title: Intracellular recordings from salamander olfactory receptor cells.
abstract: Intracellular recordings were obtained from salamander olfactory receptor cells. The occurrence of an intracellular spike in response to the antidromic stimulation of the olfactory fibers was considered as a physiological criterion of a neuronal impalement. The mean resting potential was -56 +/- 9 mV (mean +/- S.D.; n = 70). Fifty-two cells presented a spontaneous spike activity lower than 2 impulses/s. Appropriate olfactory stimulation generally evoked a slow and graded decrease (up to 28 mV) of the intracellular potential. The input resistance of the cell decreased markedly during the response. The slow potential change induced a repetitive firing. Increasing the intensity of the olfactory stimulation increased the instantaneous frequency of firing (up to 25 s-1) and reduced the spike amplitude. The spikes presented an inflexion in the rising phase indicating a two-stage depolarization. With the strongest intensities of stimulation the impulse activity was stopped during the repolarizing phase of the cell response when the membrane potential was still appreciably depolarized.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002164:Camphor / Q000494:pharmacology; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009666:Nose / Q000502:physiology; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000502:physiology*; D000439:Pentanols / Q000494:pharmacology; D012454:Salamandra; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D000439:Pentanols; D002164:Camphor; C020377:isoamyl acetate