Studies on Tetrodotoxin Resistant Action Potentials in Denervated Skeletal Muscle

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Abstract
In this study it is shown that action potential generation in rat, mouse and cat muscles is blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 10‐6M) but that the chronically denervated muscles of these species are partially resistant to TTX. In denervated rat muscles the development of the TTX resistant action potential during the first four days of denervation is paralleled by the spread of extrajunctional cholinergic sensitivity. However, the extrajunctional cholinergic receptor and the TTX resistant action potential can be selectively blocked by drugs, indicating that the action potential site and the cholinergic receptor are not identical structures. Denervated muscles are also partially resistant to saxitoxin, although less so than to TTX.