Action of depressor-I, a hypotensive phospholipid from bovine brain, on systemic and arterial blood pressures of various species.
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Effects of "Depressor-I" (D-I), a new hypotensive phospholipid obtained from bovine brain lipid fraction, on systemic arterial blood pressure were investigated. The hypotensive activity of D-I in urethane anaesthetized rats was dose dependent and tachyphylaxis and/or sensitization were not observed. Increments of the respiration and the heart rate were observed with sharp falls in blood pressures following intravenous administration of D-I, in simultaneous recordings in anaesthetized rats. D-I elicited hypotension in all species of animals examined, and the sensitivities to D-I were much the same, however, there were two types in patterns of duration on responses and the durations were also dose dependent. D-I exhibited depressor-responses even in conscious rats, though responses were much smaller compared with those seen in anaesthetized rats. In a comparison of anaesthetic agents in rats, the highest hypotensive activity of D-I was observed with pentobarbital anaesthesia, a moderate response was seen with alpha-chloralose and the least response was seen with urethane. In spinal rats or those pretreated with reserpine or antagonists, such as atropine, diphenhydramine, propranolol and hexamethonium, D-I also elicited hypotension. These results suggest that "Depressor-I" does not elicit the depressor action via the stimulation of the central and the autonomic nervous systems but rather by a direct action on peripheral blood vessels. (+info)
Sensitivity to painful and nonpainful electrocutaneous stimuli in monkeys: effects of anterolateral chordotomy.
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Four Macaca nemestrina monkeys were trained to pull a manipulandum to escape electrocutaneous stimulation (ES) applied to either leg. The intensities of stimulation which the monkeys chose to escape were those that humans identify as painful. The duration of escape trials was inversely related to stimulus intensity, and the force of escape responses was directly related to ES intensity. Reflexive responses were elicited by stimulus intensities below and above the escape threshold, and the force of the flexion reflexes was a negatively accelerating function of stimulus magnitude. The monkeys were also trained to respond, for water reinforcement, to cued, low-intensity ES. The stimulus intensities detected for water reinforcement were 50-100 X less than the escape thresholds. Following unilateral, anterolateral chordotomy, all monkeys demonstrated a large reduction in percentage of escape responding to stimulation of the contralateral leg. When the animals did escape contralateral stimulation, the latencies to respond were longer than preoperatively. The percentage and latency of escape responses to stimulation of the ipsilateral leg were not changed following chordotomy. Despite the depression of contralateral pain reactivity, the animals continued to respond to low levels of stimulation on the detection task, demonstrating that anterolateral chordotomy reduced the painfulness of strong stimulation without eliminating sensibility for low levels of stimulation. However, postoperative detection thresholds were consistently higher contralaterally than ipsilaterally. This effect resulted from slight contralateral decreases and significant ipsilateral increases in sensitivity to low levels of ES (relative to preoperative values). Thus, contralateral axons in the anterolateral column contribute to detection of light cutaneous stimulation, and chordotomy appears to disinhibit inputs from large myelinated afferent fibers to ipsilateral neurons in the spinal gray matter caudal to the lesion. The strictly contralateral slowing and reduction in percentage of pain reactivity by chordotomy correlated with reports from human patients. However, reflexive measures did not suffice as indicants of pain sensitivity. The chordotomies produced bilateral attenuations of reflexive amplitudes. Also, the force of operant escape responses was reduced with stimulation of either side. Thus, the disfacilitation of motoric reactions extended both rostral and caudal to the spinal lesions that interrupted propriospinal axons in the vicinity of the ventral horns. (+info)
Functional recovery of locomotive behavior in the adult spinal dog.
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Complete transection of the midthoracic spinal cord was performed on adult female dogs. Development of reflexes and locomotive movements in the hindlimbs after spinal transection was investigated over several months. In the earlier stages after the surgery, dogs showed flaccid paralysis of the hindlimbs. Within several weeks, muscle tone of the hindlimbs was gradually increased accompanied by development of flexion reflex with after-discharge in addition to monosynaptic reflexes. Alternating stepping movement also began to develop. Afterward, extensor thrust and crossed extension reflex were observed. Standing behavior of the hindlimbs was found after enough development of the extensor thrust and correct placement of the pads of the toes. Steady development of stepping and standing caused forward locomotion using fore- and hindlimbs. This walking behavior of the hindlimbs was never inhibited by additional spinal cord transection. These findings indicate that the isolated spinal cord caudal to the transected site is responsible for the locomotive behavior of the hindlimbs in adult spinal dogs. Spinal automatism and development of responses induced by afferent inflow from outside the cord may help to explain such functional recovery of the paralyzed hindlimbs. (+info)
Functional change in the rat spinal cord by chronic spinal transection and possible roles of monoamine neurons.
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Two types of spinal reflex responses, extensor reflex and ventral root potential, were compared physiologically and pharmacologically in acute and chronic spinal cord transected rats. The recovery curve of the extensor reflex, recorded as evoked electromyogram, in chronic spinal rats was strikingly different from that in acute spinal rats. Namely, shortening of the reflex amplitude suppression period (stimulus interval: 20 msec) and appearance of the supernormal period (30-60 msec) were observed in chronic spinal rats. The recovery curves of ventral root potential (monosynaptic reflex) and M wave were almost the same in both preparations. In the frequency depression curve, the amplitude of the extensor reflex in chronic spinal rats was higher at high frequency stimulation than that in acute spinal rats. 5-Hydroxytryptophan, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and quipazine enhanced the extensor reflex in chronic spinal rats with a potency of 200-400, 8 and 4 times stronger than that in acute spinal rats, respectively. These drugs did not show consistent effects on the monosynaptic reflex of ventral root potential in chronic spinal rats. These results strongly suggest that the spinal interneurons where descending serotonergic fibers terminate become supersensitive and functionally modified in chronic spinal rats. It is speculated that the supersensitivity of these interneurons may play an important role in spasticity. (+info)
Acidaemia produced by spinal stimulation in the pithed rat.
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1. Electrical stimulation of the thoraco-lumbar spinal nervous outflow in the pithed rat preparation produces a fall in arterial blood pH.2. A component of the acidaemic response results from stimulation of skeletal muscle, since the acidaemic response is reduced when contractions of muscle are blocked with gallamine.3. The residual acidaemic response in gallamine-treated rats is reduced by adrenalectomy, suggesting that catecholamines liberated from the adrenal medulla may mediate part of the effect.4. Guanethidine reduces the acidaemic response remaining in adrenalectomized, gallamine-treated rats, suggesting that the effect of noradrenaline released from sympathetic nerve endings contributes to the fall in pH.5. Neither phenoxybenzamine nor propanolol alone significantly reduces the acidaemic response in gallamine-treated rats, but a combination of the two antagonists almost abolishes the effect. Hence the acidaemia is mediated through effects of catecholamines on both alpha- and beta-adreno-receptors.6. Since acidaemia affects responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation and sympathomimetic amines, the significance of these observations is discussed with reference to the use of the pithed rat preparation for assessment of drugs affecting adrenergic mechanisms. (+info)
The detection of differential beta-adrenoceptor blockade in the cat.
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1. Tachycardia and bronchodilatation were produced by intravenous dimethylphenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP) in the spinal or pithed cat. Responses other than those involving beta-adrenoceptors were minimized by appropriate blocking agents.2. With intact adrenals, both the tachycardia and bronchodilatation with 10 mug/kg DMPP were equal to those with 1 mug/kg adrenaline.3. After adrenalectomy, tachycardia with 100 mug/kg DMPP was equal to that with 1.5 mug/kg adrenaline, but the bronchodilatation was equal to that with only 0.3 mug/kg. This difference may reflect the relative activity of the sympathetic supply to the organs.4. After adrenalectomy, propranolol was 3 times as effective against bronchodilatation due to DMPP as against tachycardia. Practolol was inactive against bronchodilatation.5. With intact adrenals, propranolol reduced both tachycardia and bronchodilatation due to DMPP equally. Propranolol also antagonized equally both effects of adrenaline in the pithed cat after adrenalectomy.6. In the spinal cat, propranolol caused bradycardia and bronchoconstriction that persisted after adrenalectomy or pithing. It was reduced by pempidine and guanethidine and is attributed to spontaneous adrenergic neuronal activity.7. The Appendix describes a device for cycle-by-cycle spirometry and correction for zero drift of a micromanometer, used in this study for the continuous recording of bronchial resistance. (+info)
Percutaneous cordotomy. A simplified approach to the management of intractable pain.
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Cordotomy for palliation of intractable pain was simplified by the use of a stereotactic percutaneous technique. The procedure is performed at the high cervical level and has been found to give good results for pain in the upper as well as the lower extremity and the trunk. Respiratory complications are the major hazard, but they may be reduced by careful selection and evaluation of patients. (+info)
Reflex and cerebellar influences on alpha and on 'rhythmic' and 'tonic' gamma activity in the intercostal muscle.
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1. Efferent intercostal alpha and gamma activity and afferent intercostal muscle spindle activity were studied in decerebrate cats in response to stimulation of the anterior lobe of the cerebellum and to postural and other reflexes.2. Low threshold intercostal responses were elicited from lobuli IV and V of the anterior lobe of the cerebellum.3. The existence of two functionally different types of intercostal gamma neurones has been confirmed. These are the ;rhythmic' or ;specifically respiratory' gamma neurones, and the ;tonic' gamma neurones.4. In response to cerebellar stimulation, facilitatory, inhibitory and diphasic tetanic and post-tetanic effects were obtained from alpha and the two types of gamma fibres in both external and internal intercostal nerve branches.5. Generally both inspiratory and expiratory alpha and gamma activity was facilitated in response to tetanic stimulation at contralateral stimulus sites, and inhibited in response to stimulation of ipsilateral sites.6. ;Rhythmic' gamma activity appeared to be rather closely linked to the respiratory alpha activity but the balance between ;rhythmic' gamma and alpha was often changed in response to cerebellar stimulation, as indicated by the responses of primary muscle spindle afferents.7. The ;tonic' gamma neurones were as a rule more responsive to cerebellar stimulation than were the alpha and ;rhythmic' gamma neurones. Long-lasting post-tetanic effects were much more prominent in the ;tonic' gamma fibres than in the alpha or ;rhythmic' gamma fibres.8. ;Rhythmic' gamma activity was abolished after cervical transections of the cord. ;Tonic' gamma activity remained in the spinal preparations although usually at a different discharge rate.9. ;Tonic' gamma neurones were more responsive than the ;rhythmic' gamma neurones to the proprioceptive gamma reflex elicited by passive movements of the chest wall as well as to other spinal and supraspinal reflexes.10. Both ;dynamic' and ;static' gamma fibres seem to be represented in the group of ;tonic' intercostal gamma neurones.11. The significance of the results are discussed with regard to the following two main points: (a) integration of respiratory and postural functions of the intercostal muscles; (b) cerebellar control of the alpha-gamma balance in active contractions and passive relaxations. (+info)