中文摘要：

在呼吸相关神经元或其它任何类型的神经元中，与生理性自发活动相对应的电突触电流（gap junction currents，GJCs）尚未在单个神经元中被记录到，因此电突触如何参与呼吸相关的或其它类型的生理性活动，目前所知甚少。在本研究中，我们假设GJCs可在电压钳记录条件下通过消除跨膜电化学梯度在单个神经元实现选择性记录，并在单个吸气性气管迷走神经节前神经元（inspiratory tracheal preganglionic vagal motor neurons，I-TPVMs）进行验证。结果显示，用这种方法在所有I-TPVMs中均记录到GJCs，且这些神经元的GJCs可被节律性中枢吸气活动所激活。此法可用于快速探测具自发活动的神经元网络中的GJCs。

英文摘要：

Little is known about how gap junctions are involved in the respiratory-related or other types of physiological neuronal activity since physiologically active gap junction currents （GJCs） have never been characterized from single respiratory-related neurons or from single neurons of any other types. In the present study we hypothesized that GJCs could be selectively revealed from single neurons by elimination of transmembrane electrochemical gradients in voltage patch-clamp recording, and this hypothesis was tested in single inspiratory tracheal preganglionic vagal motor neurons （I-TPVMs）. The results showed that GJCs were selectively revealed in all I-TPVMs when the Wansmembrane electrochemical gradients were eliminated in voltage patch-clamp recording, and were rhythmically activated by central inspiratory activity. Therefore, this method may be used as a fast way to detect GJCs within spontaneously active neuronal networks.