Effect of strychnine on the cutaneous responsiveness of wide-field cerebral neurons after depression by pentobarbital.
A small dose of pentobarbital administered intravenously to a chloralose-anesthetized cat rendered pericruciate wide-field neurons unresponsive to cutaneous stimulation without altering the responsiveness of small-field neurons. Under this condition, topical application of strychnine, which is known to markedly enhance the responses of small-field neurons, was found to restore the responsiveness of the wide-field neurons, but only to stimulation of the topographically focal cutaneous site. Wide-field responsiveness returned only after the effect of pentobarbital had disappeared and the cortex returned to its normal chloralose condition. This result is consistent with the idea that small-field neurons have excitatory synaptic connections with the wide-field neurons in their immediate neighborhood.
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D013331:Strychnine; D010424:Pentobarbital