scholarly journals The effects of pH and curare on the time course of end-plate currents at the neuromuscular junction of the frog.

1978 ◽  
Vol 276 (1) ◽  
pp. 343-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mallart ◽  
J Molgó
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Time Course ◽  
End Plate ◽  
Effects Of Ph

Time course of miniature end-plate currents at different sites on the frog neuromuscular junction

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 566-573
Author(s):  
E. G. Bezgina ◽  
T. M. Drabkina ◽  
S. N. Zemskova ◽  
A. L. Zefirov ◽  
L. A. Kashapova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Frog Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
End Plate

Pharmacological elevation of cyclic AMP and transmitter release at the mouse neuromuscular junction

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. F. Dryden ◽  
Y. N. Singh ◽  
T. Gordon ◽  
G. Lazarenko
Keyword(s):  
Cyclic Amp ◽  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Cholera Toxin ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Second Messengers ◽  
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ◽  
Spontaneous Release ◽  
End Plate ◽  
Release Of Acetylcholine

Intracellular recordings of spontaneous and evoked end-plate potentials have been made at the neuromuscular junction of mouse hemidiaphragms to determine a possible role of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in the release of acetylcholine from presynaptic terminals. Spontaneous release, as determined from the frequency of miniature end-plate potentials, was increased by drugs that inhibit phosphodiesterase: isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), SQ 20,009, theophylline, and caffeine; drugs that stimulate adenylate cyclase: forskolin, fluoride, and cholera toxin, and the stable analogue of cAMP: 8-bromo-cAMP but not dibutyryl cAMP. Release increased with time during maintained exposure to the drugs and generally followed a simple exponential time course with time constants ranging from 8 to 17 min at 20 °C, except for SQ 20,009 and cholera toxin which required longer exposure times for effect. The order of potency of the phosphodiesterase inhibitors was IBMX = SQ 20,009 > theophylline = caffeine. This is consistent with an effect mediated by an increase in cAMP concentrations within the nerve terminal. Evoked release, determined from the quantal content of the end-plate potential, was increased to a lesser extent than spontaneous release. The results are discussed with reference to the possible involvement of second messengers in the release of vesicles from nerve terminals in vertebrate synapses.

The measurement of synaptic delay, and the time course of acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction

1965 ◽  
Vol 161 (985) ◽  
pp. 483-495 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Nerve Impulse ◽  
Postsynaptic Membrane ◽  
Synaptic Delay ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Conduction Time ◽  
Inward Current ◽  
End Plate ◽  
Statistical Fluctuations

Focal recording from active spots of a neuromuscular junction was used to measure the ‘synaptic delay’ between terminal axon spike and end-plate current (e.p.c.). Synaptic delay is defined as the time interval between peak of inward current through the presynaptic membrane and commencement of inward current through the postsynaptic membrane. By substituting magnesium for calcium in the medium, and by adjustable electrophoretic application of calcium from the recording electrode, the e.p.c. can be restricted to the small portion of a single junction which is in contact with the microelectrode, and the statistical average amplitude of the e.p.c. can be reduced to less than quantal unit size. Under these conditions, the latency of the unit components of the e.p.c. can be determined and its statistical fluctuations studied. The synaptic delay at a single end-plate spot has a minimum value, at 20 °C, of 0.4 to 0.5 ms and a modal value of about 0.75 ms. There is considerable fluctuation of the measured intervals during a series of nerve impulses; over 50 % occur within a range of 0.5 ms, the rest being spread out in declining fashion over a further 1 to 4 ms. These latency fluctuations are shown to be a statistical consequence of the quantal process of transmitter release. The contribution of various factors to the minimum synaptic delay are discussed. Terminal conduction time has been effectively eliminated by the method of focal recording. Diffusion of acetylcholine towards the receptors, and its reaction with them must cause delays whose exact values are uncertain, but whose extreme upper limits can be shown to make up only a small part of the observed minimum delay. It is concluded that the synaptic interval arises chiefly from a delay in the release of transmitter after the arrival of the nerve impulse.

scholarly journals Desensitization onset and recovery at the potassium-depolarized frog neuromuscular junction are voltage sensitive.

1978 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Scubon-Mulieri ◽  
R L Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
Time Constant ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Voltage Dependence ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Control Voltage ◽  
Frog Neuromuscular Junction ◽  
End Plate ◽  
Voltage Dependent

The influence of voltage on the time-course of desensitization onset and recovery has been studied at the frog neuromuscular junction. The activation-desensitization sequence was determined from carbachol-induced end-plate currents in potassium-depolarized fibers voltage-clamped either to -40 mV or +40 mV. The time-course of both desensitization onset and recovery developed exponentially, with onset occurring more rapidly than recovery. Desensitization onset was voltage dependent, the onset time constant being 8.3 +/- 1.3 s (11 fibers) at -40 mV and 19.3 +/- 3.4 s (15 fibers) at +40 mV. Recovery from desensitization was also influenced by voltage. The extent of recovery after 2 min was 80.4 +/- 6.3% in those fibers voltage-clamped to -40 mV and 57.4 +/- 3.6% in those fibers voltage-clamped to +40 mV. The voltage dependence of desenistization onset and recovery did not result from a difference in ability to control voltage at these two levels of membrane potential. These results demonstrate that in the potassium-depolarized preparation the processes controlling both desensitization onset and recovery of sensitivity from the desensitivity from the desensitized state are influenced by membrane voltage.

Electrical properties and innervation of fibers in the orbital layer of rat extraocular muscles

1989 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jacoby ◽  
D. J. Chiarandini ◽  
E. Stefani
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Properties ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Lucifer Yellow ◽  
Extraocular Muscles ◽  
Resting Potential ◽  
Inferior Rectus ◽  
End Plate ◽  
Orbital Layer

1. The inferior rectus muscle of rat, one of the extraocular muscles, contains two populations of multiply innervated fibers (MIFs): orbital MIFs, located in the orbital layer of the muscle and global MIFs, found in the global layer. The electrical properties and the responses to nerve stimulation of orbital MIFs were studied with single intracellular electrodes and compared with those of twitch fibers of the orbital layer, MIFs of the global layer, and tonic fibers of the frog. 2. About 90% of the orbital MIFs did not produce overshooting action potentials. In these fibers the characteristics and time course of the responses to nerve stimulation varied along the length of the fibers. Within 2 mm of the end-plate band of the muscle, the responses consisted of several small end-plate potentials (EPPs) and a nonovershooting spike. Distal to 2 mm, the responses in most fibers consisted of large and small EPPs with no spiking response. Some fibers produced very small spikes surmounted on large EPPs. 3. Overshooting action potentials were observed in approximately 10% of the orbital MIFs recorded between the end-plate band and 2 mm distal. The presence or absence of action potentials was not related to the magnitude of the resting potential of the fibers. 4. The threshold of nerve stimulated responses in orbital MIFs was the same as that in orbital twitch fibers. A large number of orbital MIFs had latencies equal to those for the orbital twitch fibers recorded at the same distance from the end-plate band, but the average latency was greater in the MIFs. The latency of orbital MIFs was about one-half of that for the MIFs of the global layer. The values for the effective resistance and membrane time constant of orbital MIFs fell between those for orbital twitch fibers on the one hand, and global MIFs and frog tonic fibers on the other. 5. In order to compare electrical properties with innervation patterns, fibers identified electrophysiologically as orbital MIFs were injected with the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow and then traced in Epon-embedded, serial transverse sections. In addition to numerous superficial endings distributed along the fibers, a single "en plaque" ending was also found in the end-plate band that resembled the end plates of the adjacent orbital twitch fibers. 6. From these results we conclude that the electrical activity of orbital MIFs varies along the length of the fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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