Classification of aberrant primary afferents in the substantia gelatinosa of the rat following neonatal capsaicin treatment.
Administration of capsaicin to newborn rats results in a loss of a large percentage of primary afferent C fibers many of which terminate in the substantia gelatinosa (SG). Using the Golgi silver impregnation technique, the present study shows that the loss of C fibers results in an invasion of aberrant myelinated primary afferents in the SG by 10 days after birth. The aberrant afferents, identified on the basis of their distinctive collateral arborizations, are derived from hair follicles and slowly adapting type I mechanoreceptors.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000473:pathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D013376:Substantia Gelatinosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
D002211:Capsaicin