Abstract
The acute effects of a single large intravenous dose of methylprednisolone were examined on the resting membrane potentials and the antidromic action potentials characteristics in cat lumbar spinal motor neurons via intracellular recording. A 30 mg/kg glucocorticoid dose was found to cause a 3.5 mV hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential. An examination of the effects of the single dose on the conduction and generation of an antidromic action potential revealed an increased conduction velocity along the myelinated motor axon, a decreased conduction rate through the unmyelinated initial axon segment, an increased threshold for antidromic soma-dendritic activation, a decreased action potential zero overshoot and a faster repolarization. All of these effects were greatest after the 30 mg/kg methylprednisolone dose except for the increase in the antidromic soma-dendritic threshold which was even greater after 60 mg/kg. The 30 mg/kg dose also caused a stimulus-bound repetitive discharge in a third of the motor neurons which appeared to arise in the myelinated motor axon or initial axon segment. The neurophysiological implications of these acute glucocorticoid actions are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 186-190 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Brain Research |
Volume | 240 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 20 1982 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author gratefully acknowledges the dedicated technical assistance of Mrs. Brigitte J. Hirst, a gift of methylprednisolone sodium suceinate from the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, MI, and the financial support of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of America and the National Institute of Mental Health (MH-34111).
Funding
The author gratefully acknowledges the dedicated technical assistance of Mrs. Brigitte J. Hirst, a gift of methylprednisolone sodium suceinate from the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, MI, and the financial support of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of America and the National Institute of Mental Health (MH-34111).
Funders | Funder number |
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Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo | |
National Institute of Mental Health | MH-34111 |
Hennepin Faculty Associates Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association Certified ALS Center |
Keywords
- glucocorticoids
- spinal motor neurons
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Clinical Neurology
- Developmental Biology