MANUAL ACUPUNCTURE PRODUCES LONG TERM INHIBITION OF THE NOCICEPTIVE TRANSMISSION TO WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE NEURONS IN THE SPINAL CORD OF THE RAT

singe unit discharge recordings were made from 42 WDR neurons in spinal dorsal horn in the rat. These neurons could he driven by electrical stimull activiting innocuous and noxious afferent fibres in the ipsilateral plantar nerve. Traditional manual acupuncture delivered at the local acupoints Zusanli, Chengshan, Kunlun and Yongquan induced a strong inhibition or the C-fiber response. in 19 of 42 neurons obtained but did not after the A-fibre response of the neurons. The inhibition of the fibre response outlasted the period of acupuncture for more than 30 min. Neither Anor C-fibre responses in the remaining 23 neurous could be affected by manual acupuncture. These results suggest that the acupuncture stimulation specifically influences nociceptive nociceptive transmission,maybe through a presynaptic action,Furthermore, the fact that the inhibitory effect outlasts the stimulation by more than 30 min indicates that either a neuromodulatory ,presumably peptidergic action is at hand or that a temporary synaptic modification occurs in the spinal dorsal horn.

THE ROLE OF BRAIN-STEM DISCENDING INHIBITORY SYSTEM IN THE ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECT ELICITED BY MUSCLE SPINDLE AFFERENTS

Objective To analyse the antinociceptive effect of muscle spindle afferents and the involved mechanism.Methods The single unit of wide dynamic range neurons in the spinal cord dorsal horn were recorded extracelluarly.The effects of muscle spindle afferents elicited by intravenous administration of succinylcholine on nociceptive responses (C fibres evoked responses,C responses) of WDR neurons were observed before and after bilateral lesions of ventrolateral periaqueduct gray .And the effects of muscle spindle afferents on the spontaneous discharge of the tail flick related cell in the rostral ventro medial medulla and on the spontaneous discharge of the PAG neurons were observed.Results The C responses of WDR neurons were significantly inhibited by muscle spindle afferents,and the inhibitory effects were reduced by bilateral lesions of ventrolateral PAG.The spontaneous discharge of the off cell in the RVM was excited while the on cell was inhibited by intravenous administration of Sch.The spontaneous discharge of the PAG neurons were excited by muscle spindle afferents.Conclusion Muscle spindle afferents show a distinct effect of antinociception.PAG RVM descending inhibitory system may play an important role in this nociceptive modulative mechanism.

THE ROLE OF NUCLEUS RAPHE MAGNUS IN THE ANTINOCICEPTIVE EFFECT OF MUSCLE SPINDLE AFFERENTS IN THE RAT

Objective To investigate the role of NRM in the antinociceptive effect of muscle spindle afferents,the influence of NRM lesion on the inhibitory effect of muscle spindle afferents on the nociceptive responses of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons and the effects of the muscle spindle afferents on the NRM neuronal activities were observed. Methods The single units of WDR neurons in the spinal dorsal horn were recorded extracellularly, and the inhibitory effects of activating muscle spindle afferents by intravenous administration of succinylcholine (SCH) on the C fibers evoked responses (C responses) of WDR neurons were tested before and after lesion of NRM.The effects of the muscle spindle afferents activated by administrating SCH on the single NRM neurons were also examined.Results ①It was found that the C responses of WDR neurons were significantly inhibited by intravenously administration of SCH, and the inhibitory effect was reduced after lesion of NRM;②The activities of most of the NRM neurons could be changed significantly by administrating SCH. According to their responses, NRM neurons could be classified into three types:excitatory, inhibitory and non responsive neurons, and the responses were dose dependent. Conclusion These results suggest that the muscle spindle afferents evoked by SCH may activate the NRM neurons, which plays an important role in the antinociception of muscle spindle afferents.

THE ROLE OF RED NUCLEUS IN THE MODULATION OF SPINAL NOCICEPTIVE TRANSMISSION AND IN NOCICEPTION ELICITED BY MUSCLE SPINDLE AFFERENTS

Objective To analyse the antinociceptive effect of red nucleus (RN) and its role in the antinociceptive effect of muscle spindle afferents. Methods The single units of RN or wide dynamic range (WDR) neuron in the spinal cord dorsal horn were extracelluarly recorded. The effects of RN stimulation on nociceptive responses (C fibers evoked responses, C responses) of WDR neurons were observed. The influence of muscle spindle afferents elicited by intravenous administration of succinylcholine (Sch) on the spontaneous discharge of RN neurons and on C responses of WDR neurons were observed. The effect of muscle spindle afferents on C responses of WDR neurons after unilateral lesions of RN was also observed. Results Electrical stimulation of the RN produced a significantly inhibitory effect on the nociceptive responses of WDR neurons. RN neurons were excited by muscle spindle afferents. Muscle spindle afferents significantly inhibited C response of WDR neurons and this inhibitory effect was reduced by lesions of RN. Conclusion RN neurons have a significant antinociceptive effect and might be involved in the antinociceptive effects elicited by muscle spindle afferents.