The initial heat production in garfish olfactory nerve fibres

A study has been made of the temperature changes associated with the passage of a single impulse in the non-myelinated fibres of the garfish olfactory nerve: and the time course of these temperature changes has been compared with the time course of the electrical events during the action potential. As in other non-myelinated nerves studied the observed temperature changes result from a biphasic initial heat production consisting of a transient evolution of heat (the positive heat) followed by a rapid heat reabsorption (referred to as the negative heat). There is no evidence of any additional phases of initial heat production. At 0 degrees C the measured positive initial heat is 224 mucal/g impulse (937 muJ/g impulse); and the corresponding negative initial heat is 230 mucal/g impulse (962 muJ/g impulse). The residual initial heat is very small, being about -6 mucal/g impulse (-25 muJ/g impulse). In the range 0-10 degrees C there is no significant effect of temperature on the magnitude of either the positive or the negative phases of heat production. The experimental thermal records were analysed to determine the true time course of the temperature changes in the nerve undistorted by the recording system. The time course of the temperature changes does not fit with that of the transmembrane voltage change as represented by the monophasic compound action potential recorded externally from the same point on the nerve. A better fit is obtained if the temperature changes are compared with the square of the voltage change in accordance with the view that the heat derives almost wholly from free energy changes and entropy changes in the membrane capacity. The best fit is obtained if it is assumed that the membrane potential does not discharge to zero during the action potential but that at the peak of the action potential the charge (and hence the p.d.) across the membrane capacity retains about 24% of its resting value.