电生理技术在鱼类尾部神经分泌系统研究中的应用

Electrophysiological techniques, as an effective method for investigating neuronal signaling, have been widely used in research concerning the function of the fish central nervous system, including the caudal neurosecretory system (CNSS), fish behavior and their adaptation to environmental changes. Combined with cytobiology and molecular biology, electrophysiology can reveal much about significant physiological functions of fish from cellular to molecular level. This paper summarizes fundamental principles of electrophysiology and the development of specific techniques. It also describes the general morphology of the CNSS and the physiological characteristics of the main neurosecretory cell (Dahlgren cells). Past and current research using electrophysiological techniques to investigate the neurosecretory mechanisms of the CNSS are reviewed. The electrophysiological properties of Dahlgren cells, including spontaneous firing activity and the action potential changes in animals subjected to conditions of different salinity are described. These provide a theoretical basis and ideas for how electrophysiological techniques maybe used in further work to understand CNSS regulatory mechanism and the neural pathways involved.