| Abstract: | | 1. | Intracellular recordings of suboesophageal neurons were performed in the cricketGryllus bimaculatus during applied changes of head temperature in the range 8 to 32.5 °C. The temperature was controlled by perfusing the head with Ringer solution of appropriate temperature. Subsequent staining with Lucifer Yellow revealed descending, ascending or T-shaped cells with ventrally located somata (Fig. 1). | | 2. | In 6 out of 7 neurons recorded (Fig. 1, neurons A, B, C, D, E, G) the firing rate was correlated with abdominal ventilatory pumping (Fig. 2a, b). These neurons also received input from cereal sensory hairs (Fig. 2c). Furthermore, one of them (Fig. 1, neuron A) showed responses to auditory (Fig. 2d) and another (Fig. 1, neuron E) to visual input (Fig. 2e). | | 3. | Activity of every tested neuron was correlated with the temperature of the perfusing Ringer solution: the amplitude and duration of spikes and excitatory postsynaptic potentials increased with cooling (Fig. 3). Two types of temperature-dependent changes in firing rate were identified. In type I the spiking rate was higher at higher temperature (Figs. 4a, b; 5). In type II spiking rate was related to the direction of temperature change (Fig. 4c, d). | | 4. | The possible involvement of one of the recorded cells (Fig. 1, neuron F) in thermoreception processes is discussed. Activity of this neuron was not related to the rhythm of abdominal ventilatory pumping, nor did the cell receive cereal, visual or auditory input. Its activity was related mainly to the direction of temperature changes i.e. with an increase in firing rate during cooling, independent of the temperature at which the cooling started and with a transient decrease in firing rate during warming from starting point of 10 °C. |
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