A study of frog muscle maintained in organ culture. 1972

A J Harris, and R Miledi

1. Frog muscles are isolated and maintained in organ culture conditions for periods of up to 2 months. During the first 2 weeks, muscle fibres have normal resting membrane and action potentials. Subsequently the potentials decline in amplitude.2. Slow muscle fibres also survive in culture and retain their ability to give maintained contractures.3. Muscle sensory receptors continue to function in culture until the axon terminals degenerate at about 2 weeks.4. Neuromuscular transmission is normal during the first few days of culture, after which the motor endings degenerate. Transmission persists longer (up to 17 days) if a long segment of nerve is left attached to the muscle. With short-nerve preparations failure of transmission in vivo occurs at about the same time as in culture. With long-nerve preparations failure of transmission is delayed even further in culture.5. In short-nerve preparations miniature end-plate potentials disappear, in general, at about the time that transmission fails. In long-nerve preparations some end-plates continue to have miniature end-plate potential activity for a short time after nerve impulses cease to evoke any response; but eventually miniature potential activity disappears from all end-plates.6. After a few days of electrical silence, miniature end-plate potentials reappear at some of the denervated end-plates. The proportion of denervated end-plates which show miniature end-plate potentials in culture is smaller than in muscles denervated in situ.7. Electron microscopy shows that muscle structure is well preserved in culture, that the axons degenerate and that the Schwann cells move to occupy the space vacated by the axons. The Schwann cells are very probably the source of the acetylcholine which evokes miniature potentials in the denervated end-plates.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008564 Membrane Potentials The voltage differences across a membrane. For cellular membranes they are computed by subtracting the voltage measured outside the membrane from the voltage measured inside the membrane. They result from differences of inside versus outside concentration of potassium, sodium, chloride, and other ions across cells' or ORGANELLES membranes. For excitable cells, the resting membrane potentials range between -30 and -100 millivolts. Physical, chemical, or electrical stimuli can make a membrane potential more negative (hyperpolarization), or less negative (depolarization). Resting Potentials,Transmembrane Potentials,Delta Psi,Resting Membrane Potential,Transmembrane Electrical Potential Difference,Transmembrane Potential Difference,Difference, Transmembrane Potential,Differences, Transmembrane Potential,Membrane Potential,Membrane Potential, Resting,Membrane Potentials, Resting,Potential Difference, Transmembrane,Potential Differences, Transmembrane,Potential, Membrane,Potential, Resting,Potential, Transmembrane,Potentials, Membrane,Potentials, Resting,Potentials, Transmembrane,Resting Membrane Potentials,Resting Potential,Transmembrane Potential,Transmembrane Potential Differences
D008854 Microscopy, Electron Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen. Electron Microscopy
D009119 Muscle Contraction A process leading to shortening and/or development of tension in muscle tissue. Muscle contraction occurs by a sliding filament mechanism whereby actin filaments slide inward among the myosin filaments. Inotropism,Muscular Contraction,Contraction, Muscle,Contraction, Muscular,Contractions, Muscle,Contractions, Muscular,Inotropisms,Muscle Contractions,Muscular Contractions
D009132 Muscles Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals. Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D009210 Myofibrils The long cylindrical contractile organelles of STRIATED MUSCLE cells composed of ACTIN FILAMENTS; MYOSIN filaments; and other proteins organized in arrays of repeating units called SARCOMERES . Myofilaments,Myofibril,Myofilament
D009410 Nerve Degeneration Loss of functional activity and trophic degeneration of nerve axons and their terminal arborizations following the destruction of their cells of origin or interruption of their continuity with these cells. The pathology is characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases. Often the process of nerve degeneration is studied in research on neuroanatomical localization and correlation of the neurophysiology of neural pathways. Neuron Degeneration,Degeneration, Nerve,Degeneration, Neuron,Degenerations, Nerve,Degenerations, Neuron,Nerve Degenerations,Neuron Degenerations
D009411 Nerve Endings Branch-like terminations of NERVE FIBERS, sensory or motor NEURONS. Endings of sensory neurons are the beginnings of afferent pathway to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Endings of motor neurons are the terminals of axons at the muscle cells. Nerve endings which release neurotransmitters are called PRESYNAPTIC TERMINALS. Ending, Nerve,Endings, Nerve,Nerve Ending
D009435 Synaptic Transmission The communication from a NEURON to a target (neuron, muscle, or secretory cell) across a SYNAPSE. In chemical synaptic transmission, the presynaptic neuron releases a NEUROTRANSMITTER that diffuses across the synaptic cleft and binds to specific synaptic receptors, activating them. The activated receptors modulate specific ion channels and/or second-messenger systems in the postsynaptic cell. In electrical synaptic transmission, electrical signals are communicated as an ionic current flow across ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Neural Transmission,Neurotransmission,Transmission, Neural,Transmission, Synaptic
D009469 Neuromuscular Junction The synapse between a neuron and a muscle. Myoneural Junction,Nerve-Muscle Preparation,Junction, Myoneural,Junction, Neuromuscular,Junctions, Myoneural,Junctions, Neuromuscular,Myoneural Junctions,Nerve Muscle Preparation,Nerve-Muscle Preparations,Neuromuscular Junctions,Preparation, Nerve-Muscle,Preparations, Nerve-Muscle
D009924 Organ Culture Techniques A technique for maintenance or growth of animal organs in vitro. It refers to three-dimensional cultures of undisaggregated tissue retaining some or all of the histological features of the tissue in vivo. (Freshney, Culture of Animal Cells, 3d ed, p1) Organ Culture,Culture Technique, Organ,Culture Techniques, Organ,Organ Culture Technique,Organ Cultures

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