Left vagal stimulation induces dynorphin release and suppresses substance P release from the rat thoracic spinal cord during cardiac ischemia.
Electrostimulatory forms of therapy can reduce angina that arises from activation of cardiac nociceptive afferent fibers during transient ischemia. This study sought to determine the effects of electrical stimulation of left thoracic vagal afferents (C(8)-T(1) level) on the release of putative nociceptive [substance P (SP)] and analgesic [dynorphin (Dyn)] peptides in the dorsal horn at the T(4) spinal level during coronary artery occlusion in urethane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Release of Dyn and SP was measured by using antibody-coated microprobes. While Dyn and SP had a basal release, occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery only affected SP release, causing an increase from lamina I-VII. Left vagal stimulation increased Dyn release, inhibited basal SP release, and blunted the coronary artery occlusion-induced release of SP. Dyn release reflected activation of descending pathways in the thoracic spinal cord, because vagal afferent stimulation still increased the release of Dyn after bilateral dorsal rhizotomy of T(2)-T(5). These results indicate that electrostimulatory therapy, using vagal afferent excitation, may induce analgesia, in part, via inhibition of the release of SP in the spinal cord, possibly through a Dyn-mediated neuronal interaction.
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 70576, Stanton-Gerber Hall B-137, Johnson City, TN 37614-1708, USA.
Fang
F
Hua
Jeffrey L
JL
Ardell
Carole A
CA
Williams
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D013373:Substance P; D004399:Dynorphins