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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2008 Jun 16.
Published in final edited form as: J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2006 Jan 26;192(6):613–624. doi: 10.1007/s00359-006-0101-1

Fig. 6.

Fig. 6

The EOD of B. pinnicaudatus is modulated rapidly by serotonergic and melanocortin agents. Solid lines represent baseline recordings. Dashed lines represent recordings 60 min after pharmacological treatment. Intramuscular injections of serotonin (5-HT) and melanocortin peptides such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) enhance both amplitude and second phase duration (τ-p2) of the EOD in B. pinnicaudatus. Saline injections performed quickly and gently have no effect, and the serotonin 1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT reduces both amplitude and τ-p2 of the EOD. These effects are apparent in calibrated remote EODs measured 50 cm from the fish and in EODs recorded by miniature electrodes at the tail surface. Additionally, the melanocortin ACTH enhances amplitude and τ-p2 of single-electrocyte potentials in vitro, whereas serotonin does not. The effect of ACTH on single-electrocyte potentials in vitro is mimicked by application of SHU9119, a selective agonist of the mammalian melanocortin receptor isoforms MC1R and MC5R. Bar charts present means, with error bars indicating SEM