Journal article
Combined application of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 and its impact on spiral ganglion neuron firing properties and hyperpolarization-activated currents
Karina Needham, Bryony A Nayagam, Ricki L Minter, Stephen J O'Leary
HEARING RESEARCH | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV | Published : 2012
Abstract
Neurotrophins provide an effective tool for the rescue and regeneration of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) following sensorineural hearing loss. However, these nerve growth factors are also potent modulators of ion channel activity and expression, and in the peripheral auditory system brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT3) have previously been shown to alter the firing properties of auditory neurons and differentially regulate the expression of some potassium channels in vitro. In this study we examined the activity of the hyperpolarization-mediated mixed-cation current (I(h)) in early post-natal cultured rat SGNs following exposure to combined BDNF and NT3. Whole-c..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Marc L Brady and John R Brady for valuable engineering support and technical assistance. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for providing constructive comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by: the Department of Otolaryngology, the University of Melbourne, the Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and the William Buckland Foundation (ANZ Charitable Trusts). B.A. Nayagam is supported by an Australian-Based Biomedical Research Fellowship from the National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC), and S.J. O'Leary is a recipient of a NH&MRC Practitioner Fellowship. The funding bodies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.