MEMBRANE CURRENTS OF C6 CELLS IN PHARMACOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

Living cells exhibit multiple ion channel proteins and malfunction of these channels underlies numerous diseases. Channelopathies include diseases of the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, urinary, and immune system. Currently, ion channels represent the second-largest target for existing drugs. Here, using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we explored the epinephrine effect on membrane ionic currents in glioma C6 cells. We demonstrate that epinephrine specifically evokes an increase of C6 cells outward ionic currents that is stable within 10 min, while it does not affect inward currents. Our results thus provide fine resolution and time frame for targeting ion channel activity that is crucial in pharmacological investigations.