title: Effect of self-gating on action potential firing at neuromuscular junction.
abstract: The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the place where the axon terminal of motoneuron connects the 'endplate' of a muscle fiber. During this transduction a large depolarization (endplate potential) caused by the nerve impulse opens a large number of voltage-sensitive sodium channels at the post-junctional terminal. As a result, action potentials are generated and propagated along the muscle fiber causing contraction. This work shows simulated results of the voltage-dependent sodium channels' firing behavior at the NMJ using a mathematical model. It is found that the firing behavior of the sodium channels change basing on their activation and inactivation kinetics which are highly influenced by the self-gating behavior of the sodium conductances. The simulation results showed that self-gating of sodium channels increase conduction efficiency at the NMJ and decrease threshold for firing.
authors.affiliation: NeuroChip Laboratory of Department of Human Anatomy & Physiology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. rahman@dei.unipd.it
authors.forename: M Mostafizur
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Mufti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vassanelli
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels