Action potential properties are gravity dependent

Meissner, Klaus; Hanke, Wolfgang

doi:10.1007/bf02870977

Cited by 29 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This might be a consequence of changed ion channel behaviour in the cellular membranes, as has been found in other experiments (Wiedemann et al 2003). A similar behaviour has been found with propagating waves in other excitable media, for example the special Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction (Wiedemann et al 2002), or with propagating action potentials (Meissner & Hanke 2005). Additionally, our experiments have shown that the excitability of neuronal tissue itself is affected by gravity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Central nervous tissue: an excitable medium. A study using the retinal spreading depression as a tool

Hanke

Lima

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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According to its physicochemical properties, neuronal tissue, including the central nervous system (CNS) and thus the human brain, is an excitable medium, which consequently exhibits, among other things, self-organization, pattern formation and propagating waves. Furthermore, such systems can be controlled by weak external forces. The spreading depression (SD), a propagating wave of excitation-depression, is such an event, which is additionally linked to a variety of medically important situations, classical migraine being just one example. Especially in retinal tissue, a true part of the CNS, the SD can be observed very easily with the naked eye and by video imaging techniques due to its big intrinsic optical signal.We have investigated the retinal SD and its control by external physical parameters such as gravity and temperature. Beyond this, especially due to its medical relevance, the control of CNS excitability by pharmacological tools is of specific interest, and we have studied this question in detail using the retinal SD as an experimental tool to collect information about the control of CNS tissue excitability.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Central nervous tissue: an excitable medium. A study using the retinal spreading depression as a tool

Hanke

Lima

2007

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…The propagation velocity of action potentials is dependent among other on membrane capacity and on the cross section area of the involved conducting structure. Both are influenced by the gravity level, which should contribute to the explanation of previous results [2] [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Having a look at the propagation of action potentials along axons, it is found that they slow down under microgravity [17], and speed up at hypergravity. The propagation velocity of action potentials is dependent among other on membrane capacity and on the cross section area of the involved conducting structure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both, membrane conductance and capacity are involved, for example, in the propagation of action potentials [12]- [16] which have already been shown to be gravity dependent in their parameters [17] [18]. Thus, a gravity dependence of membrane conductance and capacity would in example force changes in action potential parameters, and of course a wide range of other membrane related biological functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conductance and Capacity of Plain Lipid Membranes under Conditions of Variable Gravity

Sieber¹,

Kaltenbach²,

Hanke³

et al. 2016

JBiSE

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Biological cell membranes are complex structures containing mainly lipids and proteins. Functional aspects of such membranes are usually attributed to membrane integral proteins. However, it is well established that parameters of the lipid matrix are modifying the function of proteins. Additionally, electrical capacity and conductance of the plain lipid matrix of membranes are contributing directly to cellular functions as there is, for example, the propagation of action potentials. Accordingly the dependence of these parameters on changes of gravity might be important in the field of life sciences under space conditions. In this study consequently we have performed experiments in parabolic flight campaigns utilizing the patch-clamp technology to investigate conductance and capacity of plain lipid vesicle membranes under conditions of changing gravity. Both capacity and conductance were found to be gravity dependent. The changes in capacity could be contributed to changes in membrane geometry. Significant permeability in plain lipid membranes could be only observed at high potentials, where spontaneous current fluctuations occurred. The probability of these fluctuations was gravity dependent.

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“…As in this type of BZ-reaction, in most biological system diffusion is also limited. According to their gravity dependence some of these systems, such as the propagation of action potentials, and the propagation of spreading depression (SD) waves have already been investigated (Wiedemann et al 2002(Wiedemann et al , 2006Meissner and Hanke 2005;Epstein and Pojman 1998), as they are, due to their theoretical description, quite similar to the BZreaction. Especially SD-waves, which even propagate with about the same velocity as BZ-waves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of Wave Propagation in a Gel-type Belousov–Zhabothinsky Reaction under Micro-gravity

Hanke

Sieber

Spencer

et al. 2008

Microgravity Sci. Technol

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The Belousov-Zhabothinsky (BZ) reaction is a chemical reaction which exhibits spatial as well as temporal pattern formation. Being an excitable medium, it can be influenced by even small external forces. One of these small forces which under ground conditions permanently is given is gravity. The gravity dependence of the BZ-reaction has been investigated in some detail up to now, and it has been found that especially the propagation velocity of waves in thin layers of fluid BZ-medium depends significantly on gravity-amplitude and -orientation. This finding has been mainly assigned to an interaction of gravity with diffusion and convection in the medium at the wave front, and consequently it has been stated that the propagation of waves in gels of BZ-medium is not significantly gravity dependent. We have now done more detailed experiments and have been able to show that also in gels the propagation velocity of BZ-waves is altered by gravity, but less than in fluid systems. Experiments have been performed in a lab centrifuge, a sounding rocket experiment and a parabolic flight mission.

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Action potential properties are gravity dependent

Cited by 29 publications

References 8 publications

Central nervous tissue: an excitable medium. A study using the retinal spreading depression as a tool

Central nervous tissue: an excitable medium. A study using the retinal spreading depression as a tool

Conductance and Capacity of Plain Lipid Membranes under Conditions of Variable Gravity

Properties of Wave Propagation in a Gel-type Belousov–Zhabothinsky Reaction under Micro-gravity

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