das loewi experiment

One hundred years from Otto Loewi experiment, a dream that revolutionized our view of neurotransmission

Affiliations.

1 Pharmacology Unit, Medical School, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. [email protected].
2 Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Instituto Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
3 Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
PMID: 34046754
DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02580-9

One hundred years ago, a 4-page paper published in the Pflüger's Archiv fűr die Gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere dramatically changed our view on synaptic transmission. The paper reported an ingenious, yet straightforward experiment made by Professor Otto Loewi in 1920 and published in 1921, which constitutes the first clear-cut proof for the chemical nature of transmission of the nerve impulse from nerve to muscle. The approach to this experiment was, however, tortuous and long.

Keywords: Acetylcholine; Adrenaline; Frog; Heart; Synapses; Synaptic transmission; Vagus nerve; Vagusstoff.

Publication types

Historical Article
History, 20th Century
Neurophysiology / history*
Synaptic Transmission*

Personal name as subject

One hundred years from Otto Loewi experiment, a dream that revolutionized our view of neurotransmission

Pflügers Archiv's historical article
Published: 27 May 2021
Volume 473 , pages 977–981, ( 2021 )

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Ricardo Borges ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3413-4392 1 &
Antonio G. García 2 , 3

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One hundred years ago, a 4-page paper published in the Pflüger’s Archiv fűr die Gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere dramatically changed our view on synaptic transmission. The paper reported an ingenious, yet straightforward experiment made by Professor Otto Loewi in 1920 and published in 1921, which constitutes the first clear-cut proof for the chemical nature of transmission of the nerve impulse from nerve to muscle. The approach to this experiment was, however, tortuous and long.

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Authors and affiliations.

Pharmacology Unit, Medical School, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

Ricardo Borges

Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Instituto Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Antonio G. García

Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de La Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

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Correspondence to Ricardo Borges .

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Borges, R., García, A.G. One hundred years from Otto Loewi experiment, a dream that revolutionized our view of neurotransmission. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 473 , 977–981 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-021-02580-9

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Received : 12 April 2021

Revised : 05 May 2021

Accepted : 10 May 2021

Published : 27 May 2021

Issue Date : June 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-021-02580-9