Solutions for Cell-Attached and Excised Inside-Out
Recording Configurations


A. RECORDING PIPETTE SOLUTIONS

1. Standard Saline (150 mM NaCl), 500 mL

   MW mM g
 NaCl 58.44 150 4.38
 KCl 74.55 3 0.11
 HEPES 238.31 10 1.19
 glucose 180.16 14 1.26
 CaCl2 110.99 2 0.11
 MgCl2 95.23 1 0.05

Titrate with NaOH to pH=7.4 before you add divalents. This prevents formation of insoluble precipitates.

TEA
TEA blocks Ca2+-activated K+ channels (75% block at 1 mM). TEA produces fast block of neuronal and skeletal muscle nicotinic receptors at µM concentrations (Marshall et al, 1990; Nojima et al., 1993). TEA also blocks NMDA receptors. TEA does not block Ca channels and is used to block outward K+ currents that can obscure Ca channel activity.

K(ATP) Channels
Saline for recording K(ATP) channels should be made up without Mg, which blocks the channel (Davies, 1990). Use 75 mM NaCl and 75 mM KCl in order to look at inward K currents (see Davies et al, 1989; Davies, 1990).

110 mM Ba (Hess et al., 1986; Lansman, 1990)
pH=7.4, 271 mOsm
In mM: 110 BaCl2, 10 glucose, 10 HEPES. Titrate with TEA-OH to pH=7.4. Add barium last after titration to prevent precipitation of insoluble hydroxides.

150 mM Li (Hess et al., 1986)
In mM: 150 LiCl, 35 glucose, 10 HEPES, 5 EDTA. Titrate with TEA-OH to pH=7.4

90 mM Ba Solution
For recording Ca channels in cerebellar granule cells (Slesinger and Lansman, 1991b). In mM: 90 BaCl2, 15 TEA-Cl, 10 HEPES, 10 glucose. Titrate with TEA-OH to pH 7.4. Add BaCl2 last to prevent precipitation of insoluble hydroxides.

150 mM CsCl Solution
For NMDA Channels in Outside-Out Patches, 500 mL (adapted from Jahr and Stevens, 1990)

   MW mM g
 CsCl  168.37  150  12.63
 HEPES  238.31  5  0.60
 EGTA  380.4  10  1.90
 MgATP  531.5  2  0.53

Titrate with CsOH to pH=7.3. 336 mOsm

140 mM K-Methanesulfonate
For neuronal K Channels, 500 mL. May be used both in the pipette and as a depolarizing bath solution for cell-attached and inside-out patches.

   MW mM g
 NaCl  58.44  10  0.29
 KOH  56.11  140  3.93
 HEPES  238.31  10  1.19
 EGTA  380.4  5  0.95
 glucose  180.16  90  8.11
 MgCl2  95.23  2.5  0.12
 TEA (optional)  165.71  10  0.83

Titrate with methanesulfonic acid to pH=7.4. The glucose concentration was empirically determined to raise osmolarity to ~315 mOsm. Reduce glucose to adjust osmolarity if adding TEA-Cl.

B. BATH SOLUTIONS

+(S)-202-791 Dihydropyridine Agonist Stock Solution
+(S)-202-791 is the enantiomer of Bay K8644 which opens L-type Ca channels for long periods. Make up a 10 mM stock solution in 100% ethanol and store in the freezer in a light-proof container. Dilute into 4 ml bath solution for use in experiments. Add 4 µl of the 10 mM stock solution to 4 ml bath solution to make a 10 µM working solution. The working solution should be made fresh daily. Add 100 µl of 10 µM working solution to the culture dish containing ~900 µl bath solution to achieve a final concentration of ~1 µM. To achieve complete diffusion of the agonist, the stock volume should be at least 10% of the volume of the bath. Dihydropyridines are best used with disposable plasticware. Glassware requires extensive cleaning and exposure to UV light to remove all traces of the drug.

150 mM K-aspartate Depolarizing Solution, 500 mL (Hess et al., 1986; Lansman, 1989)

   MW  mM  g
 aspartic acid  133.10  150  9.98
 KOH  56.10  150  4.21
 HEPES  238.31  10  1.19
 glucose (to adjust osmolarity)  180.16  4  0.36
 EGTA  380.4  1  0.19
 MgCl2  95.23  5  0.24

Ca is omitted to prevent excess Ca influx under depolarization. MgCl2 promotes membrane stabilization.

150 mM K-Methanesulfonate Depolarizing Solution (Slesinger and Lansman,1991b)
In mM: 150 KOH, 1 EGTA, 10 HEPES, 60 glucose, 5 MgCl2. Titrate with methanesulfonic acid to pH 7.4.

125 mM K-Mes Depolarizing Solution for Cerebellar Granule Cells (Inside-Out)
In mM: 125 KOH, 10 NaCl, 5 EGTA, 10 HEPES, 20 glucose, 2.5 MgCl2. Titrate with methanesulfonic acid to pH 7.4

150 mM Na Solution for NMDA Channels in Outside-Out Patches, 500 mL
(adapted from Jahr and Stevens, 1990)

   MW mM g
NaCl 58.44 150 4.82
HEPES 238.31 5 0.60
glucose 180.16 20 1.80
CaCl2 110.99 2 0.11

Titrate with NaOH to pH=7.3. 336 mOsm.


References