ACTION POTENTIALS IN RAT MUSCLE WITH TWITCH TENSION POTENTIATED BY KCI TREATMENT, ADRENALECTOMY, TETANUS AND TREPPE

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Abstract
Action potential records with various positions of the lead electrodes were made in the rat gastrocnemius muscle. Responses were potentiated by KC1 treatment, adrenalectomy, tetanus and treppe. The records showed no evidence of repetitve effects in any of the potentiated responses, however, the increased peak tension in muscle of KCl-treated and adrenalectomized animals was accompanied by an increased contraction time. KC1 treatment and tetanus induced a decrease in height and an increase in the duration of muscle action potentials. Adrenalectomy brought about an increase in duration of action potential records. No significant change in the action potential records was found in the responses potentiated by treppe. Possible effects of K on asynchrony of response, conduction rate, and on the rate of depolarization and repolarization were considered. The relation of these effects to changes in the action potential records was discussed.