Effects of Catecholamines on the Neuromuscular Junction of the Somatic Muscle of the Earthworm Pheretima Communissima

1971 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-186
Author(s):  
Y. ITO ◽  
H. KURIYAMA ◽  
N. TASHIRO

1. Effects of catecholamines and adrenergic blocking agents on the neuromuscular junction of the somatic muscle of the earthworm, Pheretima communissima were studied by the microelectrode technique. 2. Effects of catecholamines and their blocking agents on the post-junction membrane could be summarized as follows: (a) Adrenaline and isoprenaline (10-8-10-5 g/ml) hyperpolarized the membrane in proportion to the applied concentration. However, noradrenaline (10-8-10-5 g/ml) had no effect on the membrane potential. (b) Changes of the membrane resistance which appeared on treatment with catecholamines were in parallel with the changes of the membrane potential. (c) In the presence of excess calcium ions and in sodium-free (tris) solution, adrenaline and isoprenaline had no effect on the membrane potential or on the input resistance of the membrane. An increase of potassium ions and reduction of chloride ions had no relation to the actions of adrenaline and isoprenaline on the post-junctional muscle membrane. (d) Propranolol competitively inhibited the action of isoprenaline on the post-junctional muscle membrane but phentolamine had no effect on this action. 3. Effects of catecholamines and their blockers on the m.e.j.p. and m.i.j.p. were observed. (a) After treatment with picrotoxin, the m.e.j.p. could be recorded in sodium-free solution. The frequency of the m.e.j.p. was increased by noradrenaline and adrenaline but not by isoprenaline. In normal Ringer's solution isoprenaline slightly increased the frequency of m.e.j.p. but this appeared to be due to the effect of isoprenaline on the post-junctional membrane. (b) Phentolamine increased the mean amplitude of the m.e.j.p. but had no effect on the frequency of the m.e.j.p. After treatments with phentolamine effects of noradrenaline were inhibited. (c) After pre-treatment with d-tubocurarine, noradrenaline and adrenaline increased the frequency of the m.i.j.p. but only adrenaline increased the mean amplitude. Isoprenaline had no effect on the frequency but increased the mean amplitude of the m.i.j.p. 4. From the above results it is concluded that the α-response to catecholamines increased the release of chemical transmitter from the nerve terminals; the β-response increased the membrane potential and the input resistance of the post-junctional muscle membrane. Both α- and β-responses to the catecholamines facilitated the transmission mechanism of the earthworm somatic muscle.

1987 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Jodkowski ◽  
F. Viana ◽  
T. E. Dick ◽  
A. J. Berger

1. Resting membrane potential (Vmp), input resistance (Rn), rheobase (Irh), and after hyperpolarization duration (AHPdur) and amplitude (AHPamp) were measured in 38 phrenic motoneurons of anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated cats during hypocapnic apnea. The mean +/- SD and range of values for these variables were as follows: Vmp, -68 +/- 5mV (range: -60 to -82); Rn, 1.3 +/- 0.6 M omega (0.6-2.4); Irh, 9.7 +/- 5 nA (2-20); AHPdur, 68 +/- 19 ms (37-134); AHPamp, 3.3 +/- 1.8 mV (1.0-8.5). In 31 motoneurons, the membrane potential level at which firing occurred (Vthr) during intracellular current injection was measured. The mean value of Vthr was -58 +/- 3 mV (range: -52 to -64). 2. A histogram of Rn revealed a bimodal distribution. Also a plot of Irh against Rn showed a grouping of the motoneurons into two subpopulations: 1) low-Rn and high-Irh cells, called type L neurons, and 2) high-Rn, low-Irh cells, called type H neurons. The overall negative linear correlation between Irh and Rn (r = -0.85; P less than 0.0001) resulted from this grouping rather than from a strictly linear relation between these two variables. 3. Electrical properties were compared for type L (n = 20) and type H (n = 18) phrenic motoneurons. The following mean values were found for each group, respectively: Rn, 0.8 and 1.8 M omega; Irh, 13.7 and 5.3 nA; AHPdur, 58 and 79 ms; AHPamp, 2.4 and 4.4 mV. All differences were significant (t test, P less than 0.001). Mean Vthr was the same for the two groups. 4. Comparison of these data with those available for lumbosacral motoneurons revealed that almost all investigated electrical properties of type L and type H phrenic motoneurons are similar to the analogous properties of type F (fast twitch) and type S (slow twitch) lumbosacral motoneurons, respectively. The apparent exception is the lower mean value of Irh for type L phrenic motoneurons compared with type F lumbosacral motoneurons. 5. For 13 cells, membrane potential was continuously monitored while spontaneous respiratory activity was restored by increasing CO2. It was found that at approximately the same end-tidal CO2 (about 7%) and a similar end-expiratory mean membrane potential level (approximately -70 mV), mean amplitude of peak inspiratory synaptic depolarization was higher in type H motoneurons (8.8 mV, n = 5) than in type L (2.9 mV, n = 8; P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 955-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Haji ◽  
J. E. Remmers ◽  
C. Connelly ◽  
R. Takeda

1. Bulbar respiratory neurons of unanesthetized, decerebrate cats were impaled with the center pipette of a compound, coaxial microelectrode. This electrode allowed intracellular recording of membrane potential (MP) through the central pipette and extracellular iontophoresis of glycine or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from micropipettes encircling the center pipette with their tips recessed 20-40 microns from the tip of the center pipette. 2. Seventy-seven studies were carried out on 32 inspiratory and 28 postinspiratory neurons with the use of brief pulses (0.3-0.5 s) or long pulses (3-10 s) spanning one or more respiratory cycles. In both neuronal types, GABA and glycine decreased spike frequency, synaptic "noise," respiratory fluctuations of MP, and "input" resistance in a dose-related fashion. 3. In most cases, the membrane was hyperpolarized by the amino acid. The reverse response (depolarization) was observed when the membrane had been hyperpolarized by current clamp. This reversal from hyperpolarization to depolarization occurred at a MP of -81 +/- 2.3 mV (mean +/- SE, n = 7) for glycine and -81 +/- 1.6 (n = 6) for GABA. 4. After intracellular iontophoresis of chloride ions, application of GABA and glycine depolarized the membrane. 5. During relatively long (3-10 s) periods of iontophoresis of glycine or GABA, the effects on MP and input resistance waned. In some cases (23%), the amino acid depolarized the membrane at the most hyperpolarizated portion of the MP trajectory. This was never observed with brief iontophoretic pulses. Such effects of long duration iontophoresis may reflect changes in membrane properties secondary to the primary action of the amino acid on the membrane of the impaled neuron or indirect synaptic actions via changes in discharge of neighboring neurons. 6. Extracellular iontophoresis of a GABA uptake inhibitor, nipecotic acid, potentiated the effects of GABA. 7. Extracellular application of tetrodotoxin appeared to act pre- and postsynaptically to reduce respiratory fluctuations in membrane potential and to increase input resistance without altering the effects of iontophoresed glycine and GABA, suggesting that the amino acids act on postsynaptic membrane receptors not linked to fast sodium channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1990 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-176
Author(s):  
BRUCE A. O'GARA ◽  
CHARLES D. DREWES

1. Application of octopamine to the metathoracic dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM) of the cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus produced dose-dependent increases twitch amplitude, contraction rate and relaxation rate. The threshold for octopamine effects was between 10−8 and 10−7moll−1, while maximal effects were seen at approximately 10−5moll−1 2. The octopamine receptors were classified as octopamine2 receptors on the basis of the differential responsiveness of the muscle to the octopamine agonists naphazoline, tolazoline, clonidine and the octopamine antagonists metoclopramide and chlorpromazine. It was not possible to distinguish between octopamine2A or octopamine2B receptors in this preparation. 3. Octopamine had both presynaptic and postsynaptic effects, since it increased both miniature end-plate potential (mEPP) frequency and muscle relaxation rate 4. At a calcium concentration of 11 mmoll−1, octopamine did not affect muscle membrane potential, input resistance or EJP amplitude, but the EJP duration at half amplitude (T½) was slightly increased. In low-calcium saline (1.8 mmol−1), octopamine did not affect membrane potential or T½, but EJP amplitude was increased 5. Stimulation of the octopaminergic dorsal unpaired median neuron (DUMDL), which innervates the metathoracic DLM, increased twitch amplitude about 25% of the preparations. Failure in the other preparations wasapparently due to spike conduction failure within the metathoracic ganglion.6. These results show that octopamine can be an important modulator of metathoracic DLM tension production


1988 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Wilcox ◽  
M. J. Gutnick ◽  
G. R. Christoph

1. The electroresponsive characteristics of neurons in the lateral habenula were studied with intracellular recordings in a brain slice preparation of guinea pig diencephalon maintained in vitro. One hundred and two neurons met the criteria for recording stability, and of these, 18 were analyzed in detail. For these 18 neurons, the mean resting membrane potential was -61.9 mV, the mean input resistance was 124 M omega, and the mean spike amplitude of fast action potentials was 60.3 mV. 2. Lateral habenula neurons were found to have distinct patterns of activity dependent on membrane potential. At membrane potentials more positive than -65 mV, depolarization elicited trains of sodium-dependent fast action potentials. At membrane potentials more negative than -65 mV, slight depolarization elicited a tetrodotoxin-insensitive wave of depolarization, called a low-threshold spike (LTS), from which a burst of fast action potentials were triggered. The principal conductance underlying the LTS is a low-threshold calcium conductance, which is inactivated at membrane potential more positive than -65 mV and deinactivated when the membrane is hyperpolarized to potentials more negative than -65 V. 3. Upon termination of injected hyperpolarizing current, many neurons displayed oscillation in membrane potential at a frequency of 3–10 Hz, thereby generating repetitive bursts of fast spikes. 4. The pattern of neuronal activity in lateral habenula neurons was highly sensitive to slight alterations in membrane potential. The ability of these neurons to fire action potentials in two modes, tonically and in bursts, and the propensity of these neurons to dramatically alter their output in response to transient hyperpolarizing input, indicate that transmission through this relay in the dorsal diencephalic conduction system may be greatly augmented by relatively small hyperpolarizing influences on the individual neurons.


1989 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 924-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Correia ◽  
B. N. Christensen ◽  
L. E. Moore ◽  
D. G. Lang

1. Hair cells were enzymatically dissociated from the neuroepithelium (cristae ampullares) of the semicircular canals of white king pigeons (Columba livia). Those hair cells determined to be type II by an anatomic criterion, the ratio of the minimum width of the neck to the width of the cuticular plate, were studied with the use of the whole cell patch-clamp technique. 2. The mean +/- SD zero-current membrane potential, Vz, was found to be -54 +/- 12 mV for anterior crista hair cells (n = 71), -62 +/- 14 mV for posterior crista hair cells (n = 14), and -55 +/- 12 mV for lateral (horizontal) crista hair cells (n = 18). The mean +/- SD value of Vz for hair cells from all cristae (n = 103) was -56 +/- 13 mV. 3. Active and passive membrane properties were calculated in the time domain, in voltage- or current-clamp mode, from responses to voltage or current pulses and, in the frequency domain, by fitting a membrane model to admittance magnitude and phase data resulting from current responses to sum-of-sines voltages at different d.c. levels of voltage-clamp membrane potential. 4. The average value +/- SE of input resistance (Rin), over the range from -100 to -60 mV, was found to 1.5 +/- 0.3 G omega from a mean-voltage-as-a-function-of-current plot, V-I, (n = 7) and a mean of 1.4 +/- 0.3 G omega from individual (n = 15) current-as-a-function-of-voltage plots, I-V. A lower mean value 0.8 +/- 0.4 G omega was obtained for the input resistance from frequency-domain calculations for a different set of cells (n = 21). Also, in two different sets of cells, average input capacitance (Cin) was determined to be 12 +/- 3 pF (n = 7) from time-domain estimates and 14 +/- 3 pF (n = 21) from frequency-domain estimates. The (Rin)(Cin) product was 11 ms based on frequency-domain estimates and 17 ms from time-domain estimates. 5. I-V curves for hair cells voltage clamped at -60 mV showed some anomalous rectification for hyperpolarizations between -60 and -120 mV but no detectable N-shape for depolarizations between -50 and 90 mV. The I-V relation showed increasing slope with depolarization through the resting potential (Vz) and increased linearly between -40 and 80 mV; the best-fit straight-line maximum slope conductance for six cells over this range was 17.4 +/- 0.3 nS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1986 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 1703-1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Randle ◽  
C. W. Bourque ◽  
L. P. Renaud

Intracellular recordings from 52 supraoptic nucleus neurosecretory neurons in perfused explants of rat hypothalamus revealed abundant spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (sIPSPs) and a compound evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potential (eIPSP) following electrical stimulation in the diagonal band of Broca (DBB). These IPSPs were characterized in terms of the magnitude and ionic specificity of the underlying current and in terms of the transmitter responsible for their activation. sIPSPs rose rapidly to peak within 3-5 ms and decayed exponentially with a mean time constant of 20.2 +/- 1.9 ms (mean +/- SE), a value 1.6-fold greater than the mean cell time constant of 13.8 +/- 1.0 ms. The eIPSPs rose rapidly to peak within 3-10 ms and decayed exponentially over 60-100 ms with a mean time constant of 37.0 +/- 2.8 ms, which is 2.6-fold greater than the mean cell time constant. These features imply a brief persistence of the conductance underlying the IPSPs. In recordings with KAcetate-filled micropipettes, sIPSPs were hyperpolarizing at membrane potentials in the range of -50 to -70 mV and reversed polarity when the membrane was hyperpolarized beyond -80 mV. The mean reversal potential (EsIPSP) was -72.4 +/- 1.1 mV. eIPSPs were hyperpolarizing at resting membrane potential and could be reversed by membrane hyperpolarization beyond a mean reversal potential (EIPSP) of -67.4 +/- 1.4 mV. In recordings with KCl-filled micropipettes, sIPSPs were depolarizing at all membrane potentials more negative than -50 mV. Under these conditions, EsIPSP was estimated at -44 mV. sIPSPs were absent when chloride ions were removed from the perfusion medium. eIPSPs were depolarizing at all membrane potentials and often evoked action potentials; mean EeIPSP was 43.2 mV. Reversal potentials of spontaneous and evoked IPSPs were similar. At a given membrane potential, sIPSP amplitudes varied widely between 1 and 20 mV. The conductance increase underlying individual sIPSPs was estimated to vary between 0.17 and 3.0 nS (avg 0.6 nS) against a mean resting input conductance of 3.78 +/- 0.41 nS. Estimates of the conductance underlying eIPSPs varied widely between cells, from 0.8 to 22.0 nS (mean 72 nS). Accordingly, the ratio of evoked to spontaneous IPSP conductance varied from 1.6 to 43.7 (mean 13.1). The reversal potential of evoked IPSPs shifted with the extracellular concentration of Cl- ions ([Cl-]0) with a mean slope of 41 mV/log [Cl-]0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1993 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 1401-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Nunez-Abades ◽  
J. M. Spielmann ◽  
G. Barrionuevo ◽  
W. E. Cameron

1. Experiments were performed to determine the change in membrane properties of genioglossal (GG) motoneurons during development. Intracellular recordings were made in 127 GG motoneurons from rats postnatal ages 1-30 days. 2. The input resistance (R(in)) and the membrane time constant (t(aum)) decreased between 5-6 and 13-15 days from 84.8 +/- 25.4 (SD) to 47.0 +/- 18.9 M omega (P < 0.01) and from 10.0 +/- 4.2 to 7.3 +/- 3.3 ms (P < 0.05), respectively. During this period, the rheobase (Irh) increased (P < 0.01) from 0.13 +/- 0.07 to 0.27 +/- 0.14 nA, and the percentage of cells exhibiting inward rectification increased from 5 to 40%. Voltage threshold (Vthr) of the action potential remained unchanged postnatally. 3. There was also a postnatal change in the shape of the action potential. Specifically, between 1-2 and 5-6 days, there was a decrease (P < 0.05) in the spike half-width from 2.23 +/- 0.53 to 1.45 +/- 0.44 ms, resulting, in part, from a steepening (P < 0.05) of the slope of the falling phase of the action potential from 21.6 +/- 10.1 to 32.9 +/- 13.1 mV/ms. The slope of the rising phase also increased significantly (P < 0.01) between 1-2 and 13-15 days from 68.4 +/- 31.0 to 91.4 +/- 44.3 mV/ms. 4. The average duration of the medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHPdur) decreased (P < 0.05) between 1-2 (193 +/- 53 ms) and 5-6 days (159 +/- 43 ms). Whereas the mAHPdur was found to be independent of membrane potential, there was a linear relationship between the membrane potential and the amplitude of the medium AHP (mAHPamp). From this latter relationship, a reversal potential for the mAHPamp was extrapolated to be -87 mV. No evidence for the existence of a slow AHP was found in these developing motoneurons. 5. All cells analyzed (n = 74) displayed adaptation during the first three spikes. The subsequent firing pattern was classified into two groups, adapting and nonadapting. Cells at birth were all adapting, whereas all cells but two from animals 13 days and older were nonadapting. At the intermediate age (5-6 days), the minority (27%) was adapting and the majority (73%) was nonadapting. 6. The mean slope of primary range for the first interspike interval (1st ISI) was approximately 90 Hz/nA. This value was similar for both adapting and nonadapting cells and did not change postnatally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1978 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-187
Author(s):  
C. L. Ortiz ◽  
D. Junge

1. The effects of replacement of external sodium ions with lithium have been studied at the excitatory neuromuscular junction of the crayfish. 2. Intracellularly recorded excitatory junctional potentials fall 45% in amplitude in the first 10 min after lithium substitution, and fail irreversibly in 48--120 min. 3. The quantal content of extracellularly recorded excitatory junctional potentials declines 25--70% within the first 10 min of Li+ exposure. During the next 40--120 min the nerve terminal potentials and quantal release at individual synapses fail simultaneously and irreversibly. 4. The mean amplitude of the spontaneous miniature excitatory junctional potentials (m.e.j.p.s) is reduced 13% by Li+ substitution, but recovers upon restoration of sodium. The mean frequency of m.e.j.p.s rises steadily during Li+ exposure, and continues to increase after reintroduction of Na+. 5. The postsynaptic response to iontophoretically applied L-glutamate falls 35--40% in 10 min, but never falls below 45% of the control level. The effect on the glutamate response is completely reversible with sodium restoration. 6. The effective resistance of the postsynpatic cells is unaffected or only increased slightly by lithium substitution. 7. Thus, the primary mechanism of transmission block by lithium appears to be decreased transmitter release and inexcitability of presynaptic terminals, probably as a result of intracellular accumulation of lithium.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87
Author(s):  
Maciej Rachwał ◽  
Justyna Drzał-Grabiec ◽  
Katarzyna Walicka-Cupryś ◽  
Aleksandra Truszczyńska

Abstract Background: The post-mastectomy changes to the locomotor system are related to the scar and adhesion or to the lymphatic edema after amputation which, in turn, lead to local and global distraction of the work of the muscles. These changes lead to body statics disturbance that changes the projection of the center of gravity and worsens motor response due to changing of the muscle sensitivity. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the static balance of women after undergoing mastectomy. Methods: The study included 150 women, including 75 who underwent mastectomy (mean age: 60±7.6) years, mean body mass index (BMI): 26 (±3.6) kg/m2) and 75 who were placed in the control group with matched age and BMI. The study was conducted using a tensometric platform. Results: Statistically significant differences were found for almost all parameters between the post-mastectomy group and group of healthy women, regarding center of foot pressure (COP) path length in the Y and X axes and the mean amplitude of COP. Conclusions: First, the findings revealed that balance in post-mastectomy women is significantly better than in the control group. Second, physiotherapeutic treatment of post-mastectomy women may have improved their posture stability compared with their peers.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (3) ◽  
pp. C402-C408 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. P. Burke ◽  
K. M. Sanders

Previous studies have suggested that the membrane potential gradient across the circular muscle layer of the canine proximal colon is due to a gradient in the contribution of the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. Cells at the submucosal border generate approximately 35 mV of pump potential, whereas at the myenteric border the pump contributes very little to resting potential. Results from experiments in intact muscles in which the pump is blocked are somewhat difficult to interpret because of possible effects of pump inhibitors on membrane conductances. Therefore, we studied isolated colonic myocytes to test the effects of ouabain on passive membrane properties and voltage-dependent currents. Ouabain (10(-5) M) depolarized cells and decreased input resistance from 0.487 +/- 0.060 to 0.292 +/- 0.040 G omega. The decrease in resistance was attributed to an increase in K+ conductance. Studies were also performed to measure the ouabain-dependent current. At 37 degrees C, in cells dialyzed with 19 mM intracellular Na+ concentration [( Na+]i), ouabain caused an inward current averaging 71.06 +/- 7.49 pA, which was attributed to blockade of pump current. At 24 degrees C or in cells dialyzed with low [Na+]i (11 mM), ouabain caused little change in holding current. With the input resistance of colonic cells, pump current appears capable of generating at least 35 mV. Thus an electrogenic Na+ pump could contribute significantly to membrane potential.


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