Summary
During intracellular recording from cat spinal motoneurons, the lumbo-sacral cord was subjected to rapid local temperature changes. Cooling to 30° C causes a decrease in the resting membrane potential (RMP), a transient increase in spike overshoot, and increases in the input resistance and the durations of both the action potential and the hyperpolarizing after-potential (HAP). Warming causes these membrane parameters to change in the opposite direction and can result in a failure of antidromic activation. The RMP changes are dependent upon the RMP at normal temperature, being negligible in cells having an initial RMP greater than 70 mV. The Q10-values of the three peaks of the differentiated spike are relatively high and nearly identical to the Q10-values of the corresponding rate constants for sodium activation and inactivation and potassium activation measured by Frankenhaeuser and Moore in toad nerve fibers, i.e. 1.71, 2.35 and 3.12, respectively. Delayed sodium inactivation and potassium activation explain the increase in spike overshoot observed during cooling, and the high Q10 of potassium activation is nearly identical to the Q10 of the time to peak of the HAP (3.12 vs. 2.97). The decrease in RMP during cooling is attributed to a decrease in the PK∶PNa ratio rather than to a blockage of an electrogenic sodium pump; the differences in RMP temperature sensitivities between cells with high and low initial RMP's might be due to a higher resting PK (anomalous rectification) at higher RMP. We conclude that the electrogenic pump does not normally contribute significantly to the RMP of cat motoneurons.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bureš, J., Petráň, M., Zachar, J.: Electrophysiological Methods in Biological Research. Prague: Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences 1967
Burkhardt, D.: Die Erregungsvorgänge sensibler Ganglienzellen in Abhängigkeit von der Temperatur. Biol. Zbl. 78, 22–62 (1959)
Carpenter, D.O.: Membrane potential produced directly by the Na+ pump in Aplysia neurons. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 35, 371–385 (1970)
Carpenter, D.O., Alving, B.O.: A contribution of an electrogenic Na+ pump to membrane potential in Aplysia neurons. J. gen. Physiol. 52, 1–21 (1968)
Coombs, J.S., Curtis, D.R., Eccles, J.C.: The interpretation of spike potentials of motoneurones. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 139, 198–231 (1957)
Coombs, J.S., Eccles, J.C., Fatt, P.: The electrical properties of the motoneurone membrane. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 130, 291–325 (1955)
Dipolo, R., Latorre, R.: Effect of temperature on membrane potential and ionic fluxes in intact and dialysed barnacle muscle fibres. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 225, 255–273 (1972)
Dudel, J., Rüdel, R.: Voltage and time dependence of excitatory sodium current in cooled sheep Purkinje fibres. Europ. J. Pflügers Arch. 315, 136–158 (1970)
Eccles, J.C.: The Physiology of Nerve Cells. Baltimore: The John Hopkins Press 1957
Fatt, P.: Sequence of events in synaptic activation of a motoneurone. J. Neurophysiol. 20, 61–90 (1957)
Frankenhaeuser, B., Moore, L.E.: The effect of temperature on the sodium and potassium permeability changes in myelinated nerve fibres of Xenopus laevis. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 169, 431–437 (1963)
Fuortes, M.G.F., Frank, K., Becker, M.C.: Steps in the production of motoneuron spikes. J. gen. Physiol. 40, 735–752 (1957)
Gorman, A.L.F., Marmor, M.F.: Contributions of the sodium pump and ionic gradients to the membrane potential of a mollusoan neurone. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 210, 897–917 (1970a)
Gorman, A.L.F., Marmor, M.F.: Temperature dependence of the sodium-potassium parmeability ratio of a molluscan neurone. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 210, 919–931 (1970b)
Grampp, W.: The impulse activity in different parts of the slowly adapting stretch receptor neuron of the lobster. Acta physiol. scand. 66, Suppl. 262, 3–36 (1966a)
Grampp, W.: Multiple-spike discharge evoking after-depolarizations in the slowly adapting stretch receptor neuron of the lobster. I. The labile and the fast after-depolarization. Acta physiol. scand. 67, 100–115 (1966b)
Granit, R., Kernell, D., Smith, U.S.: Delayed depolarization and the repetitive response to intracellular stimulation of mammalian motoneurones. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 168, 890–910 (1963)
Hodgkin, A.L., Huxley, A.F., Katz, B.: Measurements of current voltage relations in the membrane of the giant axon of Loligo. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 116, 424–448 (1952)
Hodgkin, A.L., Katz, B.: The effect of temperature on the electrical activity of the giant axon of the Squid. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 108, 37–77 (1949)
Ito, M., Oshima, T.: The electrogenic action on cations on cat spinal motoneurons. Proc. roy. Soc. B. 161, 92–108 (1964a)
Ito, M., Oshima, T.: The extrusion of sodium from cat spinal motoneurons. Proc. roy. Soc. B. 161, 109–131 (1964b)
Ito, M., Oshima, T.: Further study on the active transport of sodium across the motoneuronal membrane. Proc. roy. Soc. B. 161, 132–141 (1964c)
Kehoe, J.S., Ascher, P.: Re-evaluation of the synaptic activation of an electrogenic sodium pump. Nature (Lond.) 225, 820–823 (1970)
Kerkut, G.A., York, B.: The Electrogenic Sodium Pump. Bristol: Scientechnica 1971
Kernell, D.: The delayed depolarization in cat and rat motoneurones. In: Progr. Brain Res., Vol. 12, pp. 42–55. Ed. by J.C. Eccles and J.P. Schadé. Amsterdam-London-New York: Elsevier 1984
Klee, M.R.: Different effects on the membrane potential of motor cortex units after thalamic and reticular stimulation. In: The Thalamus, pp. 287–322. Ed. by D. P. Purpura and M. D. Yahr. New York and London: Columbia University Press 1966
Koike, H., Mano, N., Okada, Y., Oshima, T.: Activities of the sodium pump in cat pyramidal tract cells investigated with intracellulaar injection of sodium ions. Exp. Brain Res. 14, 449–462 (1972)
Koketsu, K.: The electrogenic sodium pump. In: Advances in Biophysics, Vol. 2, pp. 77–112. Ed. by M. Kotani. Baltimore-London-Tokyo: University Park Press 1971
Kostyuk, P.G., Krishtal, O.A., Pidoplichko, V.I.: Potential-dependent membrane current during the active transport of ions in snail neurones. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 226, 373–39 (1972)
Kuno, M., Miyahara, J.T., Weakly, J.N.: Posttetanic hyperpolarization produced by an electrogenic pump in dorsal spinocerebellar tract neurones of the cat. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 210, 839–855 (1970)
Lienert, G.A.: Verteilungsfreie Methoden in der Biostatistik Meisenheim am Glan: Anton Hain 1962
Nelson, P.G., Burke, R.E.: Delayed depolarization in cat motoneurons. Exp. Neurol. 17, 16–26 (1967)
Nelson, P.G., Frank, K.: Anomalous rectification in cat spinal motoneurons and effect of polarizing currents on excitatory postsynaptic potentials. J. Neurophysiol. 30, 1097–1113 (1967)
Nishi, S., Soeda, H.: Hyperpolarization of neurone membrane by barium. Nature (Lond.) 204, 761–764 (1964)
Pierau, Fr.-K., Klee, M.R., Klussmann, F.W.: Effects of local hypo- and hyperthermia on mammalian spinal motoneurones. Fed. Proc. 28, 1006–1010 (1969)
Pierau, Fr.-K., Klee, M.R., Faber, D.S.: Temperature effects on spike parameters and resting potential in motoneurons. Proc. XXV. Intern. Congr. Physiol. Sci., Munich, Vol. IX, 452 (1971)
Pinsker, H., Kandel, E.R.: Synaptic activation of an electrogenic sodium pump. Science 163, 931–935 (1969)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Klee, M.R., Pierau, F.K. & Faber, D.S. Temperature effects on resting potential and spike parameters of cat motoneurons. Exp Brain Res 19, 478–492 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236112
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00236112