title: Responses of reticulospinal neurons in the lateral reticular nucleus area of the rat to cutaneous noxious and non-noxious stimulation.
abstract: Response properties of reticulospinal neurons in the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) area to natural cutaneous stimulation were investigated systematically in 45 urethane-anesthetized rats by using extracellular recording techniques. A total of 64 neurons were tested with peripheral stimuli, of which 19 were responsive only to noxious stimuli; 7 responsive to both noxious and non-noxious stimuli; 4 responsive only to non-noxious stimuli; and 34 not responsive to any cutaneous stimuli. Both the noxious and non-noxious receptive fields were large and bilateral. Among the neurons responding to noxious stimuli, the majority (72%) was excited. This study provides evidence that some reticulospinal neurons in the rat LRN area are involved in the mechanisms of nociception.
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology Laboratory, Xi'an Medical University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jia
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*