Effects of derivatives of sulfur dioxide on transient outward potassium currents in acutely isolated hippocampal neurons

The effect of SO2 derivatives, a common air pollutant and exists in vivo as an equilibrium between bisulfate and sulfite, on transient outward currents (TOCS) in hippocampal neurons were studied using the whole cell configuration of patch-clamp technique. TOCS that preliminary included a fast inactivating (A-current or IA) and a slow inactivating (D-current or ID) current, were isolated based on the kinetics and pharmacological properties in the presence of 50 mM TEA. The results showed that SO2 derivatives reversibly increased the amplitudes of TOCS in a concentration dependent and voltage dependent. Half-increase dose on TOCS was 25 μM. In vivo, SO2 derivatives shifted the steady-state inactivation curve of TOCS in the depolarizing direction but had little effect on the activation curve. Half-maximal inactivation voltage of TOCS was −69.6 ± 1.0 mV before and −56.8 ± 0.4 mV after application of 10 μM SO2 derivatives. SO2 derivatives increased the maximal conductance and delayed the inactivation process of TOCS. These results suggest that SO2 derivatives would increase the excitability of hippocampal neurons.