title: Contribution of supraspinal and spinal structures to the responses of dorsal spinal cord blood flow to innocuous cutaneous brushing in rats.
abstract: Responses of dorsal spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) to innocuous mechanical cutaneous stimulation were investigated in anesthetized central nervous system intact (CNS-intact) and C2 spinalized rats. SCBF was recorded at the L4-L6 level with a laser Doppler flowmeter. SCBF increased with brushing of the ipsilateral proximal hindlimb and hindpaw, and there were no significant differences in the magnitudes of the responses in CNS-intact and spinalized animals. Brushing of the lower back had no effect on SCBF at the L4-L6 level in either cohort. Brushing stimulation produced no significant changes in systemic arterial blood pressure. The responses of SCBF to brushing in CNS-intact animals were diminished by pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine, an alpha-adrenoceptor blocking agent, but no such effects were seen in spinalized animals. These results indicate that innocuous mechanical cutaneous input can produce a segmentally-organized increase in regional SCBF, and that the responses are modulated, in part at least, by alpha-adrenergic receptors via supraspinal structures.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Science, International University of Health and Welfare, Otawara, Tochigi 324-8501, Japan. mieko-ku@iuhw.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mieko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosawa
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Orie
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Budgell
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017776:Autonomic Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003714:Denervation; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha