Spontaneous hyperpolarizations at the membrane of cultured mouse dorsal root ganglion cells.

Intracellular recordings from cultured mouse dorsal root (sensory) ganglion cells revealed the presence of spontaneous hyperpolarizing potentials in over half of the cells. The potentials were resistant to tetrodotoxin and under voltage clamp were replaced by fluctuations in outward current. The power spectral density plots of these current fluctuations were predominantly of the Lorentzian type. These events may play an important role in the functioning of some sensory nerve cells.