Facilitation of monosynaptic excitatory synaptic potentials in spinal motoneurones evoked by internuncial impulses

1. Descending tracts and primary afferent fibres were chronically degenerated in the lumbosacral cord of the cat, and attempts were made to evoke monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s in motoneurones by stimulation of interneurones with a pair of fine electrodes inserted into the cord.2. The reversal potential of monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s so produced was more negative than that measured for monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s produced by afferent impulses.3. Monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s evoked in motoneurones by internuncial impulses showed a significantly greater facilitation than those produced by afferent impulses.4. Monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s in a motoneurone produced by supramaximal intraspinal stimuli often revealed a fluctuation in amplitude. In such cases, when two successive stimuli were applied at a short interval, the mean amplitude of the second e.p.s.p.s was greater than that of the first e.p.s.p.s. This facilitation was associated with a decrease in the coefficient of variation of the e.p.s.p. amplitude fluctuation.5. The degree of facilitation of monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s evoked by internuncial impulses was not related to the amount of transmitter released by the preceding impulses.6. It is concluded that facilitation of monosynaptic e.p.s.p.s evoked by both afferent and internuncial impulses is based on the same mechanism and that the degree of facilitation of e.p.s.p.s is entirely determined by the nature of presynaptic elements.