Time course and effective sites for inhibition from midbrain periaqueductal gray of spinal dorsal horn neuronal responses to cutaneous stimuli in the cat

Summary Inhibition of spinal dorsal horn neuronal responses to noxious (50 °C) skin heating by stimulation of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) was quantitatively investigated in cats anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital and nitrous oxide. Systematic variation of the interval between onset of PAG stimulation (PAGS) and onset of noxious skin heating revealed that a marked reduction of spinal unit heat-evoked discharges occured immediately upon onset of PAGS, and ceased immediately at offset of PAGS with a post-stimulation excitatory rebound. Stimulation at sites in both ventral and dorsal PAG produced inhibition, the strength of which increased sometimes in a linear manner with increasing strength of PAGS. Thresholds for the generation of descending inhibition were higher in dorsal than ventral PAG. PAGS also inhibited spinal unit responses to non-noxious skin stimulation (brushing of hairs). Descending inhibition from PAG is considered as a possible mechanism for analgesia produced by stimulation of PAG and other brainstem structures.The work was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Zi 110)     

交感神经在肺泡缺氧性肺血管收缩反应中的作用

在大鼠毁髓模型上观察缺氧与不缺氧情况下电刺激肺血管的脊髓交感中枢时体、肺循环的变化。常氧时电刺激脊髓T_(1～3)节段时P_(pa)、PVR增高(P<0.05);毁髓去神经支配大鼠吸入12%O_2低氧气体后仍能引起肺血管收缩反应(HPV),但PVR上升幅度较正常大鼠降低。在缺氧基础上电刺激T_(1～3)节段引起P_(pa)、PVR大幅度增高(P<0.05),约为常氧时电刺激效应的二倍;酚妥拉明可抑制这一反应。提示交感神经兴奋对HPV的形成有一定的促进作用。缺氧时体循环对交感兴奋的反应减弱。     

The relationship between the lumbosacral enlargement and the conus medullaris during the period of fetal development and adulthood

The spinal cord is situated within the vertebral canal by the third month of intrauterine life. The spinal cord possesses two symmetrical enlargements, which constitute the segments of the plexuses the cervical enlargement for the brachial plexus and the lumbosacral enlargement for the lumbar and sacral plexus. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the termination level of the lumbosacral enlargement (TLLE) and that of the conus medullaris (TLCM) during the period of fetal development and adulthood. We used a total of 75 cases 25 fetuses (male 16, female 9) whose crown-rump length ranged between 90–190 mm, 25 premature and full-term neonates (male 17, female 8) whose post-menstrual ages ranged between 33–55 weeks, and 25 adults (male 12, female 13) aged between 22–72 years. The dissection technique for fetuses, ultrasonography for premature and full-term newborns, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for adults were used to determine lumbosacral enlargement and TLCM. The differences between the TLCM and the termination level of the largest part of the transverse diameter of the lumbosacral enlargement were investigated. The differences between the TLLE and TLCM were found in different ratios from the period of fetal development to adulthood. Therefore, during medical treatment and surgical procedures this should be taken into account to avoid complications.     

Supraspinal effects on the fractal correlation in human H-reflex

In our previous study, -type power spectrum with the spectral exponent significantly greater than zero was found in the variability of soleus H-reflex amplitudes. This result indicated that the H-reflex variability was time-correlated owing to fractal characteristics. Furthermore, it was also suggested that the fractal characteristics were generated at the spinal level. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the fractal nature of the H-reflex variability was influenced by the loss of supraspinal input. Six healthy normal subjects and seven patients with spinal cord injury participated in this study. Soleus H-reflexes were evoked every l s from both legs simultaneously (stimulation intensity: motor threshold) and 1050 successive amplitudes of the H-reflex were recorded. The H-reflex sequence evoked from each leg was analyzed by coarse graining spectral analysis to calculate the spectral exponent . The value of was used to evaluate the level of time-correlation (fractal correlation). Cross-spectral analysis was used to evaluate the degree of synchronization between the H-reflex sequences evoked from both legs. The values for normal subjects (0.84±0.33, left leg; 0.88±0.34, right leg) were significantly greater (P<0.001) than those for patients (0.31±0.18, left leg; 0.32±0.14, right leg), suggesting that the H-reflex sequences for normal subjects were more time-correlated than for patients. In the frequency range less than 0.2 Hz, the coherence of both legs was high (0.41±0.14) for normal subjects as compared to 0.20±0.12 for patients (P<0.005). In this frequency range, the phase was almost 0 rad for normal subjects, indicating that the H-reflex variabilities of both legs were synchronized. These results suggested that (1) the strong fractal correlation observed in the H-reflex sequences for normal subjects was associated with supraspinal input, and (2) such supraspinal input had equal influence on the reflex arcs of the soleus of both legs.     

Additive Antinociception between Intrathecal Sildenafil and Morphine in the Rat Formalin Test

The possible characteristics of spinal interaction between sildenafil (phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor) and morphine on formalin-induced nociception in rats was examined. Then the role of the opioid receptor in the effect of sildenafil was further investigated. Catheters were inserted into the intrathecal space of male Sprague-Dawley rats. For induction of pain, 50 µL of 5% formalin solution was applied to the hind-paw. Isobolographic analysis was used for the evaluation of drug interaction between sildenafil and morphine. Furthermore, naloxone was intrathecally given to verify the involvement of the opioid receptor in the antinociception of sildenafil. Both sildenafil and morphine produced an antinociceptive effect during phase 1 and phase 2 in the formalin test. The isobolographic analysis revealed an additive interaction after intrathecal delivery of the sildenafil-morphine mixture in both phases. Intrathecal naloxone reversed the antinociception of sildenafil in both phases. These results suggest that sildenafil, morphine, and the mixture of the two drugs are effective against acute pain and facilitated pain state at the spinal level. Thus, the spinal combination of sildenafil with morphine may be useful in the management of the same state. Furthermore, the opioid receptor is contributable to the antinocieptive mechanism of sildenafil at the spinal level.     

Somatotopic termination of the spino-olivary fibers in the cat,studied with the wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase technique

Summary Terminal sites of the spino-olivary fibers (SOFs) were examined by the anterograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase in the cat. The tracer was injected at various spinal cord levels from the first cervical to the caudal segments. The SOFs derived from the C1-T1 segments terminated medially in the caudal half (levels II–VIII of Brodal) of the medial accessory olive (MAO), which projects to the A zone of the cerebellar cortex, whereas the SOFs derived from the L6-S1 segments terminated laterally in the caudal half (levels I–VIII) of the MAO. No projections were found from the T2-L5 segments to the MAO. In the dorsal accessory olive (DAO), the SOFs terminated at levels III–XIV; the DAO projects to the B zone and the C1 and C3 zones of the cerebellar cortex. The SOFs derived from the C1-C4 segments terminated in the most medial part of the DAO (levels III–XIV), followed laterally by those from the C5-T1 segments. Further laterally, the SOFs derived from the T2-L5 and the L6-S1 segments terminated in the mediolateral order at levels V–XIV. The SOFs from the L6-S1 segments occupied the most lateral part of the DAO. The present study demonstrates that there is a distinct somatotopic termination of the SOFs in the mediolateral order in the caudal MAO and the DAO.     

Short latency cutaneous reflex responses of γ-efferents in the decerebrate cat

Summary The effect of single shock stimulation, up to 20 × threshold (T), of the sural nerve on the discharges of triceps surae -efferents was investigated in decerebrate cats. Units were classified as static (12) or dynamic (7) on the basis of their resting discharge rates (Murphy et al. 1984). All neurones were excited at short latency by sural nerve stimulation and response size was graded with stimulus intensity. Short latency mixed or inhibitory responses were not evident. Although reflex effects first occurred at low stimulus strengths (<-1.5T) in both types of efferent, most responses appeared at higher intensities (> 1.5T). The estimated central delays of the responses of static (3.0 ±1.1 ms, mean± SD) and dynamic (3.4 ± 1.0 ms) -motoneurones were not significantly different and are consistent with spinal oligosynaptic pathways. The present results differ from those of the only previous study (Johansson and Sojka 1985) of the short latency responses of triceps surae static and dynamic -motoneurones to sural nerve stimulation, in which mixed and inhibitory effects were common in anaesthetised cats. Although differences in recording techniques and sampling may account for the apparent disparity between these studies, it is also feasible that a difference in the setting of interneuronal pathways in the two types of preparation is responsible. The results are discussed in relation to the control of -motoneurones with particular reference to the final common input hypothesis (Johansson 1981; Appelberg et al. 1983).     

腰骶部SPR术中脊神经前后根定位的应用解剖

目的：为ＳＰＲ提供可靠的术中脊神经前、后根鉴别的解剖学依据。方法：在２０例成人脊柱标本上,去除后部结构,暴露整个马尾神经,对Ｌ１～Ｓ２节段的前后根进行形态学观察和测量。结果：脊神经后根位于马尾的后半部,前根则位于前半部。脊神经后根较相应的前根粗大,后根从Ｌ１～Ｓ１逐渐增大,以Ｓ１为最粗大;前根则以Ｌ３最粗大。相应前后根出硬脊膜前,有一段相互贴附并紧贴硬脊膜侧壁。结论：在多椎板切除ＳＰＲ术中前、后根的定位及鉴别,暴露时可根据前、后根出硬脊膜前的相互贴附;在限制性椎板切除时则可通过脊髓外侧索和Ｌ１前、后根之间的最下端的齿状韧带加以鉴别     

Patterns of maturation of somatotopical distribution of corticospinal neurons in postnatal rats

Summary To better comprehend somatotopic development of the corticospinal projection system, wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was injected into cervical or lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord of postnatal rats. The cervical projecting neurons appeared first in the middle of the lateral surface of the posterior frontal and anterior parietal cortex on the second postnatal day (postnatal day one, P1). By P3, labeled neurons were distributed in the rostral two-thirds of the cortex, with concentrations both on the same cortex as in P1 and on the dorsomedial part of the frontal cortex. Size of the labeled area was gradually reduced between P3 and P12 to attain an adult organization: three discrete clusters of labeled neurons were isolated in the dorsomedial part of the frontal cortex, the middle of the lateral surface of the posterior frontal and anterior parietal cortex, and in the temporal cortex. The lumbar projecting neurons first appeared in the dorsomedial part of the parietal cortex, on P4. Size of the lumbar projecting area increased by P6 and decreased by P12 to attain the pattern seen in adult animals.Our findings suggest that 1) potential pioneer fibers reaching the cervical enlargement originate from the middle of the lateral surface of the posterior frontal and anterior parietal cortex, and those reaching the lumbar enlargement, from the dorsomedial part of the parietal cortex, and 2) transiently projecting areas consist of less densely distributed neurons compared to the areas destined to become the corticospinal projecting area in adult.