title: Physiological properties of the lamina I spinoparabrachial neurons in the rat.
abstract: Single-unit extracellular recordings of spino-parabrachial (spino-PB) neurons (n = 53) antidromically driven from the contralateral parabrachial (PB) area were performed in the lumbar cord in anesthetized rats. All the spino-PB neurons were located in the lamina I of the dorsal horn. Their axons exhibited conduction velocities between 2.8 and 27.8 m/s, in the thin myelinated fibers range. They had an extremely low spontaneous activity (median = 0. 064 Hz) and a small excitatory receptive field (</=2 toes or pads). They were all activated by both peripheral A (mainly Adelta) and C fibers after intense transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Their discharge always increased in response to noxious natural stimuli of increasing intensities. The great majority (75%) of spino-PB neurons were nociceptive specific, i.e., they were excited only by noxious stimuli. The remaining (25%) still were excited primarily by noxious stimuli but also responded moderately to innocuous stimuli. Almost all spino-PB neurons (92%, 49/53) were activated by both mechanical and heat noxious stimuli. Among them, 35% were in addition moderately activated by noxious cold (thresholds between +20 and -10 degrees C). Only (8%, 4/53) responded exclusively to noxious heat. Spino-PB neurons clearly encoded the intensity of mechanical (n = 39) and thermal (n = 38) stimuli in the noxious range, and most of the individual stimulus-response functions were monotonic and positive up to 40/60 N. cm(-2) and 50 degrees C, respectively. For the mechanical modality, the mean threshold was 11.5 +/- 1.25 N. cm(-2) (mean +/- SE), the response increased almost linearly with the logarithm of the pressure between 10 and 60 N. cm(-2), the mean p(50) (pressure evoking 50% of the maximum response) and the maximum responsiveness were: 30 +/- 2.4 N. cm(-2) and 40.5 +/- 5 Hz, respectively. For the thermal modality, the mean threshold was 43.6 +/- 0.5 degrees C, the mean curve had a general sigmoid aspect, the steepest portion being in the 46-48 degrees C interval, the mean t(50) and the maximum responsiveness were: 47.4 +/- 0.3 degrees C and 40 +/- 4.4 Hz, respectively. Most of the spino-PB neurons tested (13/16) had their noxiously evoked responses clearly inhibited by heterotopic noxious stimuli. The mean response to noxious stimuli during heterotopic stimuli was 31.7 +/- 6.1% of the control response. We conclude that the nociceptive properties of the lamina I spino-PB neurons are reflected largely by those of PB neurons that were suggested to be involved in autonomic and emotional/aversive aspects of pain.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U.161, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, F-75014 Paris, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bester
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Besson
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bernard
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology