A study of vasodilator responses evoked by antidromic stimulation of A delta afferent nerve fibers supplying normal and reinnervated rat skin.
Experiments have been carried out on anaesthetized rats to investigate some properties of the vasodilator responses evoked in skin by stimulation of small myelinated, A delta-fibers. Both normal and reinnervated skin in the saphenous nerve field were studied. In unoperated animals it was found that the magnitude and time course of the responses recorded from a particular patch of skin remain stable over a period of hours, but the responses varied in magnitude in different parts of the saphenous nerve territory. A delta-fiber evoked vasodilatation responses recorded from reinnervated skin were generally very similar to those seen in normal skin except that they tend to be smaller. These observations, taken together with previous findings, suggest that this ability of cutaneous A delta-fibers to influence the vasculature in the vicinity of their sensory endings has some physiological significance. Unfortunately, attempts to link these skin blood flow responses with activity of single, identified A delta-fiber units were not successful.
Kolston
J
J
Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Lisney
S J
SJ
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*