RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 RESPONSES OF SPINAL CORD INTERNEURONS TO ACETYLCHOLINE, NOREPINEPHRINE AND SEROTONINADMINISTERED BY MICROELECTROPHORESIS
JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther
FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
SP 420
OP 427
VO 153
IS 3
A1 F. F. WEIGHT
A1 G. C. SALMOIRAGHI
YR 1966
UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/153/3/420.abstract
AB Biochemical, histochemical and pharmacologic evidence suggest a functional role for acetylcholine (ACh), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) in the spinal cord, possibly as synaptic transmitters. However, except for ACh sensitivity of Renshaw cells, Curtis, Phillis and Watkins (1961) did not find other neurons in the spinal cord responsive to ACh, NE or 5-HT. We reinvestigated this problem in the lumbosacral segments of decerebrated and ether-anesthetized cats using 5-barrel glass micropipette electrodes to administer ACh, NE and 5-HT electrophoretically to single neurons at the site of extracellular action potential recording. We found that a number of interneurons in the spinal cordresponded to the electrophoretic administration of ACh, NE and 5-HT with either facilitation or depression of firing. Some neurons responded to one, others to two and some to all three compounds with no correlation in the direction of their responses. The finding of neurons in the spinal cord responsive to the electrophoretic administration of ACh, NE and 5-HT providesa basis for studying the possible involvement of these substances in synaptic transmission. © 1966 by The Williams & Wilkins Co.