An improved mechanical air puff stimulator that allows activation of a variety of endoepithelial receptors and is suitable for the study of reflexes in animals and humans.
Studies of endoepithelial-triggered reflexes, such as nasal respiratory reflexes, are difficult to carry out in humans without a non-traumatic and reliable stimulation device. The air puff stimulator described allows us to deliver air puffs of brief duration at various intensities, frequencies, and temperatures. The stimulation is non-traumatizing and non-nociceptive. We have successfully used it in animals as a source of specific stimuli to enable us to study central and peripheral neuronal responses evoked by activation of endonasal dynamically sensitive receptors. Immunohistochemical studies of the c-fos expression evoked during sneezing elicited by air puffs provided additional evidence for the specificity of this particular stimulation technique. We suggest that the use of such a non-traumatizing air puff stimulator could be extended to human studies. It might be particularly useful in developmental studies of endoepithelial-triggered reflexes such as those respiratory reflexes whose immaturity at birth can be life-threatening.
Wallois
F
F
Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie, CNRS URA 1331, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
Lebeon
A
A
Duron
B
B
D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D012912:Sneezing / Q000502:physiology*
D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface