Effects of Cooling on the Response of the Snail Bursting Neuron to Acetylcholine

Abstract

The Br-type neuron of the snail Helix pomatia, involved in neuronal regulation of various homeostatic and adaptive mechanisms, represents an interesting model for studying effects of temperature change on neuronal activity of poikilotherms. Acetylcholine induces a transient, inward dose-dependent current in the identified Br neuron. In the work presented, we analyzed the effects of cooling on the acetylcholine-induced inward current. The amplitude of acetylcholine-induced inward current was markedly decreased after cooling, and the speed of the decay of acetylcholine response was decreased.