Studies on Cardiotoxin Isolated from Cobra Venom: I. Effects of Cardiotoxin on Contractility, Absolute Refractory Period, and Action Potentials of Cardiac Muscle. II. Identification of Cardiotoxin with Cobramine B, DLF, Toxin gamma and Cobra Venom Cytotoxin

Author(s):  
Chen-Yuan Lee ◽  
T. H. Chiu ◽  
J. S. Lin ◽  
J. W. Wei
1960 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Brady ◽  
B. C. Abbott ◽  
W. F. H. M. Mommaerts

The application of a train of supramaximal stimuli during the absolute refractory period of a cardiac muscle preparation has two effects: a depression of the contraction during which it is applied, and a large potentiation of subsequent contractions. The former is ascribed to a direct effect upon the cell membrane, and is an indication of the continued control of the contractile event by this membrane. The latter is explained as a sudden liberation of norepinephrine by a stimulation of embedded nerve elements, which norepinephrine then distributes itself through the tissue and finally diffuses away.


1957 ◽  
Vol 190 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian F. Hoffman ◽  
C. Y. Kao ◽  
E. E. Suckling

A preparation consisting of a papillary muscle and attached bundle of Purkinje fibers has been employed to study refractoriness of single cardiac fibers of the dog heart. Transmembrane stimulation of single fibers and records of the transmembrane potential have been used to compare the stimulating efficacy of applied current pulses and normally propagated action potentials. The absolute and effective refractory period and full recovery time of the single cardiac fiber are outlined in a similar manner by both applied cathodal stimuli and the propagated action potential. Two factors, a local response and a change in the local action potential, have been shown to contribute to the latency of response to stimuli applied during the relative refractory period. These studies have also demonstrated a considerable safety factor in propagation in cardiac muscle.


1965 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 797-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Barr ◽  
M. M. Dewey ◽  
W. Berger

The hypothesis that the nexus is a specialized structure allowing current flow between cell interiors is corroborated by concomitant structural changes of the nexus and changes of electrical coupling between cells due to soaking in solutions of abnormal tonicity. Fusiform frog atrial fibers are interconnected by nexuses. The nexuses, desmosomes, and regions of myofibrillar attachment of this muscle are not associated in a manner similar to intercalated discs of guinea pig cardiac muscle. Indeed, nexuses occur wherever cell membranes are closely apposed. Action potentials of frog atrial bundles detected extracellularly across a sucrose gap change from monophasic to diphasic when the gap is shunted by a resistor. This indicates that action potentials are transmitted across the gap when sufficient excitatory current is allowed to flow across the gap. When the sucrose solution in the gap is made hypertonic, propagation past the gap is blocked and the resistance between the cells in the gap increases. Electron micrographs demonstrate that the nexuses of frog atrium and guinea pig ventricle are ruptured by hypertonic solutions.


1981 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P Findlay ◽  
N Findlay

The column of the trigger plant, Stylidium graminifolium, when fully set responds to mechanical stimuli by flipping through an angle of about 4 radians in a fast firing movement lasting about 15-30 ms, and then slowly resetting to its original position in about 400 s. After resetting there is an absolute refractory period of about 500 s during which no further response to stimuli can be initiated, followed by a relative refractory period when graded responses increasing in rate and magnitude with time can be obtained. The resetting movement and the process, occurring during the refractory period, allowing subsequent firing to occur, are inhibited when the air surrounding the column is replaced by nitrogen. The firing movement, however, is not affected by these anaerobic conditions. Thus the firing movement is caused by passive physical forces, rapidly utilizing potential energy from a store built up during the previous resetting and refractory periods. Removal of the labellum, which the column touches when set, causes the column to oscillate with amplitude of about 3-3.5 radians and period of 1-2 ks. When the column is held at a constant angular displacement it develops an oscillatory torque with similar period. These oscillations are inhibited at all stages of the cycle by anaerobic conditions. It appears that the oscillatory behaviour is not a slowed-down firing process followed by normal resetting, but is linked throughout the cycle to the metabolic energy supply.


1957 ◽  
Vol 190 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Cranefield ◽  
Brian F. Hoffman ◽  
Arthur A. Siebens

The strength-interval curve of dog ventricular myocardium has been measured with anodal and cathodal stimulation. During diastole the anodal threshold is higher than the cathodal. As anodal stimuli are applied progressively earlier the anodal threshold first rises above and then falls to levels below the anodal diastolic threshold. During most of the relative refractory period the anodal threshold is lower than the cathodal threshold. At all times during the late relative refractory period and throughout diastole excitation of double origin (anodal and cathodal) is evoked by sufficiently strong stimuli; this simultaneous origin of excitation at two points does not evoke fibrillation. During the early relative refractory period, however, only the anode is able to excite. Differences between anodal and cathodal thresholds are not attributable to asynchronous repolarization at the two electrode sites. The ‘no-response’ phenomenon occurs only when the anodal threshold is markedly lower than the cathodal.


2014 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 1330003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZHI-HUI LUO ◽  
JIANG-XU CHEN ◽  
YI-MEI HUANG ◽  
HONG-QIN YANG ◽  
JU-QIANG LIN ◽  
...  

Action-potential-encoded optical second harmonic generation (SHG) has been recently proposed for use in detecting the axonal damage in patients with demyelinating diseases. In this study, the characterization of signal conduction along axons of two different levels of demyelination was studied via a modified Hodgkin–Huxley model, because some types of demyelinating disease, i.e., primary progressive and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, are difficult to be distinguished by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we focused on the differences in signal conduction between two different demyelinated axons, such as the first-level demyelination and the second-level demyelination. The spatio-temporal distribution of action potentials along demyelinated axons and conduction properties including the refractory period and frequency encoding in these two patterns were investigated. The results showed that demyelination could induce the decrease both in the amplitude of action potentials and the ability of frequency coding. Furthermore, the signal conduction velocity in the second-level demyelination was about 21% slower than that in the first-level demyelination. The refractory period in the second-level demyelination was about 32% longer than the first-level. Thus, detecting the signal conduction in demyelinated axons by action-potential-encoded optical SHG could greatly improve the assessment of demyelinating disorders to classify the patients. This technique also offers a potential fast and noninvasive optical approach for monitoring membrane potential.


1956 ◽  
Vol 186 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian F. Hoffman ◽  
E. E. Suckling

The effects of changes in the extracellular concentrations of Ca, K and Mg on the transmembrane resting and action potentials of single fibers of the auricle, ventricle and specialized conducting system of the dog heart have been studied by means of intracellular microelectrodes. With respect to Ca, the three tissues exhibit quite different sensitivities. Changes in concentration of this ion alter the time course of the action potential recorded from auricle and ventricle but have little effect on the action potential configuration of the Purkinje fiber. In the latter tissue, on the other hand, pacemaker activity is most strongly enhanced by Ca depletion and excitability is lost at Ca concentrations permitting normal propagation in papillary muscle. The effect of K on the resting transmembrane potential is dependent on the simultaneous Ca concentration. The interrelationship is such that the depolarizing effect of high K is decreased by elevated Ca and the depolarization produced by low K is diminished by low levels of Ca. Changes in the concentration of Mg have little effect on the transmembrane potentials of cardiac muscle unless the level of Ca is low. Under this condition a simultaneous decrease in Mg gives rise to a marked prolongation of the action potential duration of both auricle and ventricle. Some evidence for the basic similarity of the processes underlying repolarization in these three tissues is presented and it is thought the normally encountered differences in their action potentials may be related to the sensitivity of each tissue to extracellular Ca.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document