Peripheral Inhibition of Eel Lateral Line Receptors as Caused by Antidromic Sensory Terminal Invasion

No evidence of efferent inhibitory activity on eel lateral line sensory cells has been found in a number of different types of experiments. Proximal transection of the lateral line nerve induces no changes in the ongoing activity from the sensory cells, even in the uncurarized, un‐anesthetized animal. Stimulation of peripheral nerve filaments induces no inhibition of afferent spontaneous and/or evoked activity, either ipsilaterally or contralaterally. No spontaneous or evoked efferent activtiy could be recorded from proximal nerve filaments. Antidromic invasion of sensory terminals resets the ongoing spontaneous activity. In the intervening interval the mechanical and electrical thresholds of these sensory units are similarly elevated. Antidromic invasion is suggested to be the phenomenon reported as peripheral inhibition by Hashimoto et al. (1970).