The reappearance of glycogen in the muscles of the decerebrate cat after its removal during tetanic contraction

Fatigue and potentiation are two forms of force modulation. A general definition of fatigue is "a circumstance where less than the anticipated contractile response is obtained." Fatigue is associated with depressed Ca2+ release and possibly decreased Ca2+ sensitivity. Potentiation results from increased Ca2+ sensitivity due to regulatory light chain phosphorylation. Muscle fatigue and potentiation can coexist, making it difficult to quantify these processes. With repetitive 10 Hz stimulation, the developed tension first increases, then decreases. Is fatigue present when developed tension first begins to decrease or when it falls below the developed tension of the first response? Intermittent incompletely fused tetanic contractions for which peak developed tension first decreases, then increases, is another unusual example of fatigue. A third example is when twitch contractions following a tetanic contraction decrease to a level below the pretetanic twitch amplitude, indicating that fatigue may have been coexistent with posttetanic potentiation. These observations illustrate the complexity of detecting fatigue, based on the simple, but commonly accepted definition presented above. Care must be taken in interpreting "before vs. after" contractile responses. Even when the contraction amplitude is greater than the initial response, there is no guarantee that mechanisms associated with fatigue are not present. Key words: calcium sensitivity, staircase, posttetanic potentiation, myosin light chains, skeletal muscle

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Distinctive patterns of static and dynamic gamma motor activity during locomotion in the decerebrate cat

The Journal of Physiology ◽

10.1111/j.1469-7793.2000.00825.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 529 (3) ◽

pp. 825-836 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

A. Taylor ◽

P. H. Ellaway ◽

R. Durbaba ◽

S. Rawlinson

Keyword(s):

Motor Activity ◽

Decerebrate Cat

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Responses of interneurons in the cat cervical cord to vestibular tilt stimulation

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1986.56.4.1147 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 1147-1156 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

R. H. Schor ◽

I. Suzuki ◽

S. J. Timerick ◽

V. J. Wilson

Keyword(s):

Cervical Spinal Cord ◽

Semicircular Canals ◽

Body Tilt ◽

Whole Body ◽

Cervical Cord ◽

Otolith Organs ◽

Phase Lag ◽

Response Dynamics ◽

Decerebrate Cat ◽

Propriospinal Neurons

The responses of interneurons in the cervical spinal cord of the decerebrate cat to whole-body tilt were studied with a goal of identifying spinal elements in the production of forelimb vestibular postural reflexes. Interneurons both in the cervical enlargement and at higher levels, from which propriospinal neurons have been identified, were examined, both in animals with intact labyrinths and in animals with nonfunctional semicircular canals (canal plugged). Most cervical interneurons responding to tilt respond best to rotations in vertical planes aligned within 30 degrees of the roll plane. Two to three times as many neurons are excited by side-up roll tilt as are excited by side-down roll. In cats with intact labyrinths, most responses have dynamics proportional either to (and in phase with) the position of the animal or to a sum of position and tilt velocity. This is consistent with input from both otolith organs and semicircular canals. In animals without functioning canals, the "velocity" response is absent. In a few cells (8 out of 76), a more complex response, characterized by an increasing gain and progressive phase lag, was observed. These response dynamics characterize the forelimb reflex in canal-plugged cats and have been previously observed in vestibular neurons in such preparations.

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Response properties of units in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of unanesthetized decerebrate gerbil

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1996.75.4.1411 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 1411-1431 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

K. A. Davis ◽

J. Ding ◽

T. E. Benson ◽

H. F. Voigt

Keyword(s):

Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus ◽

Type I ◽

Type Ii ◽

Decerebrate Cat ◽

Excitatory Response ◽

Type Iii ◽

Type Iv ◽

Noise Type ◽

Rate Versus ◽

Excitatory Responses

1. The electrophysiological responses of single units in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of unanesthetized decerebrate Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) were recorded. Units were classified according to the response map scheme of Evans and Nelson as modified by Young and Brownell, Young and Voigt, and Shofner and Young. Type II units have a V-shaped excitatory response map similar to typical auditory nerve tuning curves but little or no spontaneous activity (SpAc < 2.5 spikes/s) and little or no response to noise. Type I/III units also have a V-shaped excitatory map and SpAc < 2.5 spikes/s, but have an excitatory response to noise. Type III units have a V-shaped excitatory map with inhibitory sidebands, SpAc > 2.5 spikes/s, and an excitatory response to noise. Type IV-T units typically also have a V-shaped excitatory map with inhibitory sidebands, but have a highly nonmonotonic rate versus level response to best frequency (BF) tones like type IV units, SpAc > 2.5 spikes/s, and an excitatory response to noise. Type IV units have a predominantly inhibitory response map above an island of excitation of BF, SpAc > 2.5 spikes/s, and an excitatory response to noise. We present results for 133 units recorded with glass micropipette electrodes. The purpose of this study was to establish a normative response map data base in this species for ongoing structure/function and correlation studies. 2. The major types of units (type II, type I/III, type III, type IV-T, and type IV) found in decerebrate cat are found in decerebrate gerbil. However, the percentage of type II (7.5%) and type IV (11.3%) units encountered are smaller and the percentage of type III (62.4%) units is larger in decerebrate gerbil than in decerebrate cat. In comparison, Shofner and Young found 18.5% type II units, 30.6% type IV units, and 23.1% type III units using metal electrodes. 3. Two new unit subtypes are described in gerbil: type III-i and type IV-i units. Type III-i units are similar to type III units except that type III-i units are inhibited by low levels of noise and excited by high levels of noise whereas type III units have strictly excitatory responses to noise. Type IV-i units are similar to type IV units except that type IV-i units are excited by low levels of noise and become inhibited by high levels of noise whereas type IV units have strictly excitatory responses to noise. Type III-i units are approximately 30% of the type III population and type IV-i units are approximately 50% of the type IV population. 4. On the basis of the paucity of classic type II units and the reciprocal responses to broadband noise of type III-i and type IV-i units, we postulate that some gerbil type III-i units are the same cell type and have similar synaptic connections as cat type II units. 5. Type II and type I/III units are distinguished from one another on the basis of both their relative noise response, rho, and the normalized slope of the BF tone rate versus level functions beyond the first maximum. Previously, type II units were defined to be those nonspontaneously active units with rho values < 0.3 where rho is defined as the ratio of the maximum noise response minus spontaneous rate to the maximum BF tone response minus spontaneous rate. In the gerbil, the average rho value for type II units is 0.25, although a few values are > 0.3, and the rate-level curves are consistently nonmonotonic with normalized slopes steeper than than -0.007/dB. The average rho value for type I/III units is 0.54, although a few values are < 0.3, and the rate-level curves tend to saturate with slopes shallower than -0.006/dB. In general, the response properties of type II units recorded in gerbil are similar to those recorded in decerebrate cat. 6. In comparison to decerebrate cat, the lower percentage of type IV units recorded in decerebrate gerbil may be due to a species difference (a reduced number of type II units in gerbil) or an electrode bias.

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Motoneuron properties during motor inhibition produced by microinjection of carbachol into the pontine reticular formation of the decerebrate cat

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.1987.57.4.1118 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 1118-1129 ◽

Cited By ~ 107

Author(s):

F. R. Morales ◽

J. K. Engelhardt ◽

P. J. Soja ◽

A. E. Pereda ◽

M. H. Chase

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Motor Activity ◽

Reticular Formation ◽

Input Resistance ◽

Ventral Root ◽

Monosynaptic Reflex ◽

Pontine Reticular Formation ◽

Active Sleep ◽

Decerebrate Cat ◽

Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials

It is well established that cholinergic agonists, when injected into the pontine reticular formation in cats, produce a generalized suppression of motor activity (1, 3, 6, 14, 18, 27, 33, 50). The responsible neuronal mechanisms were explored by measuring ventral root activity, the amplitude of the Ia-monosynaptic reflex, and the basic electrophysiological properties of hindlimb motoneurons before and after carbachol was microinjected into the pontine reticular formation of decerebrate cats. Intrapontine microinjections of carbachol (0.25-1.0 microliter, 16 mg/ml) resulted in the tonic suppression of ventral root activity and a decrease in the amplitude of the Ia-monosynaptic reflex. An analysis of intracellular records from lumbar motoneurons during the suppression of motor activity induced by carbachol revealed a considerable decrease in input resistance and membrane time constant as well as a reduction in motoneuron excitability, as evidenced by a nearly twofold increase in rheobase. Discrete inhibitory postsynaptic potentials were also observed following carbachol administration. The changes in motoneuron properties (rheobase, input resistance, and membrane time constant), as well as the development of discrete inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, indicate that spinal cord motoneurons were postsynaptically inhibited following the pontine administration of carbachol. In addition, the inhibitory processes that arose after carbachol administration in the decerebrate cat were remarkably similar to those that are present during active sleep in the chronic cat. These findings suggest that the microinjection of carbachol into the pontine reticular formation activates the same brain stem-spinal cord system that is responsible for the postsynaptic inhibition of alpha-motoneurons that occurs during active sleep.

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