The effects of curare on cortical activity

Case against the use of d-tubocurarine in operant studies of the cardiovascular system

After reviewing evidence showing a high degree of integration between the autonomic and somatic systems, it is shown that d-tubocurarine alters both the central and peripheral perception and response patterns. Many of the observations made upon curarized animals can be explained by a central motor theory. Experimental use of curarine is hindered by the release of histamine in response to administration of curarine. Among other artifacts, curarine-induced release of histamine caused a progressive decrease of pulmonary compliance. When artificial respiration is given to curarized animals, the use of positive pressure ventilation and failure to monitor pulmonary gases are further sources of artifacts. It is noted that some investigators use the respiratory rate initially to adjust heart rate to ptedetermined levels.

Microinjections of tubocurarine, leptazol, strychnine and picrotoxin into the cerebral cortex of anaesthetized cats

1. In cats anaesthetized with intravenous chloralose, microinjections of tubocurarine, leptazol, strychnine or picrotoxin, in a volume of 1 mul, were made into the grey matter of the cerebral cortex and the electrical activity was recorded from the site of injection with the microinjection cannula which, insulated except at its tip, served as recording electrode.2. Routinely the injections were made into the gyrus splenialis or into the underlying gyrus cinguli close to the mid-line, because the injections would then most likely be in grey and not in white matter. Injected in this way all four drugs set up foci of excitation which gave rise to synchronous firing of a large number of neurones with the result that high voltage negative spikes were recorded from the microinjection cannula.3. On injection into the gyrus splenialis the threshold dose was about 0.04 mug for picrotoxin, about 0.2 mug for tubocurarine, about 5 mug for strychnine and 25 to 50 mug for leptazol. Following the injection of larger doses the spike discharge continued for a few hours after picrotoxin and tubocurarine, for over an hour after strychnine, but for a few minutes only after leptazol. On injection into the gyrus cinguli the threshold doses were slightly greater and with larger doses the spikes occurred at greater frequency but were of lower voltage than in the gyrus splenialis.4. With large doses of picrotoxin injected into the gyrus splenialis the spikes developed an after-positivity and an after-discharge which sometimes passed into a short period of fast activity.5. The foci of excitation set up by the drugs were restricted to the site of injection because on raising or lowering the microinjection cannula the spikes recorded from it quickly decreased in voltage and then disappeared. When the injections were made close to a sulcus and the microinjection cannula, on being lowered, traversed the sulcus, the spikes changed their polarity.6. The spike discharge appears to be a consistent response to the injections of the drugs into grey matter of any part of the cerebral cortex since it was also obtained on their injection into the pyriform cortex, amygdala and area retrolimbica anterior, but not on their injection into white matter or caudate nucleus, thalamus or hypothalamus.

Pharmacology of cortical inhibition

1. We have studied the effects of various pharmacological agents on the cortical inhibitory process described in the previous two papers (Krnjević, Randić & Straughan, 1966a, b); the drugs were mostly administered directly by iontophoresis from micropipettes and by systemic injection (I.V.).2. Strychnine given by iontophoresis or by the application of a strong solution to the cortical surface potentiated excitatory effects, but very large iontophoretic doses also depressed neuronal firing. Subconvulsive and even convulsive systemic doses had little or no effect at the cortical level. There was no evidence, with any method of application, that strychnine directly interferes with the inhibitory process.3. Tetanus toxin, obtained from two different sources and injected into the cortex 12-48 hr previously, also failed to block cortical inhibition selectively. As with strychnine, there was some evidence of increased responses to excitatory inputs.4. Other convulsant drugs which failed to block cortical inhibition included picrotoxin, pentamethylene tetrazole, thiosemicarbazide, longchain omega-amino acids and morphine.5. The inhibition was not obviously affected by cholinomimetic agents or by antagonists of ACh.6. alpha- and beta-antagonists of adrenergic transmission were also ineffective.7. Cortical inhibition was fully developed in the presence of several general anaesthetics, including ether, Dial, pentobarbitone, Mg and chloralose. A temporary reduction in inhibition which is sometimes observed after systemic doses of pentobarbitone, is probably secondary to a fall in blood pressure.8. Several central excitants such as amphetamine, caffeine and lobeline also failed to show any specific antagonistic action on cortical inhibition.9. In view of the possibility that GABA is the chemical agent mediating cortical inhibition, an attempt was made to find a selective antagonist of its depressant action on cortical neurones. None of the agents listed above, nor any other of the substances tested, were able to block this action.10. It was concluded that cortical inhibition differs from spinal inhibition in its pharmacological properties; and that our observations are consistent with the possibility that GABA is the cortical inhibitory transmitter.

The effect of (+)-tubocurarine chloride and of acute hypotension on electrocortical activity of the cat

1. The effects of I.V. injection of tubocurarine (3 mg/kg) and of acute hypotension upon electrocortical activity of cats under sodium pentobarbitone were analysed. Technical artifacts associated with changes in brain volume were minimized.2. Initially, the superficial cortical response was reduced by tubocurarine either insignificantly or by 34% or less. Cats bled before injection of tubocurarine showed initially a similar reduction but, occasionally, a severe delayed reduction was found. Any fall in the superficial cortical response started during the secondary rise in B.P., many seconds after the B.P. had reached its lowest initial level. By contrast, spontaneous electrocortical activity was reduced approximately when the peak initial fall of B.P. occurred and it started to recover during the secondary rise in B.P. Reduction of the superficial cortical response could still be elicited after spindling had been suppressed by deep barbiturate anaesthesia. The initial thalamocortical afferent component in somatosensory area I, which was evoked by dorsal column stimulation, was less reduced by injection of tubocurarine than were the post-synaptic positive-negative components.3. The depressant effects of injected tubocurarine upon the superficial cortical response and spindle activity were approximated by rapid arterial bleeding.4. The superficial cortical response was reduced following virtual arrest of the cerebral circulation by acute exsanguination or by acute oil embolization. Such reduction most likely does not depend on systemic transport of inhibitory substances to the brain.5. After injection of tubocurarine the rate of outflow from the superior sagittal sinus was variably reduced during the initial fall in B.P., and often showed a variable, secondary increase. A net deficit in cerebral blood flow was usually present during the period of 80 sec after injection.6. The variability in the effects of injected tubocurarine upon electrocortical activity is attributed to the variability of the net deficit in cerebral blood flow.

Micro-electrophoretic studies of neurones in the cat hippocampus

1. Drugs have been applied micro-electrophoretically to units in the hippocampal cortex of the anaesthetized cat, and their effects on cell firing were recorded simultaneously.2. L-Glutamate rapidly and powerfully excited hippocampal units, an effect which was quickly reversed on stopping the expelling current. The local application of L-glutamate also excited a fast seizure discharge at 15-50/sec. Both these effects of L-glutamate were strongly depressed by fimbrial stimulation.3. gamma-Aminobutyric acid had a strong depressant action on all the units on which it was tested; the time course of this effect was rapid.4. ACh excited half the units to which it was applied. Characteristically this excitation developed slowly over many seconds and persisted after stopping the expelling current. Most cholinoceptive units were found to be concentrated in the superficial layer of the cortex corresponding to the hippocampal pyramidal cells and their main dendritic processes.5. Atropine selectively blocked the excitation of cholinoceptive units by ACh, but not the excitation by L-glutamate. No cholinoceptive units were blocked by dihydro-beta-erythroidine, though several were selectively blocked by dimethyl (+)-tubocurarine.6. The most usual effect seen with 5-HT was depression, though several units were found to be excited. Some of the units tested with 3-hydroxytyramine (dopamine) or noradrenaline were found to be depressed.