sciatic nerves of newborn mice were recorded by the whole-cell variation of

the patch-clamp technique. 2. In these cells only the voltage-dependent K+

currents were recorded. The K+ current was suppressed by quinine,

4-aminopyridine (4-AP) or tetraethylammonium (TEA), their half-suppression

concentrations being 22 microM, 0.3 mM and 15 mM, respectively. 3. The peak

amplitudes and density of the K+ currents in these Schwann cells increased

rapidly during the first 2 days of the culture. 4. In an investigation of

the linkage between K+ channels and Schwann cell proliferation, three

different K+ channel blockers (quinine, 4-AP and TEA) were added to the

medium at different stages of the culture. In media containing sublethal

doses of quinine or 4-AP, the start of cell proliferation was delayed when

these drugs were added at 12 h or on day 3. The same doses of these drugs

applied on day 6, when the Schwann cells were proliferating, did not affect

cell proliferation. TEA showed a discrepancy between the dose-dependent

blocking of K+ channels and cell proliferation because of its additional

cytotoxic effects. 5. It is concluded that voltage-dependent K+ channels in

mouse Schwann cells are similar to those observed in human and murine T

lymphocytes. These K+ channels are suggested to be involved in Schwann cell

proliferation at early stages of development.

PMID: 2559192, UI: 90133592

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