Whole-cell and perforated-patch recordings from O2-sensitive rat carotid body cells grown in short- and long-term culture

We are investigating transduction mechanisms in a major peripheral chemosensory organ, the rat carotid body, using short- and long-term dissociated cell cultures and patch-clamp, whole-cell recording. In this study membrane properties of cultured glomus or type I cells were characterized with conventional whole-cell recording and the new perforated-patch technique during control (160 Torr) and low-PO2 (20 Torr) conditions. These cells contained …