Kinetic analyses of transmitter release in neuromuscular transmission

A majority of transmitter quanta in the nerve terminal is in a large pool of store (S), which can be utilized for release only after transformation into activated quanta (n) via two intermediate states called available quanta (A) and releasable quanta (N). Mobilization is a collective term applicable for aggregates of S----A, A----N and N----n conversions. In the present article, various electrophysiological procedures for kinetic analyses of the transmitter release in neuromuscular transmission were discussed to elucidate this not well understood process of mobilization. Especially, frequency augmentation, tetanic rundown and depression, and recovery from depression experiments were proposed to be very useful tools in identifying the drug effect on the mobilization process. Since d-tubocurarine, 2-(4-phenylpiperidino)cyclohexanol (AH5183) and Ba ions satisfied the above three criteria of drug action on mobilization, these were concluded to affect the mobilization of transmitter in neuromuscular transmission.