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Real-Time Detection of Mitochondrial Inhibition at Frog Motor Nerve Terminals Using Increases in the Spatial Variance in Probability of Transmitter Release

The effects of Hg2+, methyl mercury, and flufenamic acid, all of which inhibit mitochondria, were examined at frog motor nerve terminals. Unbiased estimates of m (no. of transmitter quanta released), n (no. of functional release sites), p (probability of release), and vars p (spatial variance in p) were obtained using K+-induced asynchronous neurosecretion (m, n and p not having the same definitions as with nerve-evoked release). Transient but significant increases in m, n, p and vars p were found with all three agents. These findings indicate that mitochondrial inhibition and release of sequestered Ca2+ can be detected as a real-time increase in vars p. The results also suggest that changes in vars p might be used to differentiate between cellular (membrane) and subcellular (organellar) actions of drugs at the nerve terminal.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etsu-works-14365
Date13 February 1995
CreatorsProvan, Spencer D., Miyamoto, Michael D.
PublisherDigital Commons @ East Tennessee State University
Source SetsEast Tennessee State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
SourceETSU Faculty Works

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