Adrenal versus nonadrenal sympathetic preganglionic neurones in the lower thoracic intermediolateral nucleus of the cat: physiological properties

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 1447-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Backman ◽  
H. Sequeira-Martinho ◽  
J. L. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Physiological Properties ◽  
Preganglionic Neurone ◽  
Spinal Segments ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Greater Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Intermediolateral Nucleus ◽  
Stimulation Of

Adrenal and nonadrenal sympathetic preganglionic neurones (SPNs) in the intermediolateral nucleus of spinal segments T8–T10 in the cat were compared according to a number of physiological properties. An SPN was classified as "adrenal" (n = 37) if it could be antidromically activated by electrical stimulation of the adrenal medulla. An SPN that could not be activated from the adrenal medulla yet could be antidromically activated by electrical stimulation of the greater splanchnic nerve was classified as "nonadrenal" (n = 123). Approximately 50% of adrenal SPNs (17 out of 37) were activated antidromically by stimulation of both the greater splanchnic nerve and adrenal medulla, suggesting that these neurones projected to the adrenal medulla via the greater splanchnic nerve, with the other adrenal SPNs taking a different route. The mean conduction velocities of adrenal (6.7 ± 1.8 (SD) m/s) and nonadrenal (6.7 ± 1.5 m/s) sympathetic preganglionic axons were similar. Over 80% of adrenal (31 out of 37) and nonadrenal (104 out of 116) SPNs were spontaneously active. The two types of neurone were indistinguishable in terms of the rates and patterns of discharge. Adrenal SPNs discharged with a mean rate of 1.4 ± 1.1 spikes/s, and nonadrenal SPNs discharged with a mean rate of 1.8 ± 1.4 spikes/s. With both types of SPN, the pattern of spontaneous activity was either irregular or phasic. With the latter pattern, periodic bursts of discharge were at the same frequency as oscillations in arterial pressure, frequency of ventilation, or phrenic nerve discharge. These data suggest that adrenal and nonadrenal sympathetic preganglionic neurones in the intermediolateral nucleus in caudal thoracic segments share a number of common physiological properties.Key words: adrenal, sympathetic preganglionic neurone, spinal cord, lateral horn.

scholarly journals Submicroscopic Changes of the Nerve Endings in the Adrenal Medulla after Stimulation of the Splanchnic Nerve

1957 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo De Robertis ◽  
Alberto Vaz Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Synaptic Vesicles ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
The Other ◽  
Nerve Endings ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Increased Activity ◽  
Stimulation Of

The nerve endings of the adrenal medulla of the rabbit were studied under the electron microscope in the normal condition and after prolonged electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve. With a stimulus of 100 pulses per second for 10 minutes, there is an increase in the number of synaptic vesicles in the nerve ending. The mean number is of 82.6 vesicles per square micron in the normal and of 132.7 per square micron in the stimulated glands. With a stimulus of 400 pulses per second for 10 minutes, there is a considerable depletion of synaptic vesicles and other changes occur in the nerve endings. The mean number of vesicles is of 29.2 per square micron. These results are interpreted as indicative of an increased activity of the ending in one case, and as a diminished activity and fatigue of the synaptic junction in the other.

The release of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla and its modulation by α2-adrenoceptors in the anaesthetized dog

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Foucart ◽  
Réginald Nadeau ◽  
Jacques de Champlain
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Adrenal Vein ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Negative Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Frequency Of Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

The adrenal nerve of anaesthetized and vagotomized dogs was electrically stimulated (10 V pulses of 2 ms duration for 10 min) at frequencies of 1, 3, 10, and 25 Hz. There was a correlation between the frequency of stimulation and the plasma concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the adrenal vein, mainly after the 1st min of stimulation and the maximal concentration was reached sooner with higher frequencies of stimulation. Moreover, the relative percentage of catecholamines released in response to the electrical stimulation was not changed by the frequency of stimulation. To test the hypothesis that a local negative feedback mechanism mediated by α2-adrenoceptors exists in the adrenal medulla, the effects of the systemic administration of clonidine (α2-agonist) and yohimbine (α2-antagonist) on the concentrations of catecholamines in the adrenal vein were evaluated during the electrical stimulation of the adrenal nerve (5 V pulses of 2 ms duration for 3 min) at 3 Hz. Moreover, the effects of the systemic injections of more specific α2-agonist and antagonist (oxymetazoline and idazoxan) were tested on the release of catecholamines in the adrenal vein in response to electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve at 1 and 3 Hz frequencies. The injection of 0.5 mg/kg of yohimbine caused a significant increase in the concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the adrenal vein induced by the electrical stimulation of the adrenal nerve and the injection of 15 μg/kg of clonidine had no effects. In the second series of experiments, the injection of 2 μg/kg of oxymetazoline caused a significant decrease in the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine at 1 Hz, but similarly to clonidine, there were no changes at 3 Hz. In contrast, the release of epinephrine and dopamine in response to electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve was increased at 3 Hz after the injection of idazoxan, but not at 1 Hz. It is concluded that the adrenal medulla catecholamines secretion appears to be partly modulated by a presynaptic inhibitory mechanism that involves α2-adrenoceptors. The observation that agonists appear to be more efficient at low frequencies of stimulation while antagonists appear to be more efficient at higher frequencies could be explained by the possibility that adrenal medullary α2-receptors would be saturated at higher frequencies of stimulation.

Pre- and postganglionic sympathetic activity in splanchnic nerves of rats

1981 ◽  
Vol 241 (1) ◽  
pp. R55-R61 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Celler ◽  
L. P. Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Sympathetic Activity ◽  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Ganglionic Blockade ◽  
Splanchnic Nerves ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Evoked Activity ◽  
Greater Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Stimulation Of

Integrated sympathetic activity was recorded on anterior or posterior divisions of the greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) in anesthetized, acutely spinalized, artificially respired Wistar rats before and after ganglionic blockade by hexamethonium. Focal electrical stimulation of spinal sympathoexcitatory pathways elicited large increases in splanchnic sympathetic activity. Ganglionic blockade showed that the anterior and posterior divisions of the GSN are predominantly preganglionic and postganglionic, respectively. Histological examination of excised splanchnic nerves and sympathetic chains indicated that splanchnic postganglionic cell bodies must lie in the chain ganglia rather than within the GSN. Postganglionic responses were calculated for each rat by subtracting responses recorded after ganglionic blockade from responses recorded before ganglionic blockade. As expected, postganglionic responses exhibited longer onset latencies than preganglionic responses. However, evoked activity increased and decreased more rapidly in postganglionic fibers than in preganglionic fibers. Responses to stimulus trains were also better maintained in postganglionic than in preganglionic fibers.

Splanchnic and somatic afferent convergence on cervical spinal neurons of the rat

1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (1) ◽  
pp. R268-R276 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. W. Akeyson ◽  
L. P. Schramm
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Spinal Neurons ◽  
Somatic Afferents ◽  
Greater Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Somatic Input ◽  
Stimulation Of

The rostral cervical spinal cord is increasingly being considered the source of important propriospinal regulation. To better understand the substrate for this function, we investigated the effects of stimulation of the greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) and both thoracic and cervical somatic afferents on the activity of cervical spinal neurons. Extracellular single-neuron recordings were made in the C2-C5 spinal segments of chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated rats. Neurons were classified according to their responses to GSN stimulation. Neurons were inhibited by this stimulation as frequently as they were excited. We then studied the characteristics of cervical and thoracic convergent somatic input to each class of neurons. Although all cervical neurons that responded to GSN stimulation responded to electrical stimulation of the iliohypogastric nerve (IHN), only the few neurons that exhibited whole body receptive fields (RF) responded to natural thoracic somatic stimuli. Responses to electrical stimulation of the GSN and IHN were similar for most neurons; most exhibited nociceptive cutaneous RFs in cervical dermatomes. These data indicate that input from cervical somatic afferents and from both thoracic visceral and thoracic somatic afferents converge on individual splanchnic-receptive cervical neurons. Although these neurons exhibited the predicted cervical somatic RFs, responses from thoracic levels did not exhibit discrete RFs, requiring instead more synchronous or more spatially convergent input.

In vivo interactions between prejunctional α2- and β2-adrenoceptors at the level of the adrenal medulla

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 1340-1343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Foucart ◽  
Jacques de Champlain ◽  
Réginald Nadeau
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Intravenous Injection ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Catecholamine Release ◽  
Control Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

The combined effect of a β2-antagonist and an α2-agonist on the release of adrenal catecholamines was studied in the anaesthetized and vagotomized dog. The electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve (5-V pulses of 2 ms duration for 3 min at a frequency of 3 Hz) produced a significant rise in adrenal catecholamine release in the adrenal vein. Intravenous injection of a β2-antagonist significantly reduced this response and a subsequent injection of an α2-agonist further reduced the release of catecholamines. However, if the α2-agonist is injected first, the release is not different compared with the control stimulation, and the subsequent injection of the β2-antagonist also did not modify the release in response to electrical stimulation. These results suggest that the blockade of presynaptic β2-receptors reduces the release of adrenal catecholamines without interfering with the activation of the α2-adrenoceptors. In contrast, the pretreatment with the α2-agonist, which does not modify the release of catecholamine at 3 Hz, seems to interfere with the inhibitory effect of the β2-antagonist.

Greater splanchnic excitation of primate T1-T5 spinothalamic neurons

1984 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 592-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. S. Ammons ◽  
R. W. Blair ◽  
R. D. Foreman
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Sympathetic Stimulation ◽  
Bilateral Vagotomy ◽  
Somatic Receptive Fields ◽  
Greater Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Stimulation Of

Effects of electrical stimulation of the left greater splanchnic nerve (SPL) on T1-T5 spinothalamic (STT) neurons were determined. Eighty-five STT neurons were studied in 36 anesthetized monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). All neurons were excited by manipulation of their somatic receptive fields and by electrical stimulation of cardiopulmonary (CP) sympathetic afferent fibers. SPL stimulation excited 63 (74%) STT neurons. There was an increasing percentage of cells with SPL input at more caudal segments and in deeper laminae. Both SPL and CP sympathetic stimulation elicited early or both early and late responses. Latencies to cell activation were usually shorter for CP sympathetic stimulation than for SPL stimulation (5.4 +/- 0.8 versus 11.3 +/- 2.0 ms for early responses and 44.2 +/- 4.2 versus 111.0 +/- 6.6 ms for late responses). The maximum number of spikes per SPL or CP sympathetic stimulus was determined. In the T2 and T3 segments, early responses to CP sympathetic stimulation were significantly greater. However, at more caudal segments, responses to CP sympathetic input decreased while responses to SPL input increased until at T4 there was no difference in the two responses. In T5, responses to SPL input were greater. No differences in the magnitudes of late responses were observed in any of the segments. The response of six cells to SPL stimulation was inhibited by a train of conditioning stimuli applied to the left thoracic vagus nerve. Maximum inhibition occurred at a CT interval of 50 ms and test responses were significantly reduced at CT intervals as great as 200 ms. Bilateral vagotomy eliminated the inhibitory effect. Cutting the left sympathetic chain between the T5 and T6 rami communicantes eliminated 27% of the response to SPL stimulation. More caudal cuts reduced the response further until 71% of the response was abolished by a cut between T8 and T9. Lesions in the dorsolateral column of the spinal cord had little effect on the responses, while lesions of the lateral and ventrolateral columns reduced or abolished the responses. We conclude that SPL stimulation excites T1-T5 STT neurons by way of extraspinal and intraspinal pathways. SPL information is integrated with information from a variety of other visceral and somatic sources. SPL input to cells with somatic fields in the chest region may explain the clinical phenomenon of chest pain associated with abdominal disorders.

Effect of changes in myocardial epinephrine stores on plasma norepinephrine gradient across the dog heart

1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (6) ◽  
pp. H2404-H2409 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Peronnet ◽  
G. Boudreau ◽  
J. de Champlain ◽  
R. Nadeau
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Pulse Width ◽  
Stellate Ganglion ◽  
Plasma Norepinephrine ◽  
Direct Support ◽  
Left Stellate Ganglion ◽  
Ici 118,551 ◽  
Beta 2 ◽  
Stimulation Of

Plasma norepinephrine (NE) concentration ([NE]) gradient across the heart was measured under electrical stimulation of the left stellate ganglion (LSG; 4 Hz, 4 V, 2 ms pulse width, 1 min) in control (Ctrl) and in adrenalectomized (Adrx) dogs, without and with a 10-min epinephrine (Epi) infusion (92 ng.kg-1.min-1), which partly restored myocardial Epi stores in Adrx dogs (2.9 +/- 0.7 ng/g vs. 6.4 +/- 0.7 ng/g in Ctrl dogs) and slightly increased tissue Epi stores in Ctrl dogs (10.5 +/- 1.3 pg/g). Compared with Ctrl dogs (1,069 +/- 172 pg/ml), the [NE] gradient across the heart under stimulation of the LSG was not modified 1 wk after bilateral adrenalectomy (1,190 +/- 122 pg/ml) or after Epi infusion in Ctrl (1,134 +/- 276 pg/ml) and Adrx (1,259 +/- 279 pg/ml) dogs. The beta 2-antagonist ICI-118,551 significantly reduced the stimulation-induced [NE] gradient across the heart in Ctrl dogs (621 +/- 190 and 603 +/- 86 pg/ml without and with a 10-min Epi infusion, respectively) but not in Adrx dogs deprived of tissue Epi (1,345 +/- 345 pg/ml). Partial repletion of myocardial Epi stores in Adrx dogs restored the effect of ICI-118,551 on the stimulation-induced [NE] gradient (776 +/- 121 pg/ml). These results provide direct support of the hypothesis that tissue Epi, which originates from the adrenal medulla and which is released locally along with NE, is the endogenous agonist for presynaptic beta 2-receptors and potentiates NE release.

Brain stem responses to electrical stimulation of ventral vagal gastric fibers

1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (1) ◽  
pp. G24-G29
Author(s):  
W. D. Barber ◽  
C. S. Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stem ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Proximal Stomach ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Stimulation Of

The brain stem neuronal responses to electrical stimulation of gastric branches of the ventral vagal trunk serving the proximal stomach were localized and evaluated in anesthetized cats. The responses were equally distributed bilaterally in the region of nucleus solitarius in the caudal brain stem. The mean latency of the response was 289 +/- 46 (SD) ms, which translated into a conduction velocity of less than 1 m/s based on the distance between the stimulating and recording electrodes. The responses consisted of single and multiple spikes that showed slight variability in the latency, indicating orthodromic activation via a synapse in approximately 98% of the responses recorded. Forty two percent of the units tested showed evidence of convergence of input from vagal afferent fibers in different branches of the ventral vagal trunk that served the proximal stomach. The resultant activity pattern of the unitary response appeared to be the product of 1) the gastric sensory input or modality conveyed by the afferent source and 2) the time of arrival and diversity of modalities served by other gastric afferents impinging on the unit. This provides a mechanism capable of responding on the basis of specific sensory modalities that dynamically reflect ongoing events monitored and conveyed by other gastric afferents in the region.

scholarly journals Pancreatic and extrapancreatic galanin release during sympathetic neural activation

1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (3) ◽  
pp. E436-E444 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. Dunning ◽  
P. J. Havel ◽  
R. C. Veith ◽  
G. J. Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Anesthetized Dogs ◽  
Basal Insulin Secretion ◽  
Peripheral Arterial ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

To address the hypothesis that the neutropeptide, galanin, functions as a sympathetic neurotransmitter in the endocrine pancreas, we sought to determine if galanin is released from pancreatic sympathetic nerves during their direct electrical stimulation in halothane-anesthetized dogs. During bilateral thoracic splanchnic nerve stimulation (BTSNS), both peripheral arterial and pancreatic venous levels of galanin-like immunoreactivity (GLIR) increased (delta at 10 min = +92 +/- 31 and +88 +/- 25 fmol/ml, respectively). Systemic infusions of synthetic galanin demonstrated that 1) the increment of arterial GLIR observed during BTSNS was sufficient to modestly restrain basal insulin secretion and 2) only 25% of any given increment of arterial GLIR appears in the pancreatic vein, suggesting that the pancreas extracts galanin, as it does other neurotransmitters. By use of 75% for pancreatic extraction of circulating galanin, it was calculated that pancreatic galanin spillover (output) increased by 410 +/- 110 fmol/min during BTSNS. To reinforce the conclusion that pancreatic sympathetic nerves release galanin, GLIR spillover was next measured during direct local stimulation of the pancreatic sympathetic input produced by electrical stimulation of the mixed autonomic pancreatic nerves (MPNS) in the presence of the ganglionic blocker, hexamethonium. During this local pancreatic sympathetic nerve stimulation, arterial GLIR remained unchanged, but pancreatic venous GLIR increased by 123 +/- 34 fmol/ml. Thus pancreatic GLIR spillover increased by 420 +/- 110 fmol/min during MPNS in the presence of hexamethonium. We conclude that galanin is released from both pancreatic and extrapancreatic sources during sympathetic neural activation in dogs.

In vivo modulation by α2-adrenoceptors of adrenal catecholamine release in the anaesthetized dog

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Foucart ◽  
Jacques de Champlain ◽  
Reginald Nadeau
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve ◽  
Catecholamine Release ◽  
Agonist Stimulation ◽  
Control Stimulation ◽  
Anaesthetized Dog ◽  
Splanchnic Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Stimulation Of

In this study, the reversal of the potentiating effect of idazoxan, a selective α2-antagonist, on adrenal catecholamine release elicited by splanchnic nerve stimulation in anaesthetized and vagotomized dogs, was investigated with the use of oxymetazoline, a selective α2-agonist. Stimulation of the left splanchnic nerve (5.0-V pulses of 2 ms duration for 3 min at a frequency of 2 Hz) was applied before and 20 min after the i. v. injection of each drug. Blood samples were collected in the adrenal vein before and at the end of each stimulation. The results show that the release of catecholamines induced by electrical stimulation was potentiated by 50% after idazoxan injection (0.1 mg/kg). This enhanced response was significantly antagonized by the subsequent injection of oxymetazoline (2 μg/kg). The α2-modulating effect appears to be related to the amount of catecholamines released during the stimulation, since by subgrouping of the data on the basis of the degree of potentiation by idazoxan, it was observed that this drug was more efficient when catecholamine release was higher during control stimulation. In contrast, the reversing effect of oxymetazoline was found to be more pronounced when catecholamine release was lower. These results thus suggest that the sensitivity of the α2-adrenoceptor mechanism may depend upon the in situ concentration of adrenal catecholamine release during electrical stimulation and that the potentiating effect of α2-blockade can be reversed by activation of those receptors by a selective α2-agonist.

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