Rat Sympathetic Neuron Calcium Channels Are Insensitive to Gabapentin.

The gabapentenoids such as gabapentin (GP) and pregabalin are approved for the treatment of chronic pain, but their utility is limited by persistent side effects. These adverse effects result from GPs affecting many types of neurons and muscle cells, not just the pain-sensing neurons that are the intended targets. We have recently discovered a type of peripheral neuron, rat sympathetic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG), that is uniquely insensitive to GP effects.

Ca2 channel subtype expression in rat sympathetic neurons is selectively regulated by αδ subunits.

Type two voltage gated calcium (Ca2) channels are the primary mediators of neurotransmission at neuronal presynapses, but their function at neural soma is also important in regulating excitability. Mechanisms that regulate Ca2 channel expression at synapses have been studied extensively, which motivated us to perform similar studies in the soma. Rat sympathetic neurons from the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) natively express Ca2.