Changing the firing threshold for normal optic nerve axons by the application of infra-red laser light

Normal optic nerve axons exhibit a temperature dependence, previously explained by a membrane potential hyperpolarization on warming. We now report that near infra-red laser light, delivered via a fibre optic light guide, also affects axonal membrane potential and threshold, at least partly through a photo-thermal effect. Application of light to optic nerve, at the recording site, gave rise to a local membrane potential hyperpolarization over a period of about a minute, and increased the size of the depolarizing after potential. Application near the site of electrical stimulation reversibly raised current-threshold, and the change in threshold recorded over minutes of irradiation was significantly increased by the application of the I(h) blocker, ZD7288 (50 µM), indicating I(h) limits the hyperpolarizing effect of light. Light application also had fast effects on nerve behaviour, increasing threshold without appreciable delay (within seconds), probably by a mechanism independent of kinetically fast K(+) channels and Na(+) channel inactivation, and hypothesized to be caused by reversible changes in myelin function.