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Micromolar copper modifies electrical properties and spontaneous discharges of nodose ganglion neurons in vitro

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Abstract

Copper plays a key role in aerobic cell physiology mainly related to mitochondrial metabolism. This element is also present at higher than basal levels in some central nuclei and indeed, current evidence support copper’s role as a neuromodulator in the central nervous system. More recent data indicate that copper may also affect peripheral neuronal activity, but so far, there are not detailed descriptions of what peripheral neuronal characteristics are targeted by copper. Here, we studied the effect of physiological concentration of CuCl2 (μM range) on the activity of peripheral neurons using a preparation of nodose ganglion in vitro. By mean of conventional intracellular recordings passive and active electrical membrane properties were studied. Extracellular copper modified (in a redox-independent manner) the resting membrane potential and the input resistance of the nodose ganglion neurons, increasing the excitability in most of the tested neurons. These results suggest that Cu2+ modulates the activity of nodose ganglion neurons and support nodose ganglion in vitro preparation as a simple model to study the subcellular mechanisms involved in the Cu2+ effects on neuron electrical properties.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT, Chile), project 1080670 (to CV).

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Author notes

  1. Fernando C. Ortiz

    Present address: Neurophysiology and New Microscopes Laboratory, INSERM U603, CNRS UMR 8154, University of Paris Descartes, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile

    Fernando C. Ortiz, Cecilia Vergara & Julio Alcayaga

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  1. Fernando C. Ortiz
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  2. Cecilia Vergara
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  3. Julio Alcayaga
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Correspondence to Cecilia Vergara.

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Ortiz, F.C., Vergara, C. & Alcayaga, J. Micromolar copper modifies electrical properties and spontaneous discharges of nodose ganglion neurons in vitro. Biometals 27, 45–52 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-013-9685-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-013-9685-4

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