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Developmental adaptation of withdrawal reflexes to early alteration of peripheral innervation in the rat

Holmberg, Hans and Schouenborg, Jens LU orcid (1996) In Journal of Physiology 495(2). p.399-409
Abstract

1. In adult decerebrate spinal rats whose plantar nerves (PLN) had been transected at either postnatal day 1. (P1) or P21 the nociceptive withdrawal reflexes (NWR) of musculi extensor digitorum longus (EDL), peroneus longus (PER) and semitendinosus (ST) were characterized with respect to receptive field (RF) organization, magnitude and time course, using electromyography. Thermal (short CO2 laser pulses) and mechanical (calibrated pinch) stimulation were used. The innervation patterns in normal and lesioned adult rats mrere assessed by acute nerve lesions. 2. The spatial organization of the mean mechano- and thermonociceptive RFs of all the muscles studied was similar to normal in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats, although in... (More)

1. In adult decerebrate spinal rats whose plantar nerves (PLN) had been transected at either postnatal day 1. (P1) or P21 the nociceptive withdrawal reflexes (NWR) of musculi extensor digitorum longus (EDL), peroneus longus (PER) and semitendinosus (ST) were characterized with respect to receptive field (RF) organization, magnitude and time course, using electromyography. Thermal (short CO2 laser pulses) and mechanical (calibrated pinch) stimulation were used. The innervation patterns in normal and lesioned adult rats mrere assessed by acute nerve lesions. 2. The spatial organization of the mean mechano- and thermonociceptive RFs of all the muscles studied was similar to normal in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats, although in some P21-lesioned rats atypical EDL RFs were encountered. 3. In P1-lesioned rats thermo-NWR of PER and EDL had normal magnitudes, while mechano-NWR were reduced. In P21-lesioned rats both thermo- and mechano-NWR of these muscles had reduced magnitudes. Except for thermo-NWR of ST in P1-lesioned rats, which were increased, NWR of ST had normal magnitudes in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats. The time course of thermonociceptive NWR of the muscles studied were near normal in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats. 4. Acute nerve lesions in adult P1-lesioned rats revealed an essentially abolished contribution to NWR from the PLN. Instead, the contribution to NWR from other hindpaw nerves, such as the superficial and deep peroneal nerves, was dramatically increased. By contrast, in P21 lesioned rats, the regenerated PLN contributed significantly to the NWR. 5. It is concluded that despite profound alterations of plantar hindpaw innervation induced by early PLN transection the cutaneous nociceptive input to NWR attained an essentially normal spatial organization. An experience-dependent mechanism is suggested to be instrumental in adapting the reflex connectivity to the peripheral innervation.

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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
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in
Journal of Physiology
volume
495
issue
2
pages
11 pages
publisher
The Physiological Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029777339
  • scopus:0029777339
  • pmid:8887752
ISSN
1469-7793
DOI
10.1113/jphysiol.1996.sp021602
language
English
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yes
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993e0859-a3fd-492b-8df6-93bce6eccca7
date added to LUP
2019-06-24 16:04:12
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2024-01-16 03:56:55
@article{993e0859-a3fd-492b-8df6-93bce6eccca7,
  abstract     = {{<p>1. In adult decerebrate spinal rats whose plantar nerves (PLN) had been transected at either postnatal day 1. (P1) or P21 the nociceptive withdrawal reflexes (NWR) of musculi extensor digitorum longus (EDL), peroneus longus (PER) and semitendinosus (ST) were characterized with respect to receptive field (RF) organization, magnitude and time course, using electromyography. Thermal (short CO<sub>2</sub> laser pulses) and mechanical (calibrated pinch) stimulation were used. The innervation patterns in normal and lesioned adult rats mrere assessed by acute nerve lesions. 2. The spatial organization of the mean mechano- and thermonociceptive RFs of all the muscles studied was similar to normal in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats, although in some P21-lesioned rats atypical EDL RFs were encountered. 3. In P1-lesioned rats thermo-NWR of PER and EDL had normal magnitudes, while mechano-NWR were reduced. In P21-lesioned rats both thermo- and mechano-NWR of these muscles had reduced magnitudes. Except for thermo-NWR of ST in P1-lesioned rats, which were increased, NWR of ST had normal magnitudes in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats. The time course of thermonociceptive NWR of the muscles studied were near normal in both P1- and P21-lesioned rats. 4. Acute nerve lesions in adult P1-lesioned rats revealed an essentially abolished contribution to NWR from the PLN. Instead, the contribution to NWR from other hindpaw nerves, such as the superficial and deep peroneal nerves, was dramatically increased. By contrast, in P21 lesioned rats, the regenerated PLN contributed significantly to the NWR. 5. It is concluded that despite profound alterations of plantar hindpaw innervation induced by early PLN transection the cutaneous nociceptive input to NWR attained an essentially normal spatial organization. An experience-dependent mechanism is suggested to be instrumental in adapting the reflex connectivity to the peripheral innervation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Holmberg, Hans and Schouenborg, Jens}},
  issn         = {{1469-7793}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{399--409}},
  publisher    = {{The Physiological Society}},
  series       = {{Journal of Physiology}},
  title        = {{Developmental adaptation of withdrawal reflexes to early alteration of peripheral innervation in the rat}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1996.sp021602}},
  doi          = {{10.1113/jphysiol.1996.sp021602}},
  volume       = {{495}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}