Vogt, Marthe Louise (1903–2003)

Neuropharmacist who was involved in proving that acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter (chemical that transmits impulses between nerve cells) involved in the stimulation of muscles by nerves. Acetylcholine is now known to be one of the principal neurotransmitters that communicates nerve impulses across synapses, the junctions between individual nerves.

In her experiments, Vogt and her co-workers removed sensory nerves from various muscles of cats and dogs, ensuring that only motor neurons could be stimulated. The muscles were then perfused (coated) in a solution (Locke's solution) to prevent the destruction of any neurotransmitters released on stimulation. They were able to consistently detect the release of acetylcholine when the muscle was stimulated. This release ceased immediately when the stimulus stopped.

If the nerve was made to degenerate, stimulation caused muscle contraction but no release of acetylcholine, showing that the chemical originated from the neuron. If the muscle was paralyzed, stimulation caused the production of acetylcholine but no contraction, demonstrating that the acetylcholine was not released as a result of muscle contraction. She concluded that the acetylcholine was associated with the transmission of an impulse from a motor neuron to a muscle.