Non-Homogeneous Conduction In Giant Axons Of The Nerve Cord Of Periplaneta Americana

1969 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-649
Author(s):  
I. PARNAS ◽  
M. E. SPIRA ◽  
R. WERMAN ◽  
F. BERGMANN

Studies with intracellular electrodes show that the abdominal giant axons of the cockroach give ascending responses to stimulation of cercal nerves and descending responses to stimulation of S0-T1 connectives. 2. In the thoracic region one or more areas of low safety factors occur for descending conduction. 3. These areas, which are considered not to be synapses, are blocked by low doses of nicotine (2-5 µg./ml.) fatigued by repetitive stimulation and show conduction delays of 0·6-0·7 msec. 4. It is concluded that the abdominal giant axons extend continuously from A6 to suboesophageal ganglion. The possibility of bi-directional conduction under physiological conditions is discussed.

1969 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 615-627
Author(s):  
M. E. SPIRA ◽  
I. PARNAS ◽  
F. BERGMANN

1. Stimulation of the connectives between the suboesophageal and prothoracic ganglia of the American cockroach induced ipsilateral descending spikes in the abdominal giant axons with an average delay of 0·6 msec, per thoracic ganglion. 2. Nicotine at 5 µg./ml. had no effect on conduction in the abdomen but blocked ascending responses sequentially at the 6th abdominal ganglion then at the levels of T1; T2, and T3. 3. Simultaneous descending and ascending impulses resulted in mutual extinction along the nerve cord with the point of collision depending on the interval between stimuli. 4. It is suggested that a common pathway subserves ascending and descending giant impulses and models for bi-directional conduction are discussed.


1981 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 683-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
L J Mullins ◽  
J Requena

Squid giant axons were injected with aequorin and then treated with seawater containing 50 mM Ca and 100-465 mM K+. Measurements of light production suggested a phasic entry of Ca as well as an enhanced steady-state aequorin glow. After a test K+ depolarization, the aequorin-injected axon was stimulated for 30 min in Li seawater that was Ca-free, a procedure known to reduce [Na]i to about one-half the normal concentration. Reapplication of the elevated K+ test solution now showed that the Ca entry was virtually abolished by this stimulation in Li. A subsequent stimulation of the axon in Na seawater for 30 min resulted in recovery of the response to depolarization by high K+ noted in a normal fresh axon. In axons first tested for a high K+ response and then stimulated in Na seawater for 30 min (where [Na]i increases approximately 30%), there was approximately eight fold enhancement in this response to a test polarization. Axons depolarized with 465 mM K seawater in the absence of external Ca for several minutes were still capable of producing a large phasic entry of Ca when [Ca]0 was made 50 mM, which suggests that it is Ca entry itself rather than membrane depolarization that produced inactivation. Responses to stimulation at 60 pulses/s in Na seawater containing 50 mM Ca are at best only 5% of those measured with high K solutions. The response to repetitive stimulation is not measurable if [Ca]o is made 1 mM, whereas the response to steady depolarization is scarcely affected.


1970 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-673
Author(s):  
ERIK GETTRUP

1. Nerve cord activity in response to repetitive stimulation of wing nerves 1C1 and 1D was investigated in preparations of locusts. Firings of single central units occurred at latencies defined with an accuracy of few milliseconds. Various recordings of latencies show that it is not possible to exclude ganglionic synapses within the pathways considered. 2. Records from the connectives anterior to the mesothoracic ganglion or from the abdominal connectives show an increase in activity during repetitive stimulation. When recorded between prothoracic and mesothoracic ganglia a response was found in ipsilateral as well as contralateral connectives. 3. The ipsilateral and contralateral responses were delayed differently with respect to the stimulus. When nerve 1C1 of metathorax was activated the ipsilateral delay amounted to 7 msec., s.d. 2 msec., whereas the contralateral delay was found to be 8 msec., s.d. 3.4 msec. Ipsi- and contralateral latencies during stimulation of 1D of the metathorax were 5 msec., s.d. 1.4 msec.


Author(s):  
M. B. V. Roberts

In Myxicola the rapid muscular response produced by direct stimulation of the nerve cord with a single shock is usually large and obeys a simple ‘all-or-nothing’ relationship to the intensity of stimulation. A single shock of sufficient strength evokes a single giant fibre impulse which produces an extensive contraction of the longitudinal muscle.The magnitude of the summated contraction obtained by repetitive stimulation of the nerve cord is found to depend on the number and frequency of the shocks, thus providing the animal with a mechanism by which, theoretically, it could grade its escape response.


1973 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 675-696
Author(s):  
R. J. COOTER

1. Visual and multimodal units were recorded from the thoracic nerve cord of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, using glass microelectrodes. 2. Compound-eye units could be classified as ON-, OFF- or ON-OFF-units according to their response to visual stimulation. Some were multimodal, firing to both visual and tactile stimulation of the antennae. 3. Although some units were found to be either fired by ipsilateral or by contralateral stimulation only, others were fired by both types of stimulation, often in different ways. 4. Ocellar units were invariably OFF-units, mainly phasic, but one type showed tonic dark-firing in addition to the phasic OFF-burst. 5. The general properties of cockroach visual units are discussed and compared with those reported by other workers for different insects.


1969 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-634
Author(s):  
M. E. SPIRA ◽  
I. PARNAS ◽  
F. BERGMANN

1. Nerve cords of the American cockroach were cut between the 5th and 6th abdominal ganglia. 2. All giant axons degenerated in the abdominal regions and were present but collapsed in the thoracic connectives. 3. Unilateral lesions permitted identification of ventral giant axons all along the nerve cord.


1970 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-601
Author(s):  
K. J. FRIEDMAN ◽  
A. D. CARLSON

1. The study of insect curarization in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, has been continued. The application of curare solution (0.032 M dTC) to the nerve cord produced blockage of action-potential conduction in the giant fibres lying within the nerve cord. 2. The application of curare solution to the cerci prevented the recording of action potentials from the cercal nerves of the organism. Application of dTC to the cercal nerve-A6 region of the cockroach prevented giant fibres from responding to electrical stimulation of the cercal nerves. These results are interpreted as indicating that curare blocks the conduction of action potentials in the cercal nerve. 3. It is proposed that curare can induce blockage of conduction in sensory, motor and central nervous system fibres. It is further proposed that this blockage of conduction is the mechanism of insect curarization. 4. The results of previous reports concerned with insect curarization are re-interpreted in view of the proposal. Several of the conflicts in these reports are resolved by the proposal that blockage of conduction is the mechanism of insect curarization.


1989 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1225-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Gurahian ◽  
S. H. Chandler ◽  
L. J. Goldberg

1. The effects of repetitive stimulation of the nucleus pontis caudalis and nucleus gigantocellularis (PnC-Gi) of the reticular formation on jaw opener and closer motoneurons were examined. The PnC-Gi was stimulated at 75 Hz at current intensities less than 90 microA. 2. Rhythmically occurring, long-duration, depolarizing membrane potentials in jaw opener motoneurons [excitatory masticatory drive potential (E-MDP)] and long-duration hyperpolarizing membrane potentials [inhibitory masticatory drive potentials (I-MDP)] in jaw closer motoneurons were evoked by 40-Hz repetitive masticatory cortex stimulation. These potentials were completely suppressed by PnC-Gi stimulation. PnC-Gi stimulation also suppressed the short-duration, stimulus-locked depolarizations [excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs)] in jaw opener motoneurons and short-duration, stimulus-locked hyperpolarizations [inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs)] in jaw closer motoneurons, evoked by the same repetitive cortical stimulation. 3. Short pulse train (3 pulses; 500 Hz) stimulation of the masticatory area of the cortex in the absence of rhythmical jaw movements activated the short-latency paucisynaptic corticotrigeminal pathways and evoked short-duration EPSPs and IPSPs in jaw opener and closer motoneurons, respectively. The same PnC-Gi stimulation that completely suppressed rhythmical MDPs, and stimulus-locked PSPs evoked by repetitive stimulation to the masticatory area of the cortex, produced an average reduction in PSP amplitude of 22 and 17% in jaw closer and opener motoneurons, respectively. 4. PnC-Gi stimulation produced minimal effects on the amplitude of the antidromic digastric field potential or on the intracellularly recorded antidromic digastric action potential. Moreover, PnC-Gi stimulation had little effect on jaw opener or jaw closer motoneuron membrane resting potentials in the absence of rhythmical jaw movements (RJMs). PnC-Gi stimulation produced variable effects on conductance pulses elicited in jaw opener and closer motoneurons in the absence of RJMs. 5. These results indicate that the powerful suppression of cortically evoked MDPs in opener and closer motoneurons during PnC-Gi stimulation is most likely not a result of postsynaptic inhibition of trigeminal motoneurons. It is proposed that this suppression is a result of suppression of activity in neurons responsible for masticatory rhythm generation.


1959 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 534-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.O. Bishop ◽  
W. Burke ◽  
W.R. Hayhow

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