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Perfusion of Immobilized Isolated Nerve Terminals as a Model for the Regulation of Transmitter Release: Release of Different, Endogenous Transmitters, Repeated Stimulation, and High Time Resolution
Author(s) -
Verhage Matthijs,
Sandman Hugo,
Mosselveld Fred,
Velde Marco,
Hengst Pieter A.,
Silva Fernando H. Lopes,
Ghijsen Wim E. J. M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1992.tb11344.x
Subject(s) - perfusion , endocytosis , stimulation , neurotransmission , biophysics , endogeny , chemistry , depolarization , extracellular , reuptake , neurotransmitter , exocytosis , neuroscience , biology , membrane , medicine , biochemistry , cell , receptor , serotonin
To study the release of neurotransmitters, i.e., the recruitment of transmitters for release and the regulation of the release process, isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) of the rat forebrain were immobilized in Sephadex gel inside a perfusion chamber. In this way, the following were achieved: (a) A very limited pressure stress was exerted on the synaptosomes, so that these remained viable for long periods (>30 min) inside the chamber and did not elute from the chamber, which allowed long‐term experiments with repeated stimulations; (b) estimation of the release of various endogenous transmitters, both in a Ca 2+ ‐dependent (exocytotic) and Ca 2+ ‐independent manner; (c) a step‐like stimulation with depolarizing agents (rise time, 3–4 s) and a high time resolution (600‐ms sampling); and (d) negligible reuptake of transmitter into the terminals or extracellular breakdown. It is concluded that this perfusion setup helps to provide new insights in the presynaptic stimulus–secretion coupling, co‐transmission, and the exo–endocytosis cycle.