Influence of the stimulation of the dorsal hippocampus on the dorsal root potentials of the spinal cord in the cat

Rhythmic stimulation of the dorsal hippocampus causes a long-lasting (2–6 sec) depression of both the fast and the electrotonic dorsal root potentials. The depression depends on the intensity of the stimulation of the hippocampus and on the time interval between the stimulation of the hippocampus and the nerve. The sortest time interval producing the depression was within 15–20 msec. The action of afferent impulsation is depressed during both the ipsilateral and contralateral stimulation of the hippocampus. The stimulation of the fornix also exerts a depressing influence on the dorsal root potentials; however, it is not so prolonged as the stimulation of the hippocampus (500–600 msec).A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 186–193, September–October, 1969.     

The effect of acute dissociation on the electrophysiological properties of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

The acutely dissociated neurons from the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) are extensively used. The effects of acute dissociation on the properties of these neurons are, however, not clear. In this study, the action potentials (APs) were recorded from both acutely dissociated and in vivo identified DRG neurons with patch clamp and sharp electrode recording techniques, respectively. We found that acute dissociation slowed both the depolarizing and repolarizing rate of APs, and elongated the AP duration (APD). The lower recording temperature presented in the acutely dissociated neurons contributed to about 10% of these differences. The major contributor of these differences was possibly modulation of the mRNA expression especially those of the ion channels, as suggested by our observation that acute dissociation significantly reduced the mRNA abundance of Nav1.6–1.9. In conclusion, acute dissociation altered the electrophysiological properties of the DRG neurons; the disrupted gene-expression pattern may contribute to this effect.     

The effect of selenium on the localization of autometallographic mercury in dorsal root ganglia of rats

The autometallographic technique was used to demonstrate the localization of mercury in dorsal root ganglia of adult Wistar rats. The animals were either exposed to mercury vapour, 100 μg Hg m⁻³, 6 h day⁻¹, 5 days per week, or treated with organic mercury in the drinking water, 20 mg CH₃HgCl per litre, for 4 weeks. The effect of orally administered sodium selenite on the pattern of intracellular distribution of mercury in these two situations was investigated. In rats exposed to mercury vapour alone, faint staining was present in ganglion cells. The selenite induced a conspicuous increase in the number of stained cells and in the intracellular staining intensity. In rats treated with organic mercury, mercury deposits were detected within ganglion cells and macrophages. The number of mercury-containing cells was increased by co- administration of selenite. In addition, satellite cells, the capsule and vessel walls were faintly stained. Twenty weeks after cessation of the organic mercury treatment, mercury staining was reduced. Again, selenite treatment enhanced staining intensity. When studied using the electron microscope, mercury was restricted to lysosomes, irrespective of treatments. The present study shows that the deposition of autometallographic mercury in the dorsal root ganglia depends on the chemical type of mercury, the co-administration of selenite and the length of the survival period. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of vasopressin and oxytocin on dorsal root potentials in perfused spinal cord isolated from newborn rats

Dorsal root potentials before and after adding vasopressin or oxytocin to the perfusing fluid were investigated during experiments on one or two perfused spinal cord segments isolated from 12- to 16-day-old rats. It was found that both neuropeptides reversibly inhibited the amplitude of dorsal root potentials produced by stimulating the adjoining dorsal root. The effect was dependent on concentration and time of peptide action on the brain. Both vasopressin and oxytocin were found to produce slow, reversible, dose-dependent depolarization at primary afferent fiber terminals. Depolarization persists when trans-synaptic transmission has been completely blocked owing to substitution of calcium by manganese ions in the perfusing solution. Synaptic contacts are thought to exist between peptidergic hypothalamospinal fibers and dorsal root afferent fiber terminals. The functional significance of these connections is discussed.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 757–763, November–December, 1988.     

Neurochemical and ionic mechanisms of dorsal root potentials in the spinal cord of immature rats

Dorsal root potentials (DRPs) were recorded by a sucrose gap method in experiments on parasagittal slices of the isolated rat spinal cord. In most cases the DRP consisted of fast and slow waves. The fast wave of DRP was inhibited by the GABA antagonist picrotoxin and the blocker of GABA-activated chloride channels, furosemide, but it was potentiated by pentobarbital sodium. The slow wave of DRP disappeared if the extracellular K⁺ concentration was raised to 10 mM and it was depressed by tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine, blockers of electrically excitable potassium channels. It is concluded that the fast wave of DRP and the initial components of the slow wave of DRP are GABA-ergic in origin; the slow wave of DRP, however, is linked with an increase in extracellular K⁺ concentration near the primary afferent terminals. The possible mechanisms of the increase in extracellular K⁺ concentration during dorsal root stimulation are discussed.A. M. Gor'kii Donetsk Medical Institute. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 796–800, November–December, 1984.     

Acute and chronic effects of LSD and 5-MeODMT on raphe-evoked dorsal root potentials in the cat

Both acute and chronic effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) on the dorsal root potential (DRP), evoked by stimulation of the nucleus raphe magnus of the cat, were examined. Single injections of LSD potentiated while those of 5-MeODMT inhibited the raphe-evoked DRP. The electrophysiologic response produced by each drug correlates well in dosage and time-course with their reported behavioral effects. Following four consecutive daily injections of LSD, complete tolerance developed to the potentiating effect of LSD on this potential. A similar pretreatment schedule with 5-MeODMT failed to alter its acute inhibitory effect on the DRP. These results correlate well with the development of tolerance to the behavioral effects of LSD and 5-MeODMT. This system may thus provide a unique electrophysiological model to examine the effects of these drugs.     

刺激大鼠离断背根外周端对相邻背根电活动的影响

在切断大鼠左侧１２、１３背根后,观察电刺激（刺激参数为０．８－１．２ｍＡ,１００Ｈｚ,０．５ｍｓ,总时程２ｓ）Ｌ２背根外同对Ｌ３背根放电活动的影响。结果表明：连续多次刺激Ｌ２背根可使Ｌ３背根平均放电频率（ＭＤＦ）逐步增加,增加量与刺激次数中于明显直线正相关,各次刺激后的时程分析表明,这种增频作用具有明显的累积效应的后效应,并与刺激前１３背根的活动状态密切相关,刺激前放电活动较强者其增频作用更明显。     

The compound of potential in a stimulated dorsal root

The electrotonic potential appearing in a stimulated dorsal root is found to be the resultant of two independent systems of current of different origin. One component, labelled DRα, is non-occluding. The other component, labelled DRβ, occludes strongly and has the characteristics of the potential which appears in a neighboring unstimulated rootlet (DRIV-V). Because DRα does not occlude, its origin is assigned to the primary afferent neuron. The result of a general examination of its origin leads to the additional conclusion that it must arise from a physiological spatial gradient in the post-spike recovery cycle of membrane potential along the afferent neuron. The specific locus of this gradient within the primary neuron is the subject of the succeeding paper (16).     

The effect of elevated potassium on the time course of neuron survival in cultures of dissociated dorsal root ganglia

The effect of potassium (K⁺) on the time course of neuron survival has been investigated by counting neurons over a 24-day period in live cultures of dissociated dorsal root ganglia from embryonic chick, fetal and newborn mouse, and fetal human material. In both normal K (6 mM) and in elevated K (20 mM mouse and human, 40 mM chick) there was initially a rapid exponential decrease in neuron survival. However, the magnitude of this decrease was less in the elevated K. In normal K neuron number decreased monotonically; the rate of degeneration itself decreased with time so that after 24 days neuron survival became relatively constant. In contrast, in elevated K the neuron number actually increased over a limited time interval before attaining a stable long-term value much greater than that in normal K. Thus, elevated K enhanced long-term survival by causing a lower rate of degeneration and also by causing an increase in neuron number during a limited period of the time in culture. From these observations and other evidence, it is argued that K can substitute to some extent for the trophic action normally exerted by the peripheral field of innervation of the DRG. It is further argued that K acts through its depolarizing effect on the membrane potential and that modification of intracellular ionic concentrations seems less likely to be involved.     

Effect of pH on root membrane potentials

Summary The effect of pH on the root membrane potentials was studied using excised roots of Hordeum vulgare, Triticum durum, and Agropyron elongatum (barley, wheat, and tall wheatgrass respectively). The measured potentials were lower the lower the pH of the KCl in the electromotive cell used for the measurements, thus indicating the presence in the root of pH-sensitive electric fields capable of affecting the mobilities of the K and Cl ions and hence the measured potentials. The root membrane potentials from the three species were equal to zero at pH 3. This is due to the fact that at this pH the potential of diffusion is zero because of the deminishing of the electric force fields in the roots. re]19720801     

咖啡因对大鼠背根神经节急性分离神经元GABA-激活电流的抑制作用

应用全细胞膜片钳记录技术,在大鼠新鲜分离背根神经节(dorsal root ganglion,DRG)神经元上,观察预加咖啡因对GABA-激活电流(IGABA)的调制作用。实验中,大部分受检细胞(97．4％,l13／116)对外加GABA敏感。1-1000μmol／L GABA引起一剂量依赖性、有明显上敏感作用的内向电流。在受检的108个DRG细胞中,约有半数(53．7％,58／108)对胞外加咖啡因(0．1-100μmol／L)敏感．产生一幅值很小的内向电流。倾加咖啡因(0．1～100μmol／L)30s后再加GABA能明显抑制GABA(100μmol／L)激活电流的幅值。预加咖啡因后GABA量效曲线明显下移;GABA-激活电流的最人值较之对照下降约57％;而Kd值(30μmol／L)几乎不变,表示此种抑制为非竞争性的。预加安定(diazepam,1μmol／L)对GABA(100μmol／L)激活电流有增强作用,而预加咖啡因(10μmol／L)有拈抗安定增强IGABA的作用。胞内透析H-8后,几乎可以完全消除咖啡因对,IGABA的抑制作用。已知GABA作用于初级感觉神经元能引起初级传入去极化,因而实验结果提示,咖啡因有可能在初级传入末梢产生对抗突触前抑制的效应。     

Ryanodine inhibits calcium transients evoked by action potentials in a subpopulation of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

Effects of ryanodine on calcium transients evoked by depolarization of external membrane under voltage clamp conditions or by a train of action potentials under current clamp conditions were studied on isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons of newborn rats. In 70% neurons tested, ryanodine, a blocker of Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release from endoplasmic reticulum, significantly decreased the amplitude of calcium transients. The data obtained indicate that the Ca²⁺-induced Ca²⁺ release plays an important role for calcium signal generation in a subpopulation of sensory neurons.Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 420–422, November–December, 1994.