Interaction experiments on the responses evoked in Purkinje cells by climbing fibres. 1966

J C Eccles, and R Llinás, and K Sasaki, and P E Voorhoeve

1. The uniquely powerful excitatory synaptic action of a single climbing fibre on a Purkinje cell in the cerebellum of the cat was tested during the intense and prolonged inhibitory action produced by the parallel fibre, basket and stellate cell system. There was depression of the later spike discharges, but the initial discharge was never suppressed.2. With intracellular recording the excitatory post-synaptic potential was depressed during the initial phase (about 10 msec) of the inhibitory action, but there was a later increase with a time course resembling the latter part of the inhibitory hyperpolarization. An explanation of these and other effects is given in terms of conventional ideas of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic interaction.3. These observations on single Purkinje cells, particularly with intracellular recording, have helped in formulating a provisional explanation of the finding that during inhibition there is an increase in the negative field potential evoked by a climbing fibre volley.4. The excitatory action of a climbing fibre synapse is shown to be greatly depressed immediately after a preceding activation and recovery takes hundreds of milliseconds. By the collision technique it is shown that the same climbing fibre is activated by inferior olive and juxta-fastigial stimulation.5. With rapid repetitive activation there was initially a progressive decline in the effectiveness of each successive impulse, but a steady level was soon reached. On cessation of a tetanus of twenty or more impulses there was a delayed recovery of the depolarization, which suggests a continued action of the accumulated transmitter.6. With extracellular recording repetitive spike initiation continued with stimulation frequencies as high as 100/sec, but at still higher frequencies spikes were depressed by the intense synaptically evoked depolarization. On cessation of the stimulation after-discharge often developed as the depolarization declined. The prolonged after-discharges following severe tetani suggest that there is a very effective accumulation of the transmitter.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011689 Purkinje Cells The output neurons of the cerebellar cortex. Purkinje Cell,Purkinje Neuron,Purkyne Cell,Cell, Purkinje,Cell, Purkyne,Cells, Purkinje,Cells, Purkyne,Neuron, Purkinje,Neurons, Purkinje,Purkinje Neurons,Purkyne Cells
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D002525 Cerebellar Cortex The superficial GRAY MATTER of the CEREBELLUM. It consists of two main layers, the stratum moleculare and the stratum granulosum. Cortex Cerebelli,Cerebelli, Cortex,Cerebellus, Cortex,Cortex Cerebellus,Cortex, Cerebellar
D004594 Electrophysiology The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.
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

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