Local development of action potentials in slow muscle fibres after complete or partial denervation

Pyriformis muscles of Rana temporaria were completely or partially denervated by cutting the sciatic nerve or some of the small nerve branches entering the muscle. One stimulating and one to three recording microelectrodes were inserted along the fibres in order to compare the electrical activity at these points. In an early period following denervation action potentials of variable size and shape could be observed; these action potentials were often composed of two, sometimes of three or four, components. The size of individual components depended on the position of the recording microelectrode. Individual components could occasionally be triggered separately by adjusting the strength of the stimulating current pulse; propagation of these "all or none" responses was absent. In other fibres one component of the action potential could trigger another one several millimetres apart, thus indicating propagation. Conduction velocities were approximately 0.4 m/s. In partially denervated slow fibres, endplate potentials were confined to one lateral segment of the fibres, while the action potential occupied the denervated part of the membrane. The amplitudes of endplate and action potentials varied inversely with distance. Rough estimates of the length constant of the slow fibre membrane were calculated from the spatial decay of action potentials, endplate potentials and hyperpolarizing electrotonic potentials; mean values obtained were 2.5, 4.8 and 7.7 mm respectively. The results suggest that following denervation Na channels are built into discrete areas of the slow fibre membrane and that this process depends on the amount of denervation in individual fibres.