The abdominal cutaneous reflex circuit in the rat: a spinobulbo-spinal reflex in phenobarbital-anesthetized animals.
A description is given of an abdominal reflex (ACR) in the rat evoked by cutaneous stimulation. Latency of the ACR in response to stimulation of the contralateral hindlimb was 28.5 +/- 3.2 msec. Data from the analysis of discharges in dorsal and ventral roots and from bulbar reticular neurons triggered by ACR stimuli reveal that a spino-bulbo-spinal loop seems to be implicated. This is also supported by the chronic effects of pontile and spinal transections. ACR-concomitant discharges were also recorded in other axial (digastric m. and internal intercostal m.) and proximal limb muscles. The possible spino-bulbo-spinal mechanism of this cutaneous reflex is discussed.
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000294:innervation*; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000187:drug effects
D010634:Phenobarbital