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Little is known about how gap junctions are involved in the respiratory-related,or any other types of,physiological neuronal activity since ongoing gap junction currents have never been characterized from single respiratory-related neurons or from single neurons of any other types.By elimination of transmembrane ion and voltage gradients the present study has for the first time successfully isolated ongoing gap junction currents with selectivity in single inspiratory tracheal preganglionic vagal motoneurons,which were activated by central inspiratory activity and substance P.The method used in the present study to detect ongoing gap junction currents might potentially be applicable to the study of gap junctions in other areas or neuronal networks in the central nervous system.