Summary
Sensitization of the local bending reflex of the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis was studied in a semi-intact preparation in which behavioral and electrophysiological recordings were made simultaneously.
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1.
Sensitization of local bending could be produced in two ways: by repeated stimulation of the mechanoreceptor sensitive to pressure (the P cell), and by stimutlation of the mechanoreceptor sensitive to noxious stimuli (the N cell).
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2.
Both forms of sensitization produced a central neuronal change, measured as an increase in the number of stimulus-evoked action potentials in cell 3 (an excitor of dorsal longitudinal muscles).
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3.
Intracellular stimulation of serotonin-containing neurons 21 and 61 mimicked the sensitizing stimuli, but stimulation of the Retzius cell, which also contains serotonin, did not.
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4.
Stimulation of the Leydig cell, which releases octopamine, decreased the strength of local bending.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA :
-
analysis of variance
- DP :
-
dorsal posterior nerve
- Ley :
-
Leydig cell
- Rz :
-
Retzius cell
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Lockery, S.R., Kristan, W.B. Two forms of sensitization of the local bending reflex of the medicinal leech. J Comp Physiol A 168, 165–177 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218409
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00218409