THE INFLUENCE OF ACTIVITY ON THE SURVIVAL OF ISOLATED NERVE

Abstract

The time course of failure to conduct of isolated frog sciatics was followed by means of action currents. A nerve left at rest except for tests shows a slow decrease of action potential, the value being 2/3 the initial value after 12 hrs. Companion nerves kept under fairly continuous tetanization with control of reversible fatigue effects completely failed to conduct after 12 hrs., action potentials falling very markedly between 4 and 6 hrs. The results are interpreted in accordance with the hypothesis previously suggested that cut nerve degeneration is related to depletion of the catalytic oxidative mechanisms.