Biomaterial Database

Regenerative activity in apical dendrites of pyramidal cells in neocortex. 1993

Y Amitai, and A Friedman, and B W Connors, and M J Gutnick

Unit of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

In intracellular recordings from three neocortical pyramidal cells in vitro, intracellular dye injection identified the impalement site as the primary trunk of the apical dendrite. Dendritic recordings displayed two types of regenerative events: relatively fast, low-threshold spikes with amplitudes of 12-69 mV, and slower, higher-threshold spikes up to 80 mV in amplitude. This distinctive dendritic firing pattern was also encountered in six recordings without dye-filled electrodes. Fast spike frequency was extremely sensitive to small changes in membrane potential at the recording site. In one recording, the fast spikes were blocked by 1 microM TTX, while slow events were spared. A computational model of a pyramidal cell was constructed to assist in interpreting the recordings. Simulations suggested that the fast spikes were generated primarily by active Na+ conductance concentrated at a distance from the impalement site, probably in the region of the soma. The low threshold of the fast spikes suggested that Na+ channels also exist in the apical dendrites, where they have a relatively low density. The data strongly imply that there are Ca2+ channels in the apical dendrites.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009416	Nerve Regeneration	Renewal or physiological repair of damaged nerve tissue.	Nerve Tissue Regeneration,Nervous Tissue Regeneration,Neural Tissue Regeneration,Nerve Tissue Regenerations,Nervous Tissue Regenerations,Neural Tissue Regenerations,Regeneration, Nerve,Regeneration, Nerve Tissue,Regeneration, Nervous Tissue,Regeneration, Neural Tissue,Tissue Regeneration, Nerve,Tissue Regeneration, Nervous,Tissue Regeneration, Neural
D011712	Pyramidal Tracts	Fibers that arise from cells within the cerebral cortex, pass through the medullary pyramid, and descend in the spinal cord. Many authorities say the pyramidal tracts include both the corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts.	Corticobulbar Tracts,Corticospinal Tracts,Decussation, Pyramidal,Corticobulbar Tract,Corticospinal Tract,Pyramidal Decussation,Pyramidal Tract,Tract, Corticobulbar,Tract, Corticospinal,Tract, Pyramidal,Tracts, Corticobulbar,Tracts, Corticospinal,Tracts, Pyramidal
D002540	Cerebral Cortex	The thin layer of GRAY MATTER on the surface of the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES that develops from the TELENCEPHALON and folds into gyri and sulci. It reaches its highest development in humans and is responsible for intellectual faculties and higher mental functions.	Allocortex,Archipallium,Cortex Cerebri,Cortical Plate,Paleocortex,Periallocortex,Allocortices,Archipalliums,Cerebral Cortices,Cortex Cerebrus,Cortex, Cerebral,Cortical Plates,Paleocortices,Periallocortices,Plate, Cortical
D003198	Computer Simulation	Computer-based representation of physical systems and phenomena such as chemical processes.	Computational Modeling,Computational Modelling,Computer Models,In silico Modeling,In silico Models,In silico Simulation,Models, Computer,Computerized Models,Computer Model,Computer Simulations,Computerized Model,In silico Model,Model, Computer,Model, Computerized,Model, In silico,Modeling, Computational,Modeling, In silico,Modelling, Computational,Simulation, Computer,Simulation, In silico,Simulations, Computer
D003712	Dendrites	Extensions of the nerve cell body. They are short and branched and receive stimuli from other NEURONS.	Dendrite
D006168	Guinea Pigs	A common name used for the genus Cavia. The most common species is Cavia porcellus which is the domesticated guinea pig used for pets and biomedical research.	Cavia,Cavia porcellus,Guinea Pig,Pig, Guinea,Pigs, Guinea
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
D017207	Rats, Sprague-Dawley	A strain of albino rat used widely for experimental purposes because of its calmness and ease of handling. It was developed by the Sprague-Dawley Animal Company.	Holtzman Rat,Rats, Holtzman,Sprague-Dawley Rat,Rats, Sprague Dawley,Holtzman Rats,Rat, Holtzman,Rat, Sprague-Dawley,Sprague Dawley Rat,Sprague Dawley Rats,Sprague-Dawley Rats