Dear Lance,
I got a copy of your post to neuroscience at net.bio.net by doing s Gopher
search using Veronica to search the keyword <isontoph*>.
I am taking an undergrad intro to neuroscience course and due to factors
outside of school, have missed a lot of classes so far this term. We are
to have our first exam tomorrow (Monday, October 16, 1995) at 9 AM. My
professor gave us a handout giving the problems that will be on the test.
When I got home and read the handout (this was Friday evening after the
professor could not be reached at his school phone number - so I didn't
even try calling it -- but maybe I should in case he is working over the
weekend) I found the unfamiliar term "isontophorese" in one of the
problems. He used this a verb. The full context was that a researcher
can isontophorese a given neurotransmitter chemical onto the neuron from
which he was currently recording intracellularly with a microelectrode and
see if there were any changes in that neuron's firing pattern as compared
to what it was before the isontophoresis of the neurotransmitter. In
other words, the researcher was trying to see if the neuron which he was
recording had receptors for this particular "isontophorised" (if that's
the proper past participle) neurotransmitter or not.
It is my guess that to "isontophorese a given neurotransmitter onto a
neuron" means to somehow infuse the neurotransmitter into the synapses
that feed input into the neuron being recorded. But how on earth would
the researcher know where in the tissue (oh yeah, the researcher was
studying a fiber tract in an intact cerebrum) the input synapses for that
one particular neuron are??? So perhaps this means something different.
Besides, if it means what I guess it to mean, then why didn't the
professor write "isontophorese the neurotransmitter into the synaptic
gaps" or something similar?
I tried looking up this term in references and could not find it.
Then I did the keyword search and found your post to the neuroscience
mailing list. From your post, Lance, it is obvious that you know what
this term means. If you see this sometime today (Sunday, October 15th) or
sometime tonight, please e-mail me. I request the same of anybody on the
neuroscience mailing list who knows what this term means. I will check my
e-mail later on today and first thing Monday morning. I will also try to
see the professor in his office before 9 AM.
Thanks,
Cecelia
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Cecelia Clancy cacst9+ at pitt.edu (412) 441-2231
PO Box 71222
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
USA
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