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Staras, Kevin, Chang, Hong-Shiu and Gilbey, Michael P (2001) Resetting of sympathetic rhythm by somatic afferents causes post-reflex coordination of sympathetic activity in rat. Journal of Physiology, 533 (2). pp. 537-545. ISSN 1469-7793
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
We have proposed previously that graded synchronous activity is produced by periodic inputs acting on weakly coupled or uncoupled oscillators influencing the discharges of a population of cutaneous vasoconstrictor sympathetic postganglionic neurones (PGNs) in anaesthetized rats. Here we investigated the effects of somatic afferent (superficial radial nerve, RaN) stimulation, on the rhythmic discharges of this population. We recorded (1) at the population level from the ventral collector nerve and (2) from single PGNs focally from the caudal ventral artery of the tail. Following RaN stimulation we observed an excitatory response followed by a period of reduced discharge and subsequent rhythmical discharges seemingly phase-locked to the stimulus. We suggest that the rhythmical discharges following the initial excitatory response (conventional reflex) result from a resetting of sympathetic rhythm generators such that rhythmic PGN activity is synchronized transiently. We also demonstrate that a natural mechanical stimulus can produce a similar pattern of response. Our results support the idea that in sympathetic control, resetting of multiple oscillators driving the rhythmic discharges of a population of PGNs may provide a mechanism for producing a sustained and coordinated response to somatic input.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | First author. Designed and performed all experiments and co-wrote paper.Work was a research 'highlight' in Nat Rev Neurosci and formed basis of a J Physiol 'perspectives' article. |
| Schools and Departments: | School of Life Sciences > Neuroscience |
| Depositing User: | Kevin Staras |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Feb 2012 20:40 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Mar 2012 12:16 |
| URI: | http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/27378 |