Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1971 May;215(1):247-68.
doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009467.

The mechanism of excitation by acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex

K Krnjević, R Pumain, L Renaud

The mechanism of excitation by acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex

K Krnjević et al. J Physiol. 1971 May.

Abstract

1. The muscarinic depolarizing action of ACh on cortical neurones is associated with an increase in membrane resistance (mean DeltaV/DeltaR = 3.16 mV/MOmega).2. ACh also promotes repetitive firing by slowing repolarization after spikes.3. The depolarizing effect has a mean reversal level of -86.7 mV (with mean resting potential -56 mV).4. It is concluded that as a muscarinic excitatory agent, ACh probably acts by reducing the resting K(+) conductance of cortical neurones, and also the delayed K(+) current of the action potential.5. These results are discussed in relation to the possible role of ACh in cortical function.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. J Physiol. 1966 Sep;186(1):121-38 - PubMed
    1. J Physiol. 1961 Jun;157:74-89 - PubMed
    1. J Physiol. 1957 Feb 15;135(2):412-25 - PubMed
    1. Exp Neurol. 1964 Mar;9:236-42 - PubMed
    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1968 Aug;60(4):1304-11 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources