Intracellular recording from myenteric neurons of the guinea-pig ileum that respond to stretch

Abstract

1. Isolated longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations from guinea-pig ileum were used to investigate the activity of myenteric neurons when the tissue was stretched in the circumferential direction. Membrane potentials were recorded via flexibly mounted intracellular recording electrodes containing Neurobiotin in 1 M KCl. The preparations were stretched to constant widths (+20% and +40% beyond slack width). 2. Multipolar neurons (Dogiel type II morphology) discharged spontaneous action potentials and proximal process potentials during maintained stretching, three of twenty-one at +20% stretch and seven on nine at +40% stretch. At the maximum extent of stretch tried, +40% beyond slack..