ON THE EXCITATION OF TISSUE BY MEANS OF CONDENSER DISCHARGES

Equations are derived for the capacity-voltage relations for stimulation of tissue by condenser discharges, using the hypothesis that the local excitatory process p grows under the influence of an applied potential V according to the equation, See PDF for Equation where K and k are constants. It is further assumed that the local excitatory process becomes adequate when it attains a value h ± α V where h and α are constants and V is the applied potential at the particular instant that the adequate value is attained. The equations so obtained are applied to the data of several authors on several types of tissue and the agreements obtained are sufficiently good. It is shown in one case that the direct current equation and the condenser discharge equation each derived from the above bases are consistent when applied to data from the same preparation.     

EXCITATION OF NERVE FIBERS IN THE SQUID (LOLIGO PEALII)

1. Strength-duration data for the giant fiber of the great stellar nerve of the squid (Loligo pealii) can be approximately described by several mathematical formulations. 2. Excitation time constants for isolated giant fibers are essentially the same as constants of the giant fibers in the intact nerve. 3. The strength-duration curves of the fibers in the intact nerve lie higher on the voltage axis than those of the isolated fibers. It is concluded that the principal effect of other fibers upon the excitation of one fiber in a nerve trunk is that of shunting the stimulating current. 4. Deterioration of the nerve shifts the curve upward and to the left, resulting in shorter time constants. 5. Decreasing interelectrode distance also shifts the curve upward and to the left. 6. Excitation time constants of the giant fibers are larger with plate electrodes than with wire or pore electrodes. 7. The strength-duration curves of the smaller fin nerve fibers lie consistently to the right of, and the time constants are longer than those of the giant fibers.     

BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF NERVE EXCITABILITY: THE USE OF PROTEIN MODIFYING REAGENTS FOR CHARACTERIZING SITES INVOLVED IN NERVE EXCITATION

A variety of protein modifying reagents were applied to crab nerves extracellularly while monitoring the action potentials. These reagents were also applied to squid giant axons intracellularly, while monitoring the action potentials, and for some compounds the membrane resistance and resting membrane potential. The effects of modifying sulfhydryl, imidazole, amino, and methionine groups on the nerve excitability were examined. These studies revealed that imidazole and sulfhydryl groups are present on the axoplasmic side of the axolemma and that chemical modification of these groups leads to block of nerve conduction. When various reagents which modify amino groups were applied either from the inside of squid axons or to the outside of crab nerves, the excitability was not usually affected. The suppression of excitability due to the effect of some of these amino reagents could be attributed to the modification of groups other than amino groups. The hydrolytic action of cyanogen bromide was found to be effective in bringing about conduction block, suggesting that there exist accessible methionine groups in protein molecules which must remain intact in order to maintain nerve conduction.     

CHOLINE ESTERASE AND THE THEORY OF CHEMICAL MEDIATION OF NERVE IMPULSES

The maximum choline esterase activity of the superior cervical ganglion of the cat was measured and found to be, on the average, equivalent to the splitting of 0.10γ of acetyl choline chloride per second per milligram of fresh tissue at a pH of 7.4 and 38°. The least possible time required for destruction of the ester liberated by one nerve impulse was calculated to be 0.015σ. The dissociation constant of the reaction between the enzyme and acetyl choline chloride was determined, and a value of 0.001 was obtained. From the value of the dissociation constant, the time for hydrolysis at the minimum rate was calculated to be about 8 seconds. It was shown that a localization of enzyme and substrate within the ganglion cell would have to exist in order that enzymatic destruction of acetyl choline liberated by nerve impulses occur within the span of the refractory period.     

THE MEASUREMENT OF GALVANOTROPIC EXCITATION

The expression of galvanotropic excitation in energy units is obtained by the measurement of the current densities required to balance phototropic excitation (or reciprocally). With the triclad Leptoplana preliminary measurements show that the current is proportional to the logarithm of the light intensity.     

神经生长因子促进坐骨神经再生修复的酶组织化学研究

目的研究对兔右坐骨神经损伤后局部给予蛇毒神经生长因子(NGF),观察坐骨神经酶活性变化和超微结构的恢复情况,探讨NGF对神经再生的影响.方法乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)、酸性磷酸酶(ACPase)的酶组织化学技术和电镜技术.结果神经损伤后:AChE活性明显下降,NGF组的AChE活性恢复快于盐水对照组;ACPase活性逐渐增高,NGF组的ACPase活性恢复时间短于盐水对照组.坐骨神经的超微结构在神经损伤后也发生变化,NGF组的变化程度小于盐水对照组,恢复时间短于对照组.结论NGF可通过影响酶物质的代谢而起到加快受损神经恢复的作用.为临床上应用蛇毒NGF治疗周围神经损伤提供形态学依据.     

ON THE RELATION OF DIRECT CURRENTS TO CONDENSER DISCHARGES AS STIMULI

Data on the electrical stimulation of sciatic-gastrocnemius preparations of the frog by both direct currents and condenser discharges at the same time are discussed in relation to the validity of the differential equation See PDF for Equation where p is the local excitatory process, V the stimulating current or voltage, and K and k are constants. It is concluded that the constant k is the same whether it is derived from the data of the one stimulus or the other when the same fibres are being stimulated.     

LIPID COMPOSITION OF OPTIC NERVE MYELIN

Abstract— Myelin was isolated from bovine optic nerves by differential ultracentrifugation and its lipid composition was analysed. Optic nerve myelin contained 76·3 per cent lipid. The major lipids were cholesterol, ethanolamine glycerophosphatides (EGP) and cerebroside. Serine glycerophosphatides (SGP), sphingomyelin and cerebroside sulphate were present in smaller proportions. EGP and SGP contained 34·6 and 0·5 per cent aldehydes. The major fatty aldehydes were palmitaldehyde, stearaldehyde and octadecenaldehyde. The fatty acids of EGP, SGP and choline glycerophosphatides (CGP) were chiefly 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1, with small proportions of 20 and 22 carbon polyunsaturates. The sphingolipids contained predominantly saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids of chain lengths of 20–26 carbon atoms. Optic nerve myelin and white matter myelin resembled one another closely in overall lipid composition and in the fatty acid compositions of their constituent lipids. Optic nerve myelin and white matter myelin are chemically similar membranes, but both of these differ in their lipid composition from spinal root myelin.     

在不同的交感中枢活动水平时刺激腓深神经对肾神经发放的影响

本工作记录家免肾神经冲动和动脉血压,观察电刺激腓深神经的效应。在用减少通气量、切断双侧迷走神经、切断双侧缓冲神经等方法使交感中枢活动水平升高时,刺激腓深神经(3V、10Hz、0.3ms 持续15min)对血压无明显影响,但可以抑制肾神经的发放。相反,用过度通气或刺激一侧降压神经的方法使交感中枢活动水平降低时,同样的参数刺激腓深神经,则使肾神经发放增加。刺激腓深神经对肾神经发放的抑制效应,可为静脉注射纳洛酮阻断,而兴奋效应则被静脉注射东莨菪碱阻断。上述结果表明:低频低强度刺激腓深神经可引起肾神经发放的抑制或增强,其效应取决于交感中枢的活动状态。躯体传入对肾神经发放的抑制效应有内源性阿片样物质参与,而躯体传入对肾神经发放的兴奋效应则和中枢胆碱能系统的激活有关。