FIGURE 2.

Osmotic swelling potentiates DRG neuron RA-MA currents at different mechanical stimulation intensities. A, two sets of sample traces of RA-MA currents elicited by different membrane displacement steps at the initial time (top) and 30 min (bottom) after establishing the whole-cell mode. The patch clamp electrode contained the hypertonic recording internal solution. Membrane displacement steps are at the increment of 1 μm and indicated above RA-MA current traces. B, summary data of the experiments represented in A. Squares and circles are the RA-MA currents evoked at initial time (n = 22) and 30 min (n = 19) after establishing the whole-cell mode, respectively. C, decay time constants for the experiments represented in A. Open bars and solid bars are decay time constant at initial time (n = 22) and 30 min (n = 15) after establishing the whole-cell mode, respectively. D, mechanical thresholds at initial time and 30 min after establishing the whole-cell mode. Open bars, recordings with isotonic recording internal solution (n = 33); solid bars, recordings with hypertonic recording internal solution (n = 26). E, sample trace (left) and summary data (right) of RA-MA currents evoked by repeated membrane displacements at the interval of 6 s (n = 9). F, sample traces show that membrane displacement did not elicit RA-MA currents in SCG neurons recorded with hypertonic recording internal solution either at the initial time or 24 min after establishing the whole-cell mode (n = 14). Data represent mean ± S.E., *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; ns, not significantly different.