Effect of electrotonic potentials on pacemaker activity of canine Purkinje fibers in relation to parasystole.
(1/18018)
Isolated false tendons excised form dog hearts were mounted in a three-chamber tissue bath. Isotonic sucrose solution was perfused in the central chamber to provide a region of depressed conductivity between the fiber segments in chambers 1 and 3, which were perfused with Tyrode's solution. The electrotonic influence of spontaneous or driven responses evoked in chamber 3 during the first half of the spontaneous cycle of a chamber 1 peacemaker delayed the next spontaneous discharge. This effect changed to acceleration when the chamber 3 segment fired during the second half of the spontaneous cycle. We found that subthreshold depolarizing current pulses 50-300 msec applied across the sucrose gap caused similar degrees of delay or acceleration. Furthermore, hyperpolarizing currents caused the reverse pattern. The results indicate that the discharge pattern of a parasystolic focus may be altered by the electrotonic influence of activity in the surrounding tissue. The significance of these findings is considered in relation to the mechanism of production of parasystolic rhythms. (+info)
The posterior nasal nerve plays an important role on cardiopulmonary reflexes to nasal application of capsaicin, distilled water and l-menthol in anesthetized dogs.
(2/18018)
The sensory innervation of the cardiopulmonary reflexes to nasal application of capsaicin (CAPS), distilled water (DW) and l-menthol (LM) was studied in anesthetized dogs breathing through tracheostomy. A marked cardiopulmonary reflex was observed by CAPS and DW into the nasal cavity, while a prolongation of expiration was induced by LM. All these reflexes were significantly decreased by bilateral section of the posterior nasal nerve (PNN) and completely abolished by topical nasal anesthesia with lidocaine. Responses of the whole nerve activity of the PNN to these substances corresponded to the magnitude of the reflexes. These results indicate that PNN afferents play an important role on the reflex elicitation of the noxious, water and cold stimuli from the nasal cavity. (+info)
Characterization of elementary Ca2+ release signals in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons.
(3/18018)
Elementary Ca2+ release signals in nerve growth factor- (NGF-) differentiated PC12 cells and hippocampal neurons, functionally analogous to the "Ca2+ sparks" and "Ca2+ puffs" identified in other cell types, were characterized by confocal microscopy. They either occurred spontaneously or could be activated by caffeine and metabotropic agonists. The release events were dissimilar to the sparks and puffs described so far, as many arose from clusters of both ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs). Increasing either the stimulus strength or loading of the intracellular stores enhanced the frequency of and coupling between elementary release sites and evoked global Ca2+ signals. In the PC12 cells, the elementary Ca2+ release preferentially occurred around the branch points. Spatio-temporal recruitment of such elementary release events may regulate neuronal activities. (+info)
Differential effects of a segment of slow conduction on reentrant ventricular tachycardia in the rabbit heart.
(4/18018)
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare differential effects of a segment of slow conduction during ventricular tachycardia (VT) due to depression of the action potential and electrical uncoupling. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 33 Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts, a ring of anisotropic left ventricular subepicardium was created by a cryoprocedure. Reentrant VT was produced by incremental pacing. Slow conduction in a segment of the ring was created by selective perfusion of the LAD with 10 mmol/L potassium or 0.75 mmol/L heptanol. As a result, VT cycle length increased from 193+/-34 to 235+/-37 ms (potassium) and 227+/-42 ms (heptanol). Reset curves were made by applying premature stimuli proximal to the area of depressed conduction. In a ring of uniform anisotropic tissue, the reset curve was almost completely flat. Electrical uncoupling of part of the ring (nonuniform anisotropy) resulted in a mixed reset curve. In both substrates, early premature beats failed to terminate VT. Depression of part of the ring by increasing K+ resulted in a completely sloped reset curve, indicating a gap of partial excitability. Under these conditions, in 19 of 24 hearts, premature beats terminated VT by conduction block in the high K+ area. CONCLUSIONS: The nature of the area of slow conduction determines the type of reset response and the ability to terminate VT. (+info)
Gabapentin suppresses ectopic nerve discharges and reverses allodynia in neuropathic rats.
(5/18018)
Repetitive ectopic discharges from injured afferent nerves play an important role in initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is effective for treatment of neuropathic pain but the sites and mechanisms of its antinociceptive actions remain uncertain. In the present study, we tested a hypothesis that therapeutic doses of gabapentin suppress ectopic afferent discharge activity generated from injured peripheral nerves. Mechanical allodynia, induced by partial ligation of the sciatic nerve in rats, was determined by application of von Frey filaments to the hindpaw. Single-unit afferent nerve activity was recorded proximal to the ligated sciatic nerve site. Intravenous gabapentin, in a range of 30 to 90 mg/kg, significantly attenuated allodynia in nerve-injured rats. Furthermore, gabapentin, in the same therapeutic dose range, dose-dependently inhibited the ectopic discharge activity of 15 injured sciatic afferent nerve fibers through an action on impulse generation. However, the conduction velocity and responses of 12 normal afferent fibers to mechanical stimulation were not affected by gabapentin. Therefore, this study provides electrophysiological evidence that gabapentin is capable of suppressing the ectopic discharge activity from injured peripheral nerves. This action may contribute, at least in part, to the antiallodynic effect of gabapentin on neuropathic pain. (+info)
Intestinal prokinesia by two esters of 4-amino-5-chloro-2- methoxybenzoic acid: involvement of 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 receptors and dissociation from cardiac effects in vivo.
(6/18018)
In five fasting, conscious dogs, we compared the prokinetic action of two selective 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 (5-HT4) receptor agonists with low affinity for 5-HT3 receptors ML10302 (2-piperidinoethyl 4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxybenzoate) and SR59768 (2-[(3S)-3-hydroxypiperidino]ethyl 4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxybenzoate) in the duodenum and jejunum, using cisapride as a reference compound. Heart rate and rate-corrected QT (QTc) also were monitored to assess whether or not the cardiac effects of cisapride are shared by other 5-HT4 receptor agonists. Both ML10302 and SR59768 dose-dependently stimulated spike activity in the duodenum with similar potencies (dose range, 3-300 nmol/kg i.v.; ED50 values: 24 and 23 nmol/kg i.v., respectively), mimicking the effect of cisapride (30-3000 nmol/kg i.v.). The maximal effect was achieved with the dose of 100 nmol/kg i.v. for both compounds. Similar findings were obtained in the jejunum. Atropine and GR125487 (1-[2-[(methylsulfonyl)amino]ethyl]-4-piperidinyl-methyl 5-fluoro-2-methoxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylate, selective 5-HT4 receptor antagonist), at doses having no effect per se, antagonized intestinal prokinesia by maximal doses of ML10302 and SR59768. Neither ML10302 nor SR59768 had any effect on heart rate or QTc at any of the doses tested, whereas cisapride, at the highest dose (3000 nmol/kg), induced tachycardia and lengthened the QTC (p <.01). In conclusion, ML10302 and SR59768 share with cisapride a similar prokinetic action in the canine duodenum and jejunum in vivo. This effect is mediated by pathways involving activation of 5-HT4 and muscarinic receptors. Unlike cisapride, which induces tachycardia and prolongs the QTc by a mechanism probably unrelated to 5-HT4 receptor activation, ML10302 and SR59768 are devoid of cardiac effects in this model. (+info)
Nonlinear tension summation of different combinations of motor units in the anesthetized cat peroneus longus muscle.
(7/18018)
The purpose of this study was to examine the linearity of summation of the forces produced by the stimulation of different combinations of type identified motor units (MUs) in the cat peroneus longus muscle (PL) under isometric conditions. The muscle was fixed at its twitch optimal length, and the tension produced by the single MU was recorded during 24- and 72-Hz stimulation. The summation analysis was first carried out for MUs belonging to the same functional group, and then different combinations of fast fatigable (FF) MUs were added to the nonfatigable slow (S) and fatigue resistant (FR) group. The tension resulting from the combined stimulation of increasing numbers of MUs (measured tension) was evaluated and compared with the linearly predicted value, calculated by adding algebraically the tension produced by the individual MUs assembled in the combination (calculated tension). Tension summation displayed deviations from linearity. S and FR MUs mainly showed marked more than linear summation; FF MUs yielded either more or less than linear summation; and, when the FF units were recruited after the S and FR MUs, less than linear summation always occurred. The magnitude of the nonlinear summation appeared stimulus frequency dependent for the fatigable FF and FI group. The relationship between measured tension and calculated tension for each MU combination was examined, and linear regression lines were fitted to each set of data. The high correlation coefficients and the different slope values for the different MU-type combinations suggested that the nonlinear summation was MU-type specific. The mechanisms of nonlinear summations are discussed by considering the consequences of internal shortening and thus the mechanical interactions among MUs and shifts in muscle fiber length to a more or less advantageous portion of single MU length-tension curves. (+info)
Regulation of cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel by coexpression of G(alpha s) in Xenopus oocytes.
(8/18018)
Activation of G(alpha s) via beta-adrenergic receptors enhances the activity of cardiac voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels of the L-type, mainly via protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation. Contribution of a PKA-independent effect of G(alpha s) has been proposed but remains controversial. We demonstrate that, in Xenopus oocytes, antisense knockdown of endogenous G(alpha s) reduced, whereas coexpression of G(alpha s) enhanced, currents via expressed cardiac L-type channels, independently of the presence of the auxiliary subunits alpha2/delta or beta2A. Coexpression of G(alpha s) did not increase the amount of alpha1C protein in whole oocytes or in the plasma membrane (measured immunochemically). Activation of coexpressed beta2 adrenergic receptors did not cause a detectable enhancement of channel activity; rather, a small cAMP-dependent decrease was observed. We conclude that coexpression of G(alpha s), but not its acute activation via beta-adrenergic receptors, enhances the activity of the cardiac L-type Ca2+ channel via a PKA-independent effect on the alpha1C subunit. (+info)