The Effects of Urethane on Rat Outer Hair Cells

Figure 4

Urethane induces membrane current changes via the nicotinic AChR. (a) Strychnine, an antagonist of α9 AChRs, partially blocked the OHC response to urethane. The cell was held at 0 mV, and 100 mM urethane was pressure-ejected near the cell (timing denoted by the horizontal bar) to obtain the control response (top trace). Either 0.01 (middle trace) or 0.1 M strychnine (bottom trace) was coapplied with urethane to the OHC. The magnitude of the outward currents decreased as the coapplied strychnine concentration increased. A 3 min waiting period was used between each trial. (b) The average amplitudes of outward current in response to 100 mM urethane or 100 mM urethane coapplied with two different doses of strychnine. Bar = SD. , Student’s -test. .

(a)

(b)