Multiunit neural responses to strong finger pulp vibration. I. Relationship to age

The effect of age on mechanoreceptive function in the distal part of the fingers was studied in 12 healthy subjects aged 18-64 years. A recording microelectrode was inserted into a sensory fascicle of the median nerve at the wrist. Multiunit mechanoreceptor activity was recorded from the fascicular field, which is typically restricted to the ulnar or radial half of one finger, corresponding to the innervation zone of one digital nerve. Strong standardized vibration (40 Hz) was applied to the finger pulp, with the amplitude of the vibration pulses high enough to induce maximal neural impulse volleys. With the same microelectrode recording position, maximal neural impulse volleys were also induced by electrical pulses applied to the ventral digital nerve supplying the finger pulp. In each subject, the areas of the mechanically and the electrically induced responses were measured (after integration and averaging) and the ratio of mechanically to electrically induced responses (MR/ER) was determined. The MR/ER ratio decreased with increasing age of the subject. This finding was considered to indicate that it is the peripheral parts of the sensory units, involved in the mechanoelectrical transfer functions, that exhibit the most pronounced degenerative changes during the ageing process. This is in line with previous histological findings of pronounced age-related degeneration of Meissner corpuscles and other mechanoreceptive end organs in the finger pulps.

Multiunit neural responses to strong finger pulp vibration. II. Comparison with tactile sensory thresholds

In a companion microneurographic study (Schmidt et al. 1990) maximal multiunit sensory responses to finger pulp vibration were compared with maximal responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the digital nerve. It was found that the MR/ER ratio, i.e. the ratio between the magnitudes of the responses to mechanical and electrical stimulation, decreased with increasing age. The shape of this age-related decline in the ratio corresponded well with the decrease in the number of Meissner corpuscles found in histological studies. In the present study the tactile sensory detection thresholds were measured in the same subjects that participated in the companion study and the relationship between these thresholds and the MR/ER ratios was examined. The tactile sensory detection threshold increased with age. A weak negative correlation was found between the threshold and the ratio. However, after compensation for common age-mediated effects, this negative correlation disappeared. Thus, the results indicate that measurement of tactile sensory detection thresholds and determination of MR/ER ratios may complement each other, giving an indication of different types of derangement of the mechanoreceptive system.

Ultrastructural three-dimensional reconstruction of group III and group IV sensory nerve endings ("free nerve endings") in the knee joint capsule of the cat: evidence for multiple receptive sites

The noncorpuscular endings ("free nerve endings") of thinly myelinated group III and nonmyelinated group IV afferent nerve fibers have been examined in the knee joint capsule of sympathectomized cats by transmission electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction of series of semi- and ultrathin sections. The sensory ending is the most distal part of a group III or IV nerve fiber that consists only of the sensory axon and associated Schwann cells but lacks a myelin sheath and is not surrounded by perineurium. The sensory axon divides into several branches and forms a terminal tree. The branches run either as single fibers or within small Remak bundles in parallel to sensory axons of other endings; they spread along vessel walls and also extend into dense connective tissue. Each sensory axon consists of a series of spindle-shaped thick segments ("beads") connected by waist-like thin segments. Thus all axons of sensory endings have a string-of-beads appearance, which resembles that of efferent sympathetic nerve fibers. The beads of the sensory axon and the end bulb at its tip show the same ultrastructural features which are characteristic of receptive sites: an accumulation of mitochondria and glycogen particles and various vesicles in the axoplasm and "bare" areas of axolemma that are not covered by Schwann cell processes. Group III and group IV sensory endings differ in the length of their branches (up to 200 microM in group III vs. more than 300 microM in group IV), number of beads per 100 microM axon length (about seven vs. nine or ten), mean diameter of axons (0.9-1.5 microM vs. 0.3-0.6 microM), and the presence of a neurofilament core consisting of bundles of parallel microfilaments only in group III. In conclusion, we propose that the sensory part of noncorpuscular "free nerve endings" is formed by the entire terminal tree of group III or group IV nerve fibers and that the beads in the course of the sensory axon represent multiple receptive sites.

Gating of tactile input from the hand. II. Effects of remote movements and anaesthesia

Tactile sensations of flutter or pressure were evoked in alert human subjects by intraneural microstimulation in the median nerve. Ratings were obtained of the magnitude of sensations at threshold for conscious detection during movement of the finger to which they were projected, of neighbouring fingers or of the opposite hand. Results showed that inhibition of flutter sensation was maximal in the moved finger (48%), with a weaker graded effect from adjacent (23%) to distant (19%) fingers of the same hand. Sensations of pressure were more markedly suppressed but the gradients were similar. Movement of the opposite hand and isometric contraction of the forearm muscles had little effect. Local anaesthetic blocks of the median and other upper limb nerves counteracted most of the inhibitory effect of movement on cutaneous flutter sensation. We conclude that sensory gating is largely restricted to the moved digits, that it applies to submodalities of both flutter and pressure and that sensory gating is mostly mediated by cutaneous receptor input from the hand.

Changes in extracellular potassium concentration in cat spinal cord in response to innocuous and noxious stimulation of legs with healthy and inflamed knee joints

In 20 cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose and spinalized at the thoracolumbar junction we investigated the role of stimulation induced accumulation of extracellular potassium in the spinal cord in the processing of nociceptive discharges from the knee joint. For that we electrically stimulated the posterior articular nerve of the knee. We further performed innocuous and noxious stimulation of the knee and of other parts of the leg and studied the effect of an acute inflammation of the knee on [K+]0 in the spinal cord. Innocuous stimulation of the skin (brushing or touching) and innocuous movements in the knee joint all induced rises in [K+]0 which were maximal at recording depths of 1500 to 2200 microns below the surface of the cord dorsum. Peak increases were 0.4 mM for touching the leg and 1.7 mM during rhythmic flexion/extension of the knee joint. Noxious stimulation of the skin, the paw, the tendon and noxious movements of the knee joint also produced rises in [K+]0, which were somewhat larger for the individual types of stimuli than those produced by innocuous intensities. Electrical stimulation of the posterior articular nerve induced rises in [K+]0 by up to 0.6 mM. Stimulus intensities sufficient to activate unmyelinated group IV fibers were only slightly effective in raising [K+]0 above the levels reached during stimulation of myelinated group II and III fibers. During development of an acute inflammation of the knee joint (induced by kaolin and carrageenan), increases in [K+]0 and associated field potentials became larger by about 25%. We assume that this reflects an increase in neuronal responses. In conclusion, changes in [K+]0 in the spinal cord are somewhat larger during noxious stimulation than during innocuous stimulation. The absolute level reached depended more on the site and type of stimulation than on the actual stimulus intensity itself. Hence a critical role of spinal K+ accumulation for nociception is unlikely.

Gating of tactile input from the hand. I. Effects of finger movement

Intraneural microstimulation within the median nerve of alert healthy subjects was used to evoke tactile sensations at threshold for conscious detection. The effect of movement on these sensations was studied by asking the subjects to estimate their magnitude before, during and after movement of the appropriate finger at different speeds. It was found that sensations of flutter and pressure were both attenuated by movement, as was the magnitude of spontaneous paraesthesiae. The degree of sensory inhibition correlated positively with speed of movement and was comparable to the previously reported reduction in cortical somatosensory evoked potentials by movement, using suprathreshold stimuli. These results indicate that (i) movement inhibits tactile sensations of different qualities, (ii) such inhibition is velocity-dependent, and (iii) threshold sensations are amenable to central modulation short of their abolition. It is likely that the mechanisms of inhibition of exteroceptive inputs during movement are contingent upon the character of the sensory stimulus and the nature of the motor task.

Sensitization of articular afferents to mechanical stimuli by bradykinin

In 18 cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose, we recorded from thin myelinated and unmyelinated articular afferents of the medial articular nerve of the knee joint. Bradykinin was injected intra-arterially close to the knee, alone and in combination with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and changes of the responses of single afferents to movements of the knee were monitored. Bradykinin changed the mechanosensitivity in 20 of 28 afferents inducing movement sensitivity in initially unresponsive units, lowering the threshold for movements in high-threshold afferents and/or enhancing pre-existing responses to innocuous and/or noxious joint movements in low and high threshold units. Also the application of PGE2 and bradykinin within a short interval sensitized the majority of these afferents, and in about 50% of the afferents the effect of the combination was superior to those induced by the single substances. We conclude that the inflammatory mediator bradykinin is able to sensitize articular afferents for movement stimuli and that PGE2 may enhance this effect. It is suggested that in arthritis inflammatory mediators act synergistically in the initiation and stabilization of the increased mechanosensitivity of slowly conducting articular afferents.

Serial sectioning, electron microscopy, and three-dimensional reconstruction of fine nerve fibres and other extended objects

Two different techniques for three-dimensional reconstructions of nerve fibres or other extended fine tissue structures were developed to study the afferent innervation of the cat's knee-joint capsule. The re-embedding technique starts with series of semithin sections for light microscopic reconstructions. In a second step, selected semithin sections can be re-embedded for ultramicrotomy to examine ultrastructural details. This method offers the possibility to investigate fine structures over a distance of several hundred micrometres without any loss of ultrastructural information. The serial section-ESI technique is based on the electron spectroscopic imaging of semithin sections. Small tissue blocks are cut into series of either semithin or alternate semi- and ultrathin sections which can be directly used for a complete ultrastructural investigation. Finally, true-to-scale three-dimensional reconstructions are performed by graphical techniques or computer-aided methods.

Morphological characteristics of the innervation of the cat's knee joint

The peripheral and central terminals of primary afferents of the cat's knee joint were studied with light- and electron microscopy (including HRP-transport methods). The majority of these afferent fibres are unmyelinated or thinly myelinated. In the periphery, they terminate in non-corpuscular endings. A dense network of branching nerve fibres surround the blood vessels to terminate at the vessel walls or in the adjacent dense collagenous tissue. Besides the terminals the fibres show preterminal bulges which are assumed to represent additional transduction sites. This implies that the whole distal fibre portion has a receptive function. The spinal projection is located in lamina I and V-VII of the dorsal horn. This location parallels that of muscular and visceral fibres, pointing to the possibility of a common projection pattern for deep somatic afferent fibres in the spinal cord of the cat.

Effects of capsaicin on articular afferents of the cat's knee joint

This study on the effects of capsaicin on primary afferents from normal knee joints of the cat was performed to further elucidate the mechanisms of articular pain evoked by an acute arthritis and by chemical irritants. It showed that close i.a. bolus injection of capsaicin (10(-7)-10(-4) M) excites most fine articular afferents (conduction velocity less than or equal to 11.3 m/s) whereas fast units are not excited. Fine afferents with low to medium thresholds to knee joint movement are less readily excited by capsaicin than high threshold ones. The response to capsaicin is usually a rapid burst of impulses of a very short latency. This response pattern differs considerably from that seen after application of endogenous substances produced in inflammation. Thus capsaicin seems to differ in its mode of action from that of endogenous algesic substances.

Time course of mechanosensitivity changes in articular afferents during a developing experimental arthritis

1. In 37 cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose recordings were made from single-afferent units of the medial articular nerve (MAN) of the right knee joint. First the mechanosensitivity of such units was characterized while the joint was in normal condition. Thereafter, keeping the afferents under continuous observation, an experimental arthritis was induced by injecting kaolin and carrageenan into the joint cavity. The effects of the developing arthritis including the time course of the changes were studied on low- and high-threshold units and on afferents that had no mechanosensitivity in the normal joint. 2. The arthritis increased the mechanosensitivity in the majority of the low-threshold units, i.e., in units that responded already in the normal joint to movements in the working range. Enhanced responses to movements were found for 12 of 16 thick myelinated group II, 10 of 10 fine myelinated group III, and 1 of 3 unmyelinated group IV afferents. The augmentation of reactions developed in most cases within the first hour after the injection of the inflammatory compounds, sometimes starting immediately after the injection. A further rise of the mechanosensitivity was observed within the following 2-4 h. In most group III units enhanced responses for movements were accompanied by an induction or increase of resting discharges. In 1 group II and 1 group IV unit spontaneous activity developed in the absence of any change of movement-sensitivity. 3. The inflammation led to enhanced mechanosensitivity in high-threshold afferents, i.e., in units that responded in the normal joint only to noxious movements exceeding the working range of the knee. One group II, 10 of 12 group III, and 5 of 10 group IV units of this type became responsive to movements in the working range during development of arthritis, in most cases within the second to third hour after induction of inflammation with a further increase later on. In a high proportion of these units resting activity was induced too. Few high-threshold units developed spontaneous discharges but no responses to movements in the working range. The time course for development of resting activity was similar to that for lowering of the mechanical threshold. 4. The experimental arthritis induced afferent activity in 1 of 2 group III and 10 of 14 group IV units that in the normal joint were unresponsive to local mechanical stimulation and to innocuous/noxious movements (but responsive to a bolus of a KCl-solution applied intraarterially close to the joint).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Excitation and sensitization of fine articular afferents from cat's knee joint by prostaglandin E2

1. In cats anaesthetized with alpha-chloralose extracellular recordings were made from fine afferent units belonging to the medial articular nerve of the knee joint. The excitatory and sensitizing effects on articular afferents of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) applied intra-arterially close to the joint were examined. 2. Bolus injections of PGE2 doses of 0.03-30 micrograms excited about 60% of both the group III (conduction velocity 2.5-20 m/s) and the group IV units (conduction velocity less than 2.5 m/s). The duration and size of the responses were dose dependent consisting in most cases of low-frequency discharges which lasted up to several minutes. Excitation was found among afferents with low and high mechanosensitivity. 3. Among the group III units PGE2 sensitized 64% for their responses to movements and 50% for their responses to bradykinin (applied intra-arterially close to the joint). Sensitization did not depend on the mechanical threshold previous to chemical stimulation. Among the group IV units PGE2 sensitized only 25% for their responses to movements but 75% for their reactions to bradykinin. In group IV fibres a low mechanical threshold predisposed for sensitization to movements and a higher threshold for sensitization to bradykinin. 4. Some units were sensitized and excited, others were either sensitized or excited and some units were not affected by PGE2. We conclude that PGE2 induces in a large proportion of fine articular afferents of normal joints discharges which are similar to those induced by an experimental inflammation. Thus PGE2 may be an inflammatory mediator which has a major role in the generation of the afferent activity developing in the course of an arthritis.

Acute inflammation of the knee joint in the cat alters responses of flexor motoneurons to leg movements

1. This is a report of changes in reflex excitability of flexor motoneurons in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli following initiation of an acute experimental inflammation of the knee joint in the chloralose-anaesthetized cat spinalized at level T12. 2. Activity of functionally single alpha- or gamma- motoneurons, identified by ventral root stimulation, was recorded in filaments of the nerve to biceps semitendinosus before and after onset of an acute inflammation. The inflammation was evoked by injection into the knee cavity of the compounds kaolin and carrageenan. 3. Measurements were made of resting activity, responses to local pressure applied to parts of the upper or lower limb, and to flexion or extension movements at the knee joint before and after onset of the inflammation. In two experiments, one in which no inflammation was initiated, and another in which recordings were made only after the inflammation had fully developed, a survey of large numbers of neurons (44 alpha and 84 gamma) showed that under control conditions only 14% of alpha-motoneurons showed a response to mechanical stimulation compared with 41% of gamma-motoneurons. In the presence of an inflammation 41% of alpha-cells were responsive compared with 64% of gamma-cells. 4. Inflammation-induced changes in activity of motoneurons including both excitatory and inhibitory effects, took 1-2 h to fully develop. Excitatory effects included a rise in resting discharge, an increase in the response to local pressure, and an increased response to flexion and/or to extension of the knee. Inhibitory effects included falls in resting discharge and/or in the responses to leg movements. 5. For 35 cells identified as alpha-motoneurons and tested both before and after initiation of an inflammation, 20 remained unresponsive throughout the experiment, whereas 4 that had not responded during the control period began after inflammation to respond to local pressure and/or flexion/extension movements. Of 11 units that exhibited some response before inflammation, 8 showed an increase with inflammation, whereas 2 became unresponsive. 6. The inflammation had rather more dramatic effects on gamma-neurons. Many showed control responses to leg movements, and these were measurably modified by inflammation. Of 56 gamma-cells tested under control conditions, 26 were unresponsive to all stimuli, whereas 30 showed some form of response including activity during flexion and extension movements of the leg. Where responses were tested both before and after onset of an inflammation, 11 of 13 unresponsive units remained unresponsive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Fiber size distribution of myelinated and unmyelinated axons in the medial and posterior articular nerves of the cat's knee joint

The distribution of fiber size in the posterior articular nerve (PAN) and medial articular nerve (MAN) of the cat's knee joint was studied by light and electron microscopy. The myelinated fibers of the PAN ranged from approximately 1 to 18 micron, with maxima at 3-4 micron and 8-9 micron. According to the classification of Boyd and Davey (1968), the PAN contained about 34% Group III fibers, 56% Group II fibers, and 10% Group I fibers. In contrast, the MAN showed a unimodal, skewed distribution, with a range from approximately 1 to 14 micron and a maximum at 3-4 micron. According to the Boyd and Davey classification, the PAN contained about 69% Group III fibers, 30% Group II fibers, and 1% Group I fibers. Unmyelinated fibers examined in the MAN showed a unimodal distribution, with a range of from 0.1 to 1.5 micron and a maximum at 0.4-0.5 micron. To differentiate between afferent and sympathetic fibers, a sympathectomy or ganglionectomy was performed on one side. The fiber size distribution indicated a considerable overlap in the diameter of the afferent and sympathetic unmyelinated fibers. Most sympathetic fibers had a diameter of between 0.8 and 0.9 micron, whereas afferent fibers showed a maximum at 0.3-0.4 micron. When data were combined for myelinated and unmyelinated fibers in the PAN, about 74% of the afferent fibers were found to belong to Groups III and IV; they are thought to terminate in noncorpuscular endings. The other 26% were found to belong to Groups I and II; they terminate in corpuscular receptors and muscle spindle primary and secondary endings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Convergent inputs from articular, cutaneous and muscle receptors onto ascending tract cells in the cat spinal cord

Responses were recorded from 160 ascending tract cells in segments L4 to L6 of the spinal cord in chloralose anaesthetized, spinalized cats. The tract cells were identified by antidromic activation following stimulation of pathways in the lateral and ventral funiculi at the level of the spinal cord transection at the thoracolumbar junction. Axonal conduction velocities ranged from 9 to 114 m/s. A sample of 152 of the neurones examined could be subdivided according to the distribution of their receptive fields into 49 cells activated just from receptors located in skin ("s" cells), 17 neurones excited by receptors in deep tissues ("d" cells), 15 units with a convergent input from receptors in skin and deep tissues ("sd" cells), and 25 neurones with a convergent input from the knee joint and either skin ("sj" cells), deep tissues ("dj" cells) or both ("sdj" cells). No receptive fields could be demonstrated for the remaining 46 neurones. "S" and "sj" cells were found almost exclusively in the dorsal horn, whereas many "d", "sd", "sdj" and "dj" units were in the ventral horn. Almost all of the cells that lacked receptive fields were in the ventral horn or intermediate grey. Ninety-one of 158 cells (56%) demonstrated no background activity. Of these, 43 cells (27%) lacked receptive fields. Many of the silent neurones were in the ventral horn, but some were in the dorsal horn. Of 25 cells having knee joint input, 18 (72%) had background activity. All of the neurones that had a receptive field in the knee joint also had a convergent input from receptors in other tissues. In 3 cases, there was a receptive field in the skin over the foot ("sj" cells). For 16 cells, receptive fields included not only the knee joint but also skin and deep tissue ("sdj" cells). Usually, the cutaneous receptive field was near the knee joint, but sometimes it was remote, such as on the foot. The deep receptive fields were chiefly in the muscles of the thigh and/or leg. For 6 "dj" cells, the receptive fields included not only the knee joint but also deep fields like those of "sdj" cells. Cutaneous receptive fields were classified as "low threshold" (cells excited best by innocuous intensities of mechanical stimulation), "wide dynamic range" (cells activated by weak mechanical stimuli, but the best responses were to noxious stimuli) or high threshold (innocuous stimuli had little effect, but noxious mechanical stimuli produced a vigorous discharge).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Enhancement of the responses of ascending tract cells in the cat spinal cord by acute inflammation of the knee joint

Recordings were made from 16 ascending tract cells in the spinal cords of anaesthetized, spinalized cats before and after an acute arthritis was produced by injection of kaolin and carrageenan into the knee joint. The responses tested routinely were to passive flexion of the knee, an innocuous movement. In some cases, responses to other movements were also tested, and changes in background discharge rates were monitored. Control recordings for a period of 1 h or in 3 cases of 3 h indicated that the responses to flexion were reasonably stationary. Four tract cells that initially showed little or no response to flexion of the knee joint developed large responses within 1 to 2 h after inflammation of the joint. Another 9 cells were tested that had responses to flexion of the knee joint prior to inflammation. In 6 cases, inflammation produced enhanced static or transient responses. In 2 cases, the effect of flexion was initially inhibitory or variable, but after inflammation these cells showed large excitatory responses. In the other case, inflammation had no effect. Background discharges were increased by inflammation in 6 of these 9 cells. The effect of inflammation of the knee joint was tested on 3 tract cells that had no clearly defined receptive field in the knee. In 1 case, a response developed to knee flexion after acute inflammation was produced. In the other 2 cases, there were initially responses to knee flexion, but these were unchanged by inflammation. Two of the cells tested had bilateral receptive fields in or around the knee joints. Inflammation of one knee joint enhanced the responses to flexion of the same but not of the contralateral knee in one case but greatly increased the responses to flexion of both knees in the other case. Injections of prostaglandin (PGE2) caused an enhancement of the responses to knee flexion beyond that caused by inflammation in 5 of 7 cases. One cell whose responses to flexion of the knee were unaffected by inflammation showed inhibitory responses to prostaglandin injections into the inflamed knee joint. The effects of inflammation on the responses of ascending tract cells of the spinal cord appear to serve as a useful neural model of the events responsible for the development of arthritic pain.

Opiates inhibit the discharges of fine afferent units from inflamed knee joint of the cat

The spontaneous discharges in 15 out of 19 small-diameter afferent units from inflamed knee joints of anaesthetized cats were significantly inhibited by one or several opiates (morphine in the dose range 1.0-5.0 mg/kg; gly-ol 0.5-5.0 mg/kg; U50488 1.0-10.0 mg/kg; ethylketocyclazacine 0.5-4.0 mg/kg administered by close arterial injection into the joint). In the majority of cases a subsequent injection of naloxone (1 mg/kg i.a.) significantly reversed this effect. These data provide an electrophysiological demonstration that opiates may act on opiate receptors located at peripheral sites of primary afferent fibres and hence exert a peripheral 'analgesic' effect.

Nerve fibres and their terminals of the dura mater encephali of the rat

The dura mater encephali of the rat is richly supplied by myelinated (A-axons) and unmyelinated (C-axons) nerve fibres. For the supratentorial part the main nerve supply stems from all three branches of the trigeminal nerve. Finally, 250 myelinated and 800 unmyelinated nerve fibres innervate one side of the supratentorial part. The vascular bed of the dura mater exhibits long postcapillary venules up to 200 micron in length with segments of endothelial fenestration. Lymphatic vessels occur within the dura mater. They leave the cranial cavity through the openings of the cribriform plate, rostral to the bulla tympani together with the transverse sinus, and the middle meningeal artery. The perineural sheath builds up a tube-like net containing the A- and C-axons. It is spacious in the parietal dura mater and dense at the sagittal sinus along its extension from rostral to caudal and at the confluence of sinuses. Terminals of both the A- and C-axons are of the unencapsulated type. Unencapsulated Ruffini-like receptors stemming from A-axons are found in the dural connective tissue at sites where superficial cerebral veins enter the sagittal sinus and at the confluence of sinuses. The terminations of single A-axons together with C-fibre bundles mix up in their final course in one Schwann cell to build up multiaxonal units or terminations (up to 15 axonal profiles). A morphological differentiation is made due to the topography of these terminations; firstly, in different segments of the vascular bed: postcapillary venule, venule, the sinus wall, lymphatic vessel wall, and secondly, within the dura mater: inner periosteal layer, collagenous fibre bundles of the meningeal layer and at the mesothelial cell layer of the subdural space.

The modulation of visceral functions by somatic afferent activity

We began by briefly reviewing the historical background of neurophysiological studies of the somato-autonomic reflexes and then discussed recent studies on somatic-visceral reflexes in combination with autonomic efferent nerve activity and effector organ responses. Most of the studies that have advanced our knowledge in this area have been carried out on anesthetized animals, thus eliminating emotional factors. We would like to emphasize again that the functions of many, or perhaps all visceral organs can be modulated by somato-sympathetic or somato-parasympathetic reflex activity induced by a appropriate somatic afferent stimulation in anesthetized animals. As mentioned previously, some autonomic nervous outflow, e.g. the adrenal sympathetic nerve activity, is involved in the control of hormonal secretion. John F. Fulton wrote in his famous textbook "Physiology of the Nervous System" (1949) that the posterior pituitary neurosecretion system (i.e. for oxytocin and vasopressin) could be considered a part of the parasympathetic nervous system. In the study of body homeostasis and environmental adaptation it would seem very important to further analyze the contribution of somatic afferent input to the autonomic nervous and hormonal regulation of visceral organ activity. Also, some immunological functions have been found to be influenced by autonomic nerves or hormones (e.g. adrenal cortical hormone and catecholamines). Finally, we must take into account, as we have briefly discussed, that visceral functions can be modulated by somatic afferent input via various degrees of integration of autonomic nerves, hormones, and immunological processes. We trust that such research will be expanded to higher species of mammals, and that ultimately this knowledge of somato-visceral reflexes obtained in the physiological laboratory will become clinically useful in influencing visceral functions.

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin on single groups III and IV sensory units from acutely inflamed joints

In cats with an acute experimental inflammation in the right knee joint the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and indomethacin on the discharge properties of single fine myelinated and unmyelinated articular afferent units were tested. The knee joint was inflamed by injection of kaolin and carrageenan into the joint cavity some hours before the recording period. Before drug application the single afferent fibres showed resting activity and responses to movements of the joint within its working range which is common for units from the inflamed knee. Resting activity was reduced significantly in most units within 0.5 h after the intravenous injection of the drugs. Within the observation time of about 1-2 h there was no recovery. In a few units a transient increase of resting activity was observed immediately after the injection of a drug. After the initial observation period of 1-2 h the responses to movements were tested. They were reduced in all units except one myelinated afferent. Also during this testing period the resting discharges did not recover. Intra-arterial injection of prostaglandin E2 in low doses close to the joint temporarily nullified the depressing effects of aspirin and indomethacin. Resting activity and movement evoked responses were increased up to the level before the treatment with analgesic drugs. The effects of prostaglandin E2 lasted for several minutes to more than 1 h. The depression of resting and evoked activity in single afferent articular units from inflamed joints is discussed in relation to the analgesic properties of aspirin and indomethacin.

[Correlation of scintigraphic and x-ray findings in Marie-Bamberger secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy]

The radiological and scintigraphic findings in the rare condition of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (Marie-Bamberger) were followed up for a period of two years. They are described and compared. Skeletal scintigraphy shows the abnormalities in the skeleton at an earlier stage than does radiology and also shows more extensive manifestations. The specific symmetrical distribution of abnormally increased uptake in the diaphyses and metaphyses of the long bones of the extremities, with sparing of the axial skeleton, produces highly specific appearances which can be considered as diagnostic.

Catecholamine secretion and adrenal nerve activity in response to movements of normal and inflamed knee joints in cats

The effects of articular stimulation on adrenal catecholamine secretion and adrenal sympathetic nerve activity were studied using halothane anaesthetized cats. Various natural passive movements were applied to the normal and inflamed knee joints. Rhythmic flexions and extensions as well as rhythmic inward and outward rotation of normal knee joints within their physiological range of motion did not change nerve activity or the secretion of adrenal catecholamines. Static outward rotation in the normal working range was also ineffective. However, as soon as this static rotation was extended into the noxious range, significant increases in both of these variables were elicited. In the acutely inflamed knee joint, various passive movements produced increases in both adrenal sympathetic and catecholamine secretion. Especially noteworthy was the finding that movements of the inflamed knee joint that were within the normal range of motion produced increases in all variables. Articularly induced increases in adrenal sympathetic nerve activity were diminished by severing various hind-limb somatic afferent nerves and abolished by complete denervation of the knee joint. Additionally, section of the adrenal sympathetic nerves eliminated the catecholamine secretion response. From these data it was concluded that the responses observed in these experiments were reflexes having an afferent limb in hind-limb nerves and an efferent limb in the adrenal sympathetic nerves. A contribution of supraspinal structures was suggested for the reflex responses of sympatho-adrenal medullary function evoked by knee joint stimulations, since spinal transection at the C2 level completely abolished the responses.

Mechanical sensitivity of group III and IV afferents from posterior articular nerve in normal and inflamed cat knee

Recordings were performed from sciatic nerve or dorsal root filaments in 28 cats to study single group III (conduction velocity 2.5-20 m/s) and group IV (conduction velocity less than 2.5 m/s) units supplying the knee joint via the posterior articular nerve (PAN). In seven of these cats the knee joint had been inflamed artificially. Recordings from sciatic nerve filaments revealed responses to local mechanical stimulation of the joint in only 3 of 41 group IV units and in 12 of 18 group III units from the normal joint. In the inflamed joint 14 of 36 group IV units and 24 of 36 group III units were excited with local mechanical stimulation. In recordings from dorsal root filaments (normal joint) 4 of 11 group IV units and 7 of 13 group III units were activated by stimulating the joint locally. In the normal joint four group IV units (recorded from dorsal root filaments) responded only to rotations against the resistance of the tissue, whereas the majority of the fibers did not respond even to forceful movements. Group III units with local mechanosensitivity in the normal joint reacted strongly or weakly to movements in the working range of the joint or only to movements against resistance of the tissue. In the inflamed joint, group IV fibers (recorded in sciatic nerve filaments) with detectable receptive fields responded strongly to gentle movements or only to movements against resistance of tissue. Some did not react to movements. Group III units reacted strongly or weakly to gentle movements or only to movements against resistance of the tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)