title: [Effects of electrical stimulation of the dorsal cutaneous branches of spinal nerves on the discharge activity of remote mechanoreceptive units in rats].
abstract: The method of isolating filaments of the dorsal cutaneous branches was used to observe the effects of antidromic electrical stimulation of the spinal nerves on the discharge of remote A delta and C mechanoreceptive units in rats. Seventy-nine mechanoreceptive units were recorded from the T12 nerve filaments after stimulation of the dorsal cutaneous branches of T9 spinal nerve. It was found that the discharge frequency of 59.3% (16/27) A delta-units and 71.2% (37/52) C-units significantly increased during 90-120 s after the stimulation. Sixty-four mechanoreceptive units were recorded from the T12 nerve filaments after stimulation of the dorsal cutaneous branches of T8 spinal nerves. The discharge frequency of 47.8% (11/23) A delta-units and 36.6% (15/41) C-units significantly increased during 120-150 s after the stimulation. In addition, the threshold of the majority of these mechanoreceptors (78.3%, 18/23) decreased after the stimulation. The results suggest that antidromic electrical stimulation of the dorsal cutaneous branches of spinal nerves leads to sensitization of A delta and C mechanoreceptive units of the remote peripheral nerve endings, which results in an increase in afferent discharge of these units.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School of Xi an Jiaotong University, Xi an 710061.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hui-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*