Antidromic vasodilatation and inhibitors of cholinesterase

Sympathetic vasodilatation in the rabbit ear

Changes in the blood content of a 1 cm(2) portion of the intact rabbit's ear were studied with transillumination and a photocell. Stimulation of the post-ganglionic sympathetic nerves produced a decrease in blood content, attributable to vasoconstriction, followed by an increased blood content, attributable to vasodilatation. The vasodilatation was enhanced by eserine and decreased by atropine. Guanethidine abolished the vasoconstriction but not the vasodilatation. After the ganglion had been decentralized by degeneration of the pre-ganglionic sympathetic nerves the vessels had an increased sensitivity to acetylcholine and the vasodilatation in response to sympathetic stimulation was enhanced. It is concluded that sympathetic stimulation results in the liberation of acetylcholine which causes vasodilatation.

Trigeminal antidromic vasodilatation and plasma extravasation in the rat: effects of acetylcholine antagonists and cholinesterase inhibitors

Antidromic stimulation of sensory peripheral branches of the trigeminal system (mental nerve) leads to cutaneous vasodilatation and increases vascular permeability in the rat. Antidromic vasodilatation is observed only at high intensity stimulation (10 V, 15 Hz, 0.2 or 5 ms) supporting the participation of afferent C-fibres in cutaneous dilator responses. Both antidromic vasodilatation and neurogenic plasma extravasation are significantly reduced by muscarinic antagonists suggesting that a cholinergic component may be involved in these trigeminal neurogenic responses. Neurogenic plasma extravasation remains unchanged by hexamethonium while antidromic vasodilatation is reduced. This latter effect may be merely a consequence of the dramatic fall in arterial pressure produced by the ganglion blocker. Antidromic vasodilatation is increased or unaffected by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. On the other hand, the reduction of the plasma extravasation observed with these drugs could be due to their known ability to decrease the amount of acetylcholine released.

ATP excites a subpopulation of rat dorsal horn neurones

The peripheral receptive properties and central projections of different classes of dorsal root ganglion neurones are well characterized. Much less is known about the transmitters used by these neurones. Excitatory amino acids have been proposed as sensory transmitters but the sensitivity of virtually all central neurones to those compounds has made it difficult to assess their precise role in sensory transmission. Several neuropeptides have been localized within discrete subclasses of primary sensory neurones that project to the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord and may be afferent transmitters. However, only about one-third of spinal sensory neurones have been shown to contain neuropeptides. We have recently described the presence of a 5'-nucleotide hydrolysing acid phosphatase in a separate subpopulation of dorsal root ganglion neurones that project to the superficial dorsal horn. This enzyme also appears in certain autonomic and endocrine cells that contain high concentrations of releasable nucleotides in their storage granules. It is possible that the presence of this enzyme in sensory neurones is also associated with a releasable pool of nucleotides. Holton and Holton have provided evidence that ATP is released from the peripheral terminals of unmyelinated sensory fibres and have suggested that release of ATP might also occur from central sensory terminals. To investigate the possibility that nucleotides act as central sensory transmitters we have examined their actions on rat dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion neurones maintained in dissociated cell culture. We report here a selective and potent excitation of subpopulations of both neuronal types by ATP.