Neurochemical aspects of post-tetanic potentiation of monosynaptic reflexes in the cat spinal cord. II. Determination of phospholipids at maximum of potentiation.

Abstract

A monosynaptic reflex pathway was used to produce a post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). in ten experiments (cats) one side was tetanized (via N. gastrocnemius) whereas the other one was taken as control. Tissue was punched out of the ventral horn area of the spinal cord (segment height L7/S1) for the analysis of the phospholipid content. The results demonstrate that PTP significantly increases phosphatidyl-inositol in the potentiated alpha-motoneurone area. Phosphatidylserine showed a trend towards a decrease; sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine remained almost unchanged. The effect of a different tetanizing time on the phospholipid content is discussed as is the intention of the present experiments.