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Biomedical subjects

G Pilar

Publications and source records attributed to G Pilar.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1971

Ultrastructure and contractures of the pigeon iris striated muscle.

1. The ultrastructure of adult pigeon iris muscle fibres has been described with emphasis on the distribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Contractures due to superfusion with solutions of different [K(+)] (3-150 mM) and acetylcholine (ACh) and their modification by alteration of external [Ca(2+)] and [Mg(2+)] were studied in isolated pigeon iris.2. The arrangement of the contractile myofilaments was like that of vertebrate skeletal fibres. The SR is well developed in the I-band and sparse at the A-band level. Tubular elements (T-system) which form triads with the SR were seen at all levels of the sarcomere though usually adjacent to the A-I junction.3. K(+) contractures developed monotonically to a steady level which was maintained for the duration of the high [K(+)] superfusion. The response to a standard [K(+)] stepwise change was not altered by conditioning the preparation with various [K(+)].4. Decreasing external [Ca(2+)] from 20 mM to Ca(2+)-free (i.e. no Ca(2+) added), enhanced iris contractures at all [K(+)] and in ACh enriched solutions. The K(+) response was abolished when the iris was superfused with Ca(2+) free solution plus EDTA (2 mM) for 45 min. Increasing [Mg(2+)] had little or no effect on iris contracture.5. Reducing external [Ca(2+)] from 3 to 0.3 mM caused a reduction of 3-7 mV in resting membrane potential and an increase from 3 to 10 mM-Ca(2+) caused 3 to 7 mV membrane hyperpolarization. Muscle fibre input resistance was not affected.6. It is concluded that in the pigeon iris, Ca(2+) required for contractile activation is obtained from internal stores, that membrane potential determines the degree of contractile activation and that the maintenance of the contracture is dependent on the failure of the Ca(2+) releasing mechanism to inactive. In addition, it is speculated that because the iris muscle has only sparse SR at the A-band level of the sarcomere, there may be slow Ca(2+) reaccumulation.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed1970

Selective reinnervation of two cell populations in the adult pigeon ciliary ganglion.

1. Presynaptic fibres innervating the adult pigeon ciliary ganglion were cut 2 mm proximal to the ganglion. The modification of transmission in the ciliary and choroid cell populations was studied after periods of 6 hr-100 days.2. Transmission failed after 2 days and for the next 10 days there was no transmission through the ganglion. Long latency responses in both ciliary and choroid nerves were first observed at 13-15 days, and the latency decreased toward control values in 40 days. Electrical transmission reappeared in the ciliary population in about 26 days.3. Presynaptic fibres innervating the ciliary population have higher conduction velocities and lower electrical thresholds than those innervating the choroid group. This relation was maintained throughout the reinnervation process. Fibres innervating the extraocular muscles also regenerated and achieved conduction velocities similar to their control values.4. In two experiments out of seventeen, a few fast conducting, low threshold fibres, presumably stray ciliary fibres, innervated choroid cells and induced electrical transmission.5. It is concluded that each group of cells, ciliary and choroid, was reinnervated in a highly selective manner by its original class of presynaptic fibres, and that the presynaptic ciliary elements cause the specializations necessary for electrical transmission.

Animals↗
PubMed1969

Correlation between transmission and structure in avian ciliary ganglion synapses.

1. Extracellular responses from post-ganglionic axons of pigeon and chick isolated ciliary ganglia were elicited by stimulation of the presynaptic nerve. Intracellular recordings were also obtained from newly hatched pigeon and chick ganglion cells. The fine structure of ganglia from pigeons of various ages was examined with the electron microscope.2. In ganglia from chick embryos and pigeons up to 10 days old, the extracellular response was unimodal with a long latency and could be blocked by the addition of D-tubocurarine (D-TC) or hexamethonium to the bathing solution. A bimodal extracellular response appeared in pigeons about 10 days after hatching. Only the second peak of the response could be blocked by D-TC or hexamethonium. The response recorded from 22 to 26-day-old pigeons was similar to that seen in the adult.3. The intracellular recordings from ganglion cells of 2-week-old pigeons exhibit two post-synaptic potentials elicited by presynaptic stimulation. The first post-synaptic potential appears to be due to current flow through the ganglion cell during the presynaptic action potential. The second is chemically mediated. In pigeons from 1 to 6 days old, only the second post-synaptic potential is observed.4. The presynaptic terminals in the 4-day-old birds were in the form of calyces. In pigeons 7 days old or older, boutons appeared. The boutons were presumably formed as a result of cleavage of calyciform nerve terminals. Myelin was seen first in the 7-day-old pigeon, was well developed in the 16-day-old bird, and persisted in the adults.5. In adult ganglia, the first component of the extracellular response decreased and was finally abolished after 10-12 hr of superfusion with Tyrode solution. The second component of the response increased concomitantly. The only anatomical change noted in the ganglia after soaking was the disruption and separation of the myelin lamellae from each other and from around the ganglion and presynaptic terminals.6. It is concluded that the myelin is necessary for electrical transmission in the pigeon ciliary ganglion.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1967

Further study of the electrical and machanical responses of slow fibers in cat extraocular muscles.

Electrical and mechanical responses have been obtained in situ and in vitro from the superior oblique muscle stimulated by single and repetitive electrical pulses, applied to the trochlear nerve. Two different types of muscle fibers are described, the twitch and the slow. The slow type is characterized electrically by the presence of junctional potentials, which have reversal potentials between -10 and -20 mv, and do not show propagated responses or spikes, during nerve stimulation. When the slow muscle fibers are repetitively stimulated in situ, a prolonged contraction is maintained during stimulation. At the time, the recorded electrical activity is produced locally, at the level of the neuromuscular junctions of the slow fibers. These results indicate that the contractile mechanism of the slow muscle fibers is activated locally and segmentally.

Action Potentials↗