Nitric Oxide inhibition shortens long-term facilitation at the neuromuscular junction of the crayfish

Abstract

This experiment examined the effects of nitric oxide on long-term facilitation in crayfish tail extensor muscle cells. I expected that a 10 second period of high frequency neuron stimulation would have the effect of increasing excitatory postsynaptic potentials in a control condition, but that such an effect would not occur in a condition in which endogenous nitric oxide production was inhibited with the chemical L-NAME. I stimulated a crayfish motor neuron and measured postsynaptic potentials in the tail extensor muscle cells in a saline solution in order to determine the effects of nitric oxide inhibition on long-term facilitation. Although the addition of a nitric oxide inhibitor did not eliminate the effect of high frequency stimulation, it did shorten the duration of long-term facilitation in my experiment. Further research into the role of nitric oxide in long-term facilitation is warranted.