Descending projections to the rat sacrocaudal spinal cord

1991 ◽  
Vol 307 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Masson ◽  
Mary L. Sparkes ◽  
Louis A. Ritz
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Descending Projections

scholarly journals Descending motor circuitry required for NT-3 mediated locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury in mice

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Han ◽  
Josue D. Ordaz ◽  
Nai-Kui Liu ◽  
Zoe Richardson ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Enhanced Recovery ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Locomotor Recovery ◽  
Neurotrophin 3 ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Dendritic Atrophy ◽  
Descending Projections

AbstractLocomotor function, mediated by lumbar neural circuitry, is modulated by descending spinal pathways. Spinal cord injury (SCI) interrupts descending projections and denervates lumbar motor neurons (MNs). We previously reported that retrogradely transported neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) to lumbar MNs attenuated SCI-induced lumbar MN dendritic atrophy and enabled functional recovery after a rostral thoracic contusion. Here we functionally dissected the role of descending neural pathways in response to NT-3-mediated recovery after a T9 contusive SCI in mice. We find that residual projections to lumbar MNs are required to produce leg movements after SCI. Next, we show that the spared descending propriospinal pathway, rather than other pathways (including the corticospinal, rubrospinal, serotonergic, and dopaminergic pathways), accounts for NT-3-enhanced recovery. Lastly, we show that NT-3 induced propriospino-MN circuit reorganization after the T9 contusion via promotion of dendritic regrowth rather than prevention of dendritic atrophy.

scholarly journals Spinal proerectile effect of oxytocin in anesthetized rats

2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (6) ◽  
pp. R1870-R1877 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Giuliano ◽  
Jacques Bernabé ◽  
Kevin McKenna ◽  
Florence Longueville ◽  
Olivier Rampin
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Penile Erection ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Lumbosacral Spinal Cord ◽  
Anesthetized Rats ◽  
The Neural Network ◽  
Spinal Cord Level ◽  
Relevant Context ◽  
Descending Projections ◽  
Dose Dependent

The spinal cord contains the neural network that controls penile erection. This network is activated by information from peripheral and supraspinal origin. We tested the hypothesis that oxytocin (OT), released at the lumbosacral spinal cord level by descending projections from the paraventricular nucleus, regulated penile erection. In anesthetized male rats, blood pressure and intracavernous pressure (ICP) were monitored. Intrathecal (it) injection of cumulative doses of OT and the selective OT agonist [Thr4,Gly7]OT at the lumbosacral level elicited ICP rises whose number, amplitude, and area were dose dependent. Thirty nanograms of OT and one-hundred nanograms of the agonist displayed the greatest proerectile effects. Single injections of OT also elicited ICP rises. Preliminary injection of a specific OT-receptor antagonist, hexamethonium, or bilateral pelvic nerve section impaired the effects of OT injected it. NaCl and vasopressin injected it at the lumbosacral level and OT injected it at the thoracolumbar level or intravenously had no effect on ICP. The results demonstrate that OT, acting at the lumbosacral spinal cord, elicits ICP rises in anesthetized rats. They suggest that OT, released on physiological activation of the PVN in a sexually relevant context, is a potent activator of spinal proerectile neurons.

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