AN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF SUBSTANCE P-IMMUNOREACTIVE NEURONS WITH OTHER NEURONS IN THE GUINEA-PIG SUBMUCOUS PLEXUS

Abstract

Intracellular microelectrodes containing the dye Lucifer yellow CH were used to record from nerve cells of ganglia in isolated preparations of submucosa from the guinea-pig small intestine. The electrophysiological properties of the neurons were investigated by passing intracellular current pulses and by stimulating nerve strands that connect with the ganglia. Following each electrophysiological investigation, the fluorescent dye was injected into the neuron by passing hyperpolarizing currents through the electrode. The preparations were fixed and processed for substance P (SP) immunohistochemistry. When impaled neurons were not immunoreactive for SP the preparations were processed first for..