Fig. 3

Diabetes-induced upregulation of T-type channels in the caps⁻lpH⁺ neurons of hypoalgesic subgroup of diabetic rats. a Representative traces of Ba²⁺ current in the caps⁻lpH⁺ neurons isolated from the control (upper traces), hypoalgesic (lower traces) diabetic rats. b Significant increase of TCD was observed in the caps⁻lpH⁺ neurons of diabetic compared to control rats in a range of −60 - -0 mV where Ba²⁺ current is mediated by T-type channels (n = 8 and n = 7, from three animals each, for control and diabetic groups, respectively; *p < 0.05). The caps⁻lpH⁺ neurons were isolated from diabetic animals after 6 weeks of STZ-induced diabetes. The currents were evoked by depolarizing steps from a holding potential of −100 mV to −80 through 0 mV in 10 mV increments. An insert demonstrates TCD amplitude for each tested neuron and their mean values (boxes C - for the control and D - for the diabetes) with standard errors (upper whiskers) at a depolarization step to −50 mV