Two Subtypes of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Lymnaea stagnalis Neurons Control Chloride Conductance

Abstract

Giant neurons of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis contain heterogeneous population of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) according to their relative sensitivity to antagonists. All these receptors are involved in the total response to acetylcholine (ACh). To evaluate activity of different pharmacological agents correctly it is necessary to know ionic selectivity of nAChRs which participate in transmembrane ionic current. In this work we studied the influence of ionic composition of the external and intracellular solutions on the current amplitude and current–voltage relation under the action of ACh or other nAChR agonists on the identified neurons of the left and right parietal ganglia of Lymnaea. After non-permeable cation N-methyl-D-glucamine was completely substituted for external Na⁺ ions there were no changes in the current characteristics. After a 10-fold decrease in Cl–concentration in the external solution there was a considerable shift of the current–voltage curve to the right, outward currents at the holding potential (V_h) up to 30 mV were not observed. On the contrary, a 10-fold decrease of Cl^– concentration in the intracellular solution led to a shift of the current–voltage curve to hyperpolarizing direction, the reversal potential shift was in the average –42 mV. When ACh and nicotinic agonists with higher selectivity towards vertebrate α7 neuronal nAChR type and one of the two subtypes of Lymnaea nAChRs were compared, no differences in changes of ionic current characteristics were found. Neurons with distinct relative fraction of one or another nAChR subtype reacted to Cl^– concentration change in the same way. Our results support earlier data on Cl^– mechanism of Lymnaea neuron responses to ACh and evidence identical ionic selectivity of the two nAChR subtypes in identified neurons tested.