Hatton, CJ; Peers, C

Brain Research [Brain Res.], vol. 787, no. 2, pp. 315-320, 23 Mar 1998

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were used to investigate the effects of arachidonic acid (AA) on K + and Ca super(2+) channels in isolated rat type I carotid body cells. AA (2-20 mu M) produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of both K + currents and Ca super(2+) channel currents. The effects of AA on K + currents were unaffected by indomethacin (5 mu M), phenidone (5 mu M) or 1-aminobenzotriazole (3 mM), suggesting that AA did not exert its effects via cyclo-oxygenase, lipoxygenase or cytochrome P-450 (cP-450) metabolism. Our results suggest that AA directly and non-selectively inhibits ionic currents in rat type I carotid body cells.