title: [The effects of metabolic inhibitors on the excitability of the cells in embryonic epidermis of Cynops orientalis].
abstract: It has been reported that the cells in atypical epidermis, which developed from the in vitro cultured ectoderm isolated at early gastrula, showed very low excitability or were even non-excitable at 6 V when examined electro-physiologically. If non-excitable explants were treated with energy supplying substances, such as glucose, the action potential (AP) appeared quickly. It indicates that, the excitability of epidermis cells is related to their energy metabolism. In order to verify the above proposition the effects of metabolic inhibitors on the excitability of the epidermis cells were examined using electrophysiological technique. Two kinds of explants were used: explants which developed from the epidermis underlaid with mesoderm isolated at early neurula (epidermis vesicle) and explant which developed from the ectoderm isolated at early gastrula (atypical epidermis). In all experiments explants were stimulated extracellularly and APs were recorded intracellularly. The specimens were stimulated with electric stimulus at 6 V first, and, if they displayed AP, the strength was lowered to determine the stimulus threshold to evoke AP. The duration of stimulus was fixed at 1 ms. The ratio of the resting potential value during treatment to the original value was taken as index of change level of the resting potential (RP). During treatment of epidermis vesicle with 1 mM NaN3 or 1 mM NaCN or 0.1 mM 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), the excitability of the epidermis cells was reduced: the stimulus threshold gradually increased and the cells in most explants lost the excitability. The cells became excitable after the drugs were washed out.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology, Academia Sinica.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001386:Azides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D012455:Salamandridae; D019810:Sodium Azide; D012966:Sodium Cyanide / Q000494:pharmacology; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D012969:Sodium Fluoride; D019810:Sodium Azide; D005947:Glucose; D012966:Sodium Cyanide