Summary
1. The behaviour of the after-potentials of single Ranvier nodes during repetitive stimulation has been analyzed with special reference to effects that could be interpreted as being due to a transient augmentation or diminuition of the potassium concentration in the perinodal space.
2. The after-depolarizations which are observed at anodal polarized nodes in ordinary or K+-rich Ringer's solution do not add during a train of impulses.
3. The absolute membrane potential at the crest of the after-hyperpolarizations which are found in K+-free Ringer's solution increases progressively during rapid tetanic stimulation and reaches a steady level which depends on the frequency and duration of the tetanus.
4. Rapid repetitive stimulation is followed by a posttetanic hyperpolarization which declines with a half-time of 10–40 msec. The size of the posttetanic hyperpolarization is maximal in K+-free Ringer's solution; it is not reduced by 2,4-dinitrophenol.
5. The amplitude of the posttetanic hyperpolarization increases with increasing frequency and duration of the tetanus, until a maximum is reached. The early phase of the posttetanic hyperpolarization is accompanied by a slight reduction of membrane resistance.
6. It is concluded from the observations under 2)–4) that an appreciable accumulation of released potassium in the perinodal space does not occur and that the posttetanic hyperpolarization of isolated nodes is not due to a transient depletion of potassium from the perinodal space. Unlike the situation in the giant axons of squid and cockroach and in C-fibre-bundles, an effective external barrier to diffusion does not exist at the isolated node.
7. The increase of the absolute membrane potential at the crest of the after-hyperpolarizations during repetitive stimulation and the posttetanic hyperpolarization are supposed to reflect a cumulative increase of the potassium permeability of the membrane which builds up during the tetanus and outlasts its end.
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Meves, H. Die Nachpotentiale isolierter markhaltiger Nervenfasern des Frosches bei tetanischer Reizung. Pflügers Archiv 272, 336–359 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00362698
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00362698