Mechano-electric transduction in the slowly adapting cutaneous afferent units of frogs.

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the property of mechano-electric transduction process the Ft l units by examining the effects of Ca antagonists on their responses to mechanical and electrical stimulation. The chapter describes the response properties of frog slowly adapting (SA) units to DC stimulation, and then effects of Ca antagonists on the responses of the SA units, especially the Ft 1 units. On the basis of receptive properties of the SA units to DC stimulation, the chapter considers that anodal stimulation activated the receptor cells of the Ft 1 units and cathodal stimulation the nerve terminals of the Ft 2 units. Concentrated verapamil decreased responses of Ft 1 units to both electrical and mechanical stimulation. The present findings indicate that DC stimulation activates the receptive site of these units directly, but not the spike generation site, to produce maintained discharges.