Ephaptic transmission between single nerve fibres in the spinal nerve roots of dystrophic mice

1. Ephaptic transmission was observed between spontaneously active single nerve fibres in the spinal nerve roots of dystrophic mice. 2. In the five ephaptically interacting pairs of fibres studied in detail, the conduction velocities in the exciting fibres were < 1 m/sec and the conduction velocities in the excited fibres were 2-10 m/sec in the immediate vicinity of the ephapses at 26-28 degrees C. 3. Membrane current analysis suggested that conduction was continuous in the exciting fibres. In some cases conduction away from the ephapse in the excited fibre was saltatory in at least one and possibly in both directions of transmission. 4. It is concluded that in at least some cases the direction of ephaptic transmission is from bare axon to myelinated axon. 5. Transmission time across the ephapses, measured as the interval between peaks of inward membrane current in exciting and excited fibres, was less than or equal to microseconds-240 microseconds. 6. Ephaptic transmission is not necessarily contingent upon the direction of propagation of the impulse in the exciting fibre. 7. Ephaptic transmission between two fibres can remain stable at frequencies of at least 70 Hz. 8. There may be multiple sites of spontaneous ectopic excitation in single dystrophic mouse spinal root axons. An impulse traversing a site of ectopic excitation may incite a subsequent burst of impulses to arise from that site following a delay of more than 100 msec.