Thymocyte-neuron antigenic correlation: Anti-thymocyte membrane antibodies modify bioelectrical activity of Helix pomatia neurons

The snail (Helix pomatia) suboesophageal ganglionic complex treated in vitro with rabbit anti-rat thymocyte membrane (ATM) antibodies was used as an immunoneurological model to study the functional relationship between the thymocyte and neuron. Intracellular recordings were made from pacemaker (spontaneously active) and non-pacemaker (silent) neurons before and after application of ATM antibodies. ATM antibodies induced significant changes of the membrane potential, spike amplitude and firing patterns of both pacemaker and non-pacemaker neurons. This is the first demontration that anti-thymocyte antibodies are capable of modifying the bioelectrical activity of the neuron.