Dopamine Exerts No Acute Effects on Kv1.3 in Activated Encephalitogenic T Cells

Vol. 12, No. 1, 2005

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Original Paper

Dopamine Exerts No Acute Effects on Kv1.3 in Activated Encephalitogenic T Cells
Ulf Strauss^a, Martin Herbrik^a, Eilhard Mix^a, Rika Bajorat^a, Stefan Jung^b, Ulrike Gimsa^a, Arndt Rolfs^a

^aNeurobiological Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, and
^bDepartment of Neurology, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuroimmunomodulation 2005;12:45-53 (DOI: 10.1159/000082363)

Key Words

Dopamine
DRD1-3
Kv1.3
Perforated whole cell recordings
Proliferation
T cells

Abstract

Apart from a central function in the extrapyramidal motor system, dopamine has been suggested to play a role in neuroimmune interactions. Particularly in diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, alterations in dopamine homeostasis might have immunological consequences. We investigated potential effects of dopamine stabilized by ascorbic acid on specifically activated encephalitogenic T cells at the peak of activation. Those cells exhibited an upregulation of voltage-sensitive K⁺ channels which play a role in many neurotransmitter responses of lymphocytes and fulfilled a prerequisite to respond to dopamine, i.e. stable expression of mRNA for dopamine receptors DRD1, DRD2 and DRD3. However, whole-cell and perforated whole-cell recordings revealed no change in voltage-sensitive K⁺ currents. Moreover, T cell proliferation was not changed in the presence of dopamine. Previously reported dopamine effects on T cells may be explained by a comparatively lower activation of the cells under investigation, suggesting an activation dependence of dopamine effects that may not be mediated by K⁺ channels. Alternatively, the occurrence of dopamine degradation products under unprotected conditions may account for the changes reported. Nevertheless, care should be taken when using the dopamine-protecting anti-oxidant ascorbic acid, since we found that it markedly inhibited both K⁺ currents and lymphocyte proliferation at higher concentrations.

Author Contacts

Dr. Ulf Strauss
Neurobiologisches Labor, Klinik für Neurologie
Gehlsheimer Strasse 20
DE-18147 Rostock (Germany)
Tel. +49 381 494 9551, Fax +49 381 494 9542, E-Mail ulf.strauss@med.uni-rostock.de

Article Information

Received: September 23, 2003
Accepted: February 17, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 9
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 52

Medline Abstract (ID 15756052)

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