J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 60(2): 326-346, 1959

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ACTION POTENTIALS OF SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEMS AFTER SURGICAL STRESS

I have studied action potential of posterior pituitary, superior msnteric ganglion, and adrenal medulla by direct insertion of electrodes into these organs to examine their reaction after surgical stress.
1) Action potential of the posterior pituitary :
(a) Concentration of acetylcholine in the posterior pituitary increases by stress and continiously the potential of its cell membrane increases, resulting in the increased secretion of antidiuretic substance.
(b) Chlorpromazine markedly inhibits this increase in action potential of the pituitary by stress, which was proved by both animal experiments and clinical cases.
(c) Selective brain cooling effects decrease of action potential in the posterior pituitary in parallel to the lowering of brain temperature. At 20°C, the potential disappears completely, showing no reaction to stress. It seems that biological reaction is completely suppressed at this stage.
2) Action potential of the superior mesenteric ganglion :
This is not necessarily in parallel with intestinal peristalsis. The action potential increases transitorily at the time of change in the intestinal movement.
3) Action potential of the adrenal medulla :
(a) Addition of stress causes a marked so-called oscillatory reaction. Howeved, vagotomy on both sides not only inhibits increase of action potential but also causes disappearance of this oscillatory reaction. Sympathectic blocking with chlorpromazine increases the degree of this inhibition.
(b) Hypopotassemia is likely to occur after surgical stress and it tends to cause excessive reaction in the adrenal medulla, increasing unbalance in the biological reaction.
(author's abstract)

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