Electrophysiological identification of two types of fibres in rat extraocular muscles. 1979

D J Chiarandini, and E Stefani

1. The synaptic potentials and electrical properties of rat inferior rectus muscles were examined in vitro. 2. In most fibres the spontaneous synaptic activity consisted of typical miniature end-plate potentials which had a normal distribution of amplitudes and rather uniform time courses. Suprathreshold and maximal nerve stimulation evoked unitary end-plate potentials (e.p.p.s). The synaptic activity of these fibres could be recorded only in the innervation zone of the muscle. These fibres were identified as being focally innervated. 3. Focally innervated fibres gave action potentials upon direct and indirect stimulation. They had an effective resistance (Reff) of 1.62 +/- 0.22 M omega (mean +/- S.E., twenty-two fibres) and a time constant (tau m) of 3.8 +/- 0.4 msec (twenty-one fibres). Voltage-current curves in control saline were linear between membrane potentials of -50 to -140 mV. 4. In a small number of fibres the spontaneous synaptic activity consisted of miniature small-nerve junction potentials which had a skewed distribution of amplitudes with predominance of smaller voltages and time courses with a wide range of variation. Nerve stimulation evoked composite small-nerve junction potentials (s.j.p.s) which could be resolved into unitary components by varying the strength of stimulation. S.j.p.s had a higher threshold than e.p.p.s. Synaptic potentials could be recorded outside the innervation zone, at various sites along the muscle length. These fibres were recognized as being multiply innervated with polyneuronal innervation. 5. Multiply innervated fibres lacked action potentials had a large Reff of 6.0 +/- 1.1 M omega (six fibres) and a prolonged tau m of 29.8 +/- 4.8 msec. Reff show a moderate decrease to hyperpolarization and a rather large decrease to depolarization which denote, respectively, the presence of anomalous and delayed reactification. 6. It is concluded that rat extraocular muscles contain at least two populations of muscle fibres that in terms of synaptic activity and electrical properties are comparable to twitch fibres of other mammalian muscles and to slow or tonic fibres of amphibians.

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
D009045 Motor Endplate The specialized postsynaptic region of a muscle cell. The motor endplate is immediately across the synaptic cleft from the presynaptic axon terminal. Among its anatomical specializations are junctional folds which harbor a high density of cholinergic receptors. Motor End-Plate,End-Plate, Motor,End-Plates, Motor,Endplate, Motor,Endplates, Motor,Motor End Plate,Motor End-Plates,Motor Endplates
D009801 Oculomotor Muscles The muscles that move the eye. Included in this group are the medial rectus, lateral rectus, superior rectus, inferior rectus, inferior oblique, superior oblique, musculus orbitalis, and levator palpebrae superioris. Extraocular Muscles,Extraocular Rectus Muscles,Inferior Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Inferior Oblique Muscles,Levator Palpebrae Superioris,Musculus Orbitalis,Oblique Extraocular Muscles,Oblique Muscle, Inferior,Oblique Muscle, Superior,Oblique Muscles, Extraocular,Rectus Muscles, Extraocular,Superior Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Superior Oblique Muscle,Extraocular Muscle,Extraocular Muscle, Oblique,Extraocular Muscles, Oblique,Extraocular Oblique Muscle,Extraocular Oblique Muscles,Extraocular Rectus Muscle,Inferior Oblique Muscle,Muscle, Oculomotor,Muscles, Oculomotor,Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Oblique Muscle, Extraocular,Oblique Muscles, Inferior,Oblique Muscles, Superior,Oculomotor Muscle,Rectus Muscle, Extraocular,Superior Oblique Muscles
D004553 Electric Conductivity The ability of a substrate to allow the passage of ELECTRONS. Electrical Conductivity,Conductivity, Electric,Conductivity, Electrical
D005071 Evoked Potentials Electrical responses recorded from nerve, muscle, SENSORY RECEPTOR, or area of the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM following stimulation. They range from less than a microvolt to several microvolts. The evoked potential can be auditory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, AUDITORY), somatosensory (EVOKED POTENTIALS, SOMATOSENSORY), visual (EVOKED POTENTIALS, VISUAL), or motor (EVOKED POTENTIALS, MOTOR), or other modalities that have been reported. Event Related Potential,Event-Related Potentials,Evoked Potential,N100 Evoked Potential,P50 Evoked Potential,N1 Wave,N100 Evoked Potentials,N2 Wave,N200 Evoked Potentials,N3 Wave,N300 Evoked Potentials,N4 Wave,N400 Evoked Potentials,P2 Wave,P200 Evoked Potentials,P50 Evoked Potentials,P50 Wave,P600 Evoked Potentials,Potentials, Event-Related,Event Related Potentials,Event-Related Potential,Evoked Potential, N100,Evoked Potential, N200,Evoked Potential, N300,Evoked Potential, N400,Evoked Potential, P200,Evoked Potential, P50,Evoked Potential, P600,Evoked Potentials, N100,Evoked Potentials, N200,Evoked Potentials, N300,Evoked Potentials, N400,Evoked Potentials, P200,Evoked Potentials, P50,Evoked Potentials, P600,N1 Waves,N2 Waves,N200 Evoked Potential,N3 Waves,N300 Evoked Potential,N4 Waves,N400 Evoked Potential,P2 Waves,P200 Evoked Potential,P50 Waves,P600 Evoked Potential,Potential, Event Related,Potential, Event-Related,Potential, Evoked,Potentials, Event Related,Potentials, Evoked,Potentials, N400 Evoked,Related Potential, Event,Related Potentials, Event,Wave, N1,Wave, N2,Wave, N3,Wave, N4,Wave, P2,Wave, P50,Waves, N1,Waves, N2,Waves, N3,Waves, N4,Waves, P2,Waves, P50
D000200 Action Potentials Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli. Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013569 Synapses Specialized junctions at which a neuron communicates with a target cell. At classical synapses, a neuron's presynaptic terminal releases a chemical transmitter stored in synaptic vesicles which diffuses across a narrow synaptic cleft and activates receptors on the postsynaptic membrane of the target cell. The target may be a dendrite, cell body, or axon of another neuron, or a specialized region of a muscle or secretory cell. Neurons may also communicate via direct electrical coupling with ELECTRICAL SYNAPSES. Several other non-synaptic chemical or electric signal transmitting processes occur via extracellular mediated interactions. Synapse
D051381 Rats The common name for the genus Rattus. Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus
D066298 In Vitro Techniques Methods to study reactions or processes taking place in an artificial environment outside the living organism. In Vitro Test,In Vitro Testing,In Vitro Tests,In Vitro as Topic,In Vitro,In Vitro Technique,In Vitro Testings,Technique, In Vitro,Techniques, In Vitro,Test, In Vitro,Testing, In Vitro,Testings, In Vitro,Tests, In Vitro,Vitro Testing, In

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