title: Response of adrenal sympathetic efferent nerve activity to mechanical and thermal stimulations of the facial skin area in anesthetized rats.
abstract: The effect of mechanical and thermal stimulations to the forehead or cheek innervated by the trigeminal nerve on adrenal sympathetic efferent nerve activity was studied in alpha-chloralose-urethane anesthetized rats. Innoxious mechanical stimulations to the forehead or cheek caused a reflex decrease of nerve activity, while noxious mechanical stimulations to the forehead or cheek caused a reflex increase in activity. Thermal stimulation of the forehead and bilateral cheeks at below 15 degrees C or above 45 degrees C increased activity though it failed to do so between 20 and 40 degrees C. These excitatory responses lasted only as long as the period of the stimulation. These results suggest that excitatory reflex responses mediated by supraspinal circuit to adrenal nerve activity are not, characteristically, of an enduring nature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Autonomic Nervous System, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozawa
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000294:innervation*; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D005145:Face / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*