Abstract: 【Aim】 To grope for the method of isolation of dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons from the central nervous system of the cockroach Periplaneta americana and establish an electrophysiological model of DUM neurons. 【Methods】 The terminal abdominal ganglions of P. americana were dissected, DUM neuron cell bodies were obtained after enzymatic treatment with collagenase IA and mechanical dissociation of the median parts of the terminal abdominal ganglion, and the voltage-gated sodium current of DUM neuron cells was recorded by the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell recording configuration. 【Results】 Isolated DUM neuron cells exhibited typical morphological characteristics of neuronal cells, which are nearly pyriform. Whole-cell sodium currents from DUM neuron cells showed the typical characteristics of sodium currents. 【Conclusion】 DUM neuron cells can be well obtained by enzymatic treatment, and sodium current can be studied by patch-clamp technique. The procedure described here provides a possible experimental model to study electrical mechanisms of insect nervous system.

Key words: Periplaneta americana, dorsal unpaired median neurons (DUM neurons), sodium current, ion channel, patch-clamp technique