Modulation Of Calcium Channels In Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons By Recombinant Human Erythropoietin

ObjectiveTo investigate the modulation of Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo) on calcium channels of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, through which we explore the neuroprotective mechanism and provide evidences for the treatment on spinal cord injury (SCI).MethodsWhole-cell patch clamp technique was used to determine calcium current on acutely dissociated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.ResultsrhEpo at 5～25U/ml dose dependently increases voltage-dependent calcium current of DRG neurons and the amplitude of peak current increase can reach to 46±4.6%, which is partly blocked by the specific blockers of calcium channel, such as Nifedipine, Flunarizine, but almost completely blocked by NiCl2—one of the nonspecific blockers of calcium channel.ConclusionrhEpo regulates rat DRG neuron's T and L type calcium currents and increases intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i ). In this study it demonstrated that one of the mechanisms which rhEpo acts on the injured spinal cord neurons is by modulation of the voltage-dependent calcium channels on the neurons.