The effect of neuronal activity on the competitive elimination of neuromuscular junctions in tissue culture.

The number of functional contacts between neurones of explanted ciliary ganglia and cultured muscle cells of the chicken, was determined electrophysiologically. After one week in culture the average muscle cell in the vicinity of a ganglion appeared to have contact with 2.5 neurones.

Effects of innervation by ciliary ganglia on developing muscle in vitro.

Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of neuromuscular junctions formed in tissue culture between chick ciliary ganglia and chick skeletal muscle cells have been studied. Functional neuromuscular junctions are formed already within 24 h. No functional acetylcholine (ACh) esterase is present at these end-plates.

The anticholinesterase hypothermia in the rat: its practical application in the study of the central effectiveness of oximes.

Cholinesterase inhibitors that can pass the blood-brain barrier produce hypothermia when injected intravenously in just sublethal doses. From a comparison of the hypothermia-reducing effects of five cholinesterase-reactivating oximes when injected intraperitoneally or subarachnoidally into rats pretreated with DFP or soman it was possible to distinguish central and peripheral actions of the oximes. The comparative efficacy of the five oximes and the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors in producing hypothermia in other animal species, including man, are discussed.