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The electrical excitability of smooth muscle cells

  • Physiology
  • Published:
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine Aims and scope

Summary

Microelectrodes were used to study the response of smooth muscle cells of the retractor penis muscle of dogs in response to direct electrical stimulation, before and after denervation. Extracellular stimulation of normal muscles by means of isolated 2-msecond squarewave stimuli induced a slow wave of depolarization which spread over distances up to 10 mm. Repetitive stimulation or stimuli lasting for 10–20 mseconds caused depolarization to attain a critical level, so that an action potential was generated. Extracellular stimulation of a denervated muscle by single or repertitive stimuli induced no slow depolarization or action potential. It is concluded that the denervated cells of the retractor penis muscle are electrically inexcitable. Slow depolarization and action potentials induced by direct stimulation results from the excitation of nerve endings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Normal Physiology, I. P. Pavlov Leningrad Medical Institute, Leningrad, USSR

    A. V. Kibyakov & R. S. Orlov

Authors
  1. A. V. Kibyakov
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  2. R. S. Orlov
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Additional information

Translated from Byulletin' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 56, No. 10, pp. 3–6, October, 1963.

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Kibyakov, A.V., Orlov, R.S. The electrical excitability of smooth muscle cells. Bull Exp Biol Med 56, 1053–1055 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00792971

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00792971

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