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Effects of anoxia, CO2 and NH3 on S-potential producing cells and on neurons

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Summary

Comparative studies were carried out concerning effects of anxoia, CO2 and NH3 on the plasma membrane potential recorded from “controller cells” (S-potential producing cells, isolated fish retina) and from “conductor cells” (spike producing neurons, isolated frog dorsal root ganglion). The controller cells were observed to be surprisingly sensitive to oxygen deprivation, the cell function stopping in seconds without O2, whereas conductor cell function was not directly dependent on oxidative metabolism, the spike potential being evoked by sciatic nerve stimulation during a period of anoxia lasting for 30–60 min. It is assumed that a component of the controller cell membrane potential is coupled to the respiration of the plasma membrane.

CO2 hyperpolarized the controller cell membrane but depolarized the conductor cell, whereas NH3 caused the contrary effects on the two types of cell membranes. CO2 and NH3 had more pronounced effects on the controller cell than on the conductor cell; however, the membrane potential changes in the two classes of cells displayed approximately the same time-courses. It is suggested that in the dorsal root ganglion CO2 and NH3 primarily affect the plasma membrane respiration of the satellite cells, which then influence the conductor cell membrane behavior by means of non-synaptic cellular interactions, analogous to those suggested to occur in the fish retina.

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  1. Department of Neurobiology, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela

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Negishi, K., Svaetichin, G. Effects of anoxia, CO2 and NH3 on S-potential producing cells and on neurons. Pflügers Archiv 292, 177–205 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00362735

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