Dynorphin B induces lateral asymmetric changes in feline spinal cord reflexes.

The effects of dynorphin B (an agonist of κ-opioid receptors) and naloxone (an antagonist of opioid receptors) on the field potentials (FPs) evoked in the lumbar spinal cord of spinalized cats were examined following successive stimulation of pairs of identical peripheral nerves on both sides of the body. The FPs were recorded bilaterally using microelectrodes from symmetrical sites of the gray matter between the L6 and L7 segments of the spinal cord transected at level of Th11. Significant changes (up to 75%) were registered in the areas of the initial positive components of the FPs evoked by sequential stimulation of the nn. gastrocnemius-soleus, flexor digitorum longus, and tibialis at both hind limbs; a difference between the effects of various nerves was not observed. Two-Way ANOVA analysis showed that two factors, the injection type and recording side, as well as a combination of these factors, strongly influenced the amplitudes of the FPs. Statistically significant side- and injection-dependent differences were registered in the majority of the tests. Both the directions of the changes in the FPs and their relative amplitudes were not strongly connected with a definite side of the spinal cord in different animals. Therefore, it is possible to postulate that the κ-opioid receptors are distributed inhomogeneously over the neuronal populations transmitting the peripheral afferent signals from different hind limbs, thus indicating a possible presence of the lateral asymmetry effects.

7-Nitroindazole potentiates c-fos expression induced by muscle tendon vibration in the spinal cord.

INTRODUCTION: Expression of c-fos initiated by muscle proprioceptive signaling was studied in rats after inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) with administration of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI). METHODS: Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) neurons were visualized immunohistochemically in the lumbar cord after vibration of the Achilles tendon and/or 7-NI systemic injections. RESULTS: The total number of Fos-ir interneurons and motoneurons (per slice) was significantly greater in the 7-NI-pretreated and tendon-vibrated (7-NI + Tv) group than in the isolated tendon vibration group (Tv group). The greatest increases in the number of Fos-ir neurons were found in the L4 (+100%) and L5 (+105%) segments (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Suppression of NO release after introduction of 7-NI was associated with potentiation of Fos immunoreactivity induced by muscle proprioceptive signaling within distinctive regions of the spinal cord.

Coupling of c-fos expression in the spinal cord and amygdala induced by dorsal neck muscles fatigue.

c-fos gene expression in the cervical spinal cord and amygdala was examined in anaesthetized rats following muscle fatigue caused by intermittent high-rate (100 s(-1)) electrical stimulation of the dorsal neck muscles (m. trapezius and m. splenius). Fatigue-related increases in c-fos expression were observed on the stimulated muscle side in the cervical C2-C4 (layers 1, 3-5, 7 and 10) spinal segments, bilaterally in the lumbar L4-L6 (layer 1) segments and in contralateral central (Ce), medial (Me), and basomedial (BM) amygdaloid nuclei. A scarce number of staining cells were found within lateral and basolateral nuclei. The rostro-caudal extent of c-fos expression in the spinal cord supports functional coupling of the cervical and lumbar regions during the neck muscle fatigue development. The distinct c-fos expression in the Ce and Me amygdaloid nuclei suggests that they may contribute to mediating the neck muscle fatigue-related nociception, autonomic and behavioural responses.

Acute muscle inflammation enhances the monosynaptic reflexes and c-fos expression in the feline spinal cord.

The aim of this research was to study the changes of the motor reflex activity (monosynaptic reflex (MSR) of the flexor and extensor muscles) and Fos immunoreactivity in lumbo-sacral spinal cord after acute induced myositis of m. gastrocnemius-soleus (GS). The experiments were carried out on ischaemic decerebrated, spinalized in C1 cats. After infiltration of the GS muscle with carrageenan (2%) MSRs of flexors and extensors showed a significant increase in amplitude +127+/-24.5% and +155+/-28.5%, respectively, p<0.05. The exposed effect was initiated within 30 min and achieved a maximum 2.8h after the intramuscular injections of carrageenan. After analysis of dynamics of the MSRs, animals were perfused and c-fos expression in the spinal segments L6-S1 was evaluated. In comparison to sham-operated animals, the number of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells was noticeably increased in the lumbar cord of cats with carrageenan-induced myositis. The labeled cells were concentrated in the ipsilateral laminae I/II, neck of the dorsal horn (V/VI) and intermediate zone (VII), however, clear predominance of their concentration was found in the deep laminae. The effect of muscle inflammation was also expressed as a significant decline in the number of NADPH-d-reactive cells (p<0.05) in ipsilateral laminae I/II of L6/L7. The results show that the input from acutely inflamed muscles may induce an increase of the reflex responsiveness of flexors and extensors which is not mediated via the gamma-spindle-loop and which coincides with a significant increase in c-fos expression in the deep laminae of the lumbar spinal cord.

Capsaicin-induced effects on c-fos expression and NADPH-diaphorase activity in the feline spinal cord.

The distribution of c-fos expression and NADPH-diaphorase reactivity in the cervical and lumbar segments after stimulation of the vanilloid receptors in the dorsal neck muscles with capsaicin was studied in cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose. After the unilateral intramuscular injection of capsaicin, the mean number of Fos-immunoreactive neurons detected with an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique was significantly increased in the superficial laminae (I), neck of the dorsal horn (V), and area around the central canal (VII) within both the cervical and lumbar spinal cord. Most Fos-immunoreactive neurons in the cervical spinal cord were giant and small cells. The widespread distribution of Fos-immunoreactive cells throughout the cervical cord within the intermediate zone (VII) coincided with the sites of localization of last-order premotor interneurons and cells of origin of inter-segmental crossed and uncrossed descending propriospinal pathways to the lumbar spinal cord. Fos-immunoreactive neurons were co-distributed with nitric oxide-generating cells at both levels of the spinal cord, although the double-labeled cells were not observed. In conclusion, the analysis of c-fos expression and NADPH-diaphorase reactivity shows that stimulation of vanilloid receptors in the neck muscles can initiate distinctive neuronal plasticity in the cervical (C1-C8) and lumbar (L1-L7) segments, and confirms the anatomical and functional coupling of both regions during processing of nociceptive signals from the dorsal neck muscles.

Effects in feline gastrocnemius-soleus motoneurones induced by muscle fatigue.

Responses of gastrocnemius-soleus (G-S) motoneurones to stretches of the homonymous muscles were recorded intracellularly in decerebrate cats before, during and after fatiguing stimulation (FST) of G-S muscles. Ventral roots (VR) L7 and S1 were cut, and FST was applied to VR S1, a single FST session including 4 to 5 repetitions of 12-s periods of regular 40 s(-1) stimulation. Muscle stretches consisted of several phases of slow sinusoidal shortening-lengthening cycles and intermediate constant lengths. The maximal stretch of the muscles was 8.8 mm above the rest length. Effects of FST on excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and spikes evoked by the muscle stretches were studied in 12 motoneurones from ten experiments. Stretch-evoked EPSPs and firing were predominantly suppressed after FST, with the exception of a post-contraction increase of the first EPSP after FST, which was most likely due to after-effects in the activity of muscle spindle afferents. The post-fatigue suppression of EPSPs and spike activity was followed by restoration within 60-100 s. Additional bouts of FST augmented the intensity of post-fatigue suppression of EPSPs, with the spike activity sometimes disappearing completely. FST itself elicited EPSPs at latencies suggesting activation of muscle spindle group Ia afferents via stimulation of beta-fibres. The suppression of the stretch-evoked responses most likely resulted from fatigue-evoked activity of group III and IV muscle afferents. Presynaptic inhibition could be one of the mechanisms involved, but homosynaptic depression in the FST-activated group Ia afferents may also have contributed.

Fatigue-related depression of the feline monosynaptic gastrocnemius-soleus reflex.

In decerebrate cats, changes in the monosynaptic reflex (MSR) of gastrocnemius-soleus (G-S) motoneurones were studied after fatiguing stimulation (FST) of the G-S muscles. Monosynaptic reflexes were evoked by stimulation of Ia fibres in the G-S nerve and recorded from a filament of ventral root (VR) L7. FST (intermittent 40 s(-1) stimulation for 10-12 min) was applied to the distal part of the cut VR S1. FST reduced MSR amplitudes to 0.64 +/- 0.04 (mean +/-s.e.m.) of the prefatigue values. The suppression remained stable for approximately 25 min and then MSR amplitudes gradually returned towards the normal. To test for the involvement of presynaptic and recurrent inhibition, MSRs were conditioned by stimulation of the nerve to the posterior biceps and semitendinosus (PBSt) muscles or a filament of VR L7, respectively. The intensity of presynaptic inhibition (reduction of the normalized value of MSR amplitude during conditioning) increased from 0.19 +/- 0.02 in prefatigue to 0.44 +/- 0.04 within a 5.3-18.2 min interval after FST, followed by a recovery. In contrast, the intensity of recurrent inhibition first diminished from 0.23 +/- 0.02 in prefatigue to 0.15 +/- 0.01 within 15.6-30.1 min after FST and then gradually recovered. Both primary afferent depolarization and the intensity of antidromic discharges in primary afferents increased with the presynaptic inhibition intensity. These results demonstrate a fatigue-related suppression of Ia excitation of synergistic motoneurones, probably arising from the activation of group III and IV afferents. The effects could in part be due to increased presynaptic inhibition, while recurrent inhibition plays a minor role.

NO-generating neurons in the medullary cardiovascular centers of rodents and carnivores.

The aim of the study was to characterize the species-related differences in the distribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-containing neurons in rodents and carnivores medullary cardiovascular centers that take part in regulation of the sympathetic or parasympathetic drives. The order of the mean number of NOS-containing neurons in the dorsomedial and ventrolateral medulla (per section) in different animals was as follows: dog>cat>rat. Although the density of the positive cells in the both regions was changed in the following sequence: rat=cat>dog. Within the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus significant exceeding of the mean number and density of positive cells (preganglionic vagal neurons) in dog were found. Differences in the distribution of NO-generating neurons in the medullary cardiovascular centers and the heterogeneity in the basal level of NO release may contribute to the distinctive alterations of the hemodynamic reactions in the studied species after administration of NOS inhibitors.

NADPH-diaphorase activity and c-fos expression in medullary neurons after fatiguing stimulation of hindlimb muscles in the rat.

In anaesthetised rats, Fos-immunoreactive and NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurons in the medulla and, for comparison, in the spinal cord were studied after fatiguing stimulation of the hindlimb muscles. Following both direct muscle stimulation and L5 ventral root stimulation, fatigue-related c-fos gene expression was most prominent in the dorsal horn of the ipsilateral L2-L5 segments and within the ipsilateral nucleus tractus solitarius, the caudoventrolateral and rostroventrolateral reticular nuclei, and the intermediate reticular nucleus at levels of -14.3 and -13.8 mm, and contralaterally at -13.2 mm caudal to the bregma. The order of intensity of c-fos expression was as follows: nucleus tractus solitarius>caudoventrolateral and rostroventrolateral reticular nuclei>intermediate reticular nucleus>lateral paragigantocellular nucleus. NADPH-diaphorase reactivity was changed in the following sequence: NTS>intermediate reticular nucleus lateral paragigantocellular nucleus>rostroventrolateral reticular nucleus. Fos-immunoreactive neurons were codistributed with NADPH-diaphorase-reactive cells within the dorsomedial and ventrolateral medulla, and double-staining neurons were found in the nucleus tractus solitarius, intermediate reticular nucleus and lateral paragigantocellular nucleus. The patterns of distribution of c-fos expression and NADPH-diaphorase reactivity show that afferent signals arising from fatiguing muscles may activate spinal and medullary neurons which are involved in nociceptive and cardiovascular reflex pathways. The functional role of nitric oxide (NO) in the generation of cardiovascular and somatosensory responses in the medulla during fatigue of skeletal muscles is discussed.