Whole-cell patch clamp recording has been successfully used in identifying the voltage-dependent gating and conductance properties of ion channels in a variety of cells. However, this powerful technique is of limited value in studying low membrane resistance cells, such as astrocytes in situ, because of the inability to control or accurately measure the real amplitude of command voltages. To facilitate the study of ionic conductances of astrocytes, we have developed a dual patch recording method which permits membrane current and membrane potential to be simultaneously recorded from astrocytes in spite of their extraordinarily low membrane resistance. The utility of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the voltage-dependent activation of the inwardly rectifying K+ current abundantly expressed in astrocytes and multiple ionic events associated with astrocytic GABA(A) receptor activation. This protocol can be performed routinely in the study of astrocytes. This method will be valuable for identifying and characterizing the individual ion channels that orchestrate the electrical activity of low membrane resistance cells.
基金：
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [RO1NS062784]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [81000491]
第一作者单位：[1]Ohio State Univ, Wexner Med Ctr, Dept Neurosci, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
通讯作者：
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714)：
Ma Baofeng,Xu Guangjin,Wang Wei,et al.Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ[J].MOLECULAR BRAIN.2014,7:doi:10.1186/1756-6606-7-18.
APA：
Ma, Baofeng,Xu, Guangjin,Wang, Wei,Enyeart, John J.&Zhou, Min.(2014).Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ.MOLECULAR BRAIN,7,
MLA：
Ma, Baofeng,et al."Dual patch voltage clamp study of low membrane resistance astrocytes in situ".MOLECULAR BRAIN 7.(2014)
