The effect of monoamine depleting drugs upon the synaptic bars in the inner ear of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Inhibition by efferent nerve fibres: action on hair cells and afferent synaptic transmission in the lateral line canal organ of the burbot Lota lota.

“…The nature of the afferent transmitter has not been elucidated but catecholamines (Osborne & Thornhill, 1972), glutamate (Steinbach & Bennett, 1971) and y-amino butyric acid (Flock & Lam, 1974) (Furukawa et al 1972). Thus the afferent synapse of lateral line hair cells has the potential to transmit temporal information at high frequencies.…”

The shape of synaptic ribbons in the rat pineal gland

“…Under the assumption of a constant speed of the conveyor belt, a wider belt would increase the number of SVs released from the belt followed by exocytosis, resulting in enhanced intercellular communication (Vollrath 1973(Vollrath , 1981Reiter 1977;Bhatnagar 1994), while an increase in belt length away from the cell membrane would increase the transport time of the vesicles. In view of the concept that the SRs may contribute substances to the SVs (Osborne and Thornhill 1972), there would be more time available for interaction between the electron-dense SR core and the adjacent vesicles. This interaction could also be relevant with respect to the recycling and reloading of exocytosed SVs.…”

Synaptic Transmission in the Mechano- and Electroreceptors of the Acousticolateral System

“…Application of reserpine or 5,6-hydroxydopamine, substances known to produce a depletion of adrenergic vesicles in the presynaptic terminals, to the afferent endings exerted no significant effects on synaptic transmission and the ultrastructural characteristics of the afferent synapse (Borg et al 1974). On the other hand, a number of authors detected changes in the diameter and density of the hair cell synaptic bars of the frog vestibular epithelium and lateralline organs after treatment with reserpine or monoamine oxidase (Thornhill 1972;Osborne and Thornhill 1972;Monagham 1975). These results seem to support the idea of possible catecholamine involvement in synaptic transmission.…”

“…Since synaptic vesicles appear to assemble exclusively The functional role of synaptic bodies still remains obscure, but their presence at afferent synapses in sense organs suggests that in all cases they perform a similar function. One hypothesis purports that synaptic bodies may be a site for the storage of neurotransmitters or their precursors in the cell (Osborne and Thornhill 1972;Wagner 1973;Monagham 1975;Osborne 1977;Thornhill 1972). Acoustic stimulation causes an increase in the size of synaptic bodies in the basilar papilla of the frog's ear (Frishkopf 1973).…”