The contribution of mechanical factors to the early adaptation of the spindle response

1. Adaptation in terms of the early fall of the receptor potential was studied in isolated frog spindles. The contribution of gross mechanical changes to the decline of the response was determined by comparing the responses obtained under constant length and under constant tension. 2. It was found that the early adaptation under constant stretch increased with increasing lengthening of the spindle for stretches up to 25–30% of the resting length and decreased with still stronger stretches. When the spindle was stretched by 100% or more the static phase of the receptor potential reached nearly the same height as the dynamic peak and the early adaptation approached zero. 3. The early adaptation decreased with decreasing velocity of linearly rising stretch and approached zero for stretches below about 0·5 mm/sec. 4. For different strengths of a steplike stretch the amount of early adaptation was linearly related to the fall in tension over the same period. The relative amount of tension fall, however, was always less than the corresponding fall of the response. 5. The early adaptation was 15–20% smaller under constant tension than under constant length for stretches below the level giving the maximum dynamic peak. 6. The results suggest that a comparatively small amount of the early adaptation of the spindle response to constant stretch is related to gross alterations in length in different regions of the spindle. The main part of the adaptive fall of the response is probably related to functional properties of the sensory membrane and to the ionic mechanism underlying the production of the receptor potential.