[Inherent morphofunctional effects of experimental procedures in studying the mechanism of transmitter release]

Muscle detubulation with the aid of glycerin is widely used in studying synaptic transmission in the neuromuscular junction. In view of this fact, it was decided to examine its effects on structural and functional parameters of the neuromuscular junction of rat diaphragmal muscle. It was shown that the structure of the junction was on the whole preserved, although during glycerin treatment and for a certain period after glycerin washing off, some alterations were recorded (an increase in the volume of vesicles, a change in volume distribution of vesicles, and so forth). The interrelationship between axonal terminal and Schwann cells was altered. Addition of glycerin was found to provoke a transitory activation of the transmitter release, but later on no changes were seen.