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Influences of spinal cord temperature changes on reflex discharge and spontaneous activity of spinal motoneurones in pigeons and leguans

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Summary

In pigeons and leguans the temperature dependence of spinal reflexes and spontaneous activity of spinal motoneurones was comparatively investigated. The reflexes were influenced by spinal cord temperature in a similar way in both classes: The amplitude of the reflex generally increased during cooling and the duration of the polysynaptic component increased due to desynchronization and repetitive discharges of the motoneurone pool. The segmental delay was prolonged at lowered spinal cord temperature in both groups of animals. In the leguan there was a linear increase in delay with falling temperature, whereas in the pigeon the latency increased slightly when cooling from 44 °C to 34 °C, but more when cooling further to 25 °C.

The spontaneous activity of spinal motoneurones was differently influenced by spinal temperature changes in pigeons and lizards. In the pigeon, 75% of the neurones increased their spontaneous discharge rates when spinal cord temperature was decreased below normal. 25% increased their activity upon warming. In the leguan, all neurones were barely influenced in the range of 28 °C to 38 °C, whereas increases of discharge frequency were occasionally observed when warming above or cooling below this range.

The similarity of the reflex alterations and the dissimilarity of the changes of spontaneous activity observed in poikilotherms and homeotherms during spinal cord temperature changes suggest a presynaptic temperature dependent component which is present in both classes and a postsynaptic temperature sensitivity which is restricted to the homeothermic class.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arbeitsgruppe Temperaturregulation, Abteilung für Biologie der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Postfach 102148, D-4630, Bochum, Germany

    Klaus Görke

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  1. Klaus Görke
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Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 114)

This paper is part of a thesis carried out at the Institut für Tierphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum. I would like to thank Prof. W. Rautenberg for his friendly encouragement throughout the project. I am also indebted to Dr. R. Necker (Bochum), Dr. J.B. Mercer, Prof. Fr.-K. Pierau and Prof. E. Simon (Bad Nauheim) for helpful discussions and reading the manuscript.

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Görke, K. Influences of spinal cord temperature changes on reflex discharge and spontaneous activity of spinal motoneurones in pigeons and leguans. J. Comp. Physiol. 139, 251–259 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00657086

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