Differential vulnerability of large and small mammalian myelinated fibers to glucose lack.
The excitability of A fibers of peripheral nerves in vitro is more susceptible to depression by energy lack than is excitability of C fibers. Whether there is also a differential vulnerability between small myelinated A delta fibers that conduct fast pain and large myelinated A beta fibers is unclear. We evaluated the relative abilities of A beta and A delta fibers to withstand energy lack in rabbit vagus nerve by measuring the amplitudes and latencies of the compound action potentials during incubation in glucose-free Ringer's-bicarbonate solution. We also evaluated the reversibility of the effects after returning the nerves to glucose containing solution. We found that A delta fibers are more susceptible to such energy lack and recover from it less completely than A beta fibers.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits
D005947:Glucose