Mechanism of inhibitory action of capsaicin on particulate axoplasmic transport in sensory neurons in culture

The inhibitory effect of capsaicin on axoplasmic transport in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells was analyzed by video-enhanced contrast microscopy. Capsaicin inhibited particle transports in a dose-dependent manner, irrespective of the diameter of axons. The effect of capsaicin was reversible at low concentrations. Capsaicin affected both the anterograde and retrograde transport. Large organelles were more sensitive to capsaicin than small ones in the retrograde transport. An experiment using calcium-sensitive dye, Fura 2, indicated that capsaicin raised the intraneuronal free calcium concentration preceding the inhibition of the transport. Electron microscopy revealed that microtubules and neurofilaments are disorganized and disoriented by capsaicin. We reached a conclusion that capsaicin inhibits fast axoplasmic transport of both anterograde and retrograde directions in all types of somatosensory neurons in culture by disorganizing intraaxonal cytoskeletal structures, through the elevated intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cortical control of reaching movements

Recent studies provide further support for the hypothesis that spatial representations of limb position, target locations, and potential motor actions are expressed in the neuronal activity in parietal cortex. In contrast, precentral cortical activity more strongly expresses processes involved in the selection and execution of motor actions. As a general conceptual framework, these processes may be interpreted in terms of such formalisms as sensorimotor transformation and ‘internal models’.     

催产素在脊髓水平对电针镇痛的影响

采用玻璃微电极胞外记录和脊髓表面给药的方法观察了催产素（ＯＴ）、抗催产素血清（ＡＯＴＳ）以及电针穴位对背角神经元伤害性诱发放电的影响。结果表明：电针穴位或脊髓表面施加ＯＴ可部分抑制脊髓背角神经元的伤害性诱发放电;在电针的基础上施加ＯＴ则明显加强电针的抑制效应;相反,用ＡＯＴＳ预处理后,电针的抑制作用放取消。提示ＯＴ在脊髓水平参与了对痛觉信息的调制,并与一定频率的针刺镇痛有关。     

大鼠尾核头部对中缝大核神经元单位活动的影响及其可能途径

用玻璃微电极细胞外记录大鼠中缝大核(NRM)神经元的单位放电。共记录277个细胞,NRM 神经元自发放电频率大都在每秒0.5—20次之间,平均为6.41 Hz。其中221个神经元被电刺激尾所激活,35个被抑制,21个无明显变化。NRM 神经元对躯体刺激的反应类型与自发放电的特征有关,兴奋型神经元的自发放电频率较低((?)=4.96Hz),而抑制性神经元的自发放电频率较高((?)=15.03 Hz)。在24例兴奋型神经元中,刺激尾核头部能够激活大多数 NRM 神经元的自发放电和抑制其伤害感受性反应。导水管周围灰质微量注射纳洛酮(2.5ug/0.5μl,n=15)。能够明显阻断刺激尾核头部激活 NRM 神经元自发放电和抑制伤害感受性反应的效应。     

刺激家兔中脑导水管周围灰质抑制束旁核伤害性放电的脊髓上机制

本工作比较了家兔脊髓背侧1/2进行横切前后刺激中脑中央灰质对束旁核伤害性放电的抑制率的改变。实验表明中央灰质既可通过公认的脊髓下行纤维抑制脊髓水平的痛传递,减弱束旁核单位的痛敏放电,也可通过某种脊髓上机制实现对束旁核的抑制。我们对这两种机制的相对重要性作了分析。用直11个束旁核痛敏单位所作的计算表明,在脊髓切割前,刺激中央灰质可使束旁核痛敏放电抑制67.5%,脊髓背侧1/2横切后,同样的中脑刺激只能使痛敏放电抑制42.9%。如以切割前的抑制率作为直100%,则切割可使抑制减弱36.5%,这一部分抑制应当是由被切断的脊髓下行纤维实现的,其余63.5%则可能主要通过脊髓上机制来实现。考虑到脊髓背半部横切不可能全部切断下行纤维,故实际上脊髓上机制的重要性不会有上述数值表示的那么大。     

A light and electron microscope study of changes occurring at the cut ends following section of the dorsal roots of rat spinal nerves

Summary Rat dorsal spinal nerve roots were cut; 20 h later the axons in the vicinity of the cut were examined by light and electron microscopy. The changes in the cut tip distant from the ganglion were largely degenerative. On the ganglionic side of the cut a cap of free unmyelinated sprouts was formed. These sprouts contained clear and dense-core vesicles 40–150 nm in diameter, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Some of the unmyelinated sprouts were extensions of myelinated axons, others arose from myelinated axons by lateral budding. In both myelinated and non-myelinated axons there was an accumulation of mitochondria, tubulo-vesicular smooth endoplasmic reticulum and large and small dense-core vesicles for a distance of approximately 500 m behind the tip. Dense-core vesicles were more common in nonmyelinated axons than in their myelinated counterparts. In areas of intense accumulation the non-myelinated fibres were grossly swollen and distorted. The myelinated axons and some of the sprouts contained an unusual type of mitochondrion. The similarity between these sprouts and pre-synaptic terminals is discussed.I.R.D. is supported by the Medical Research Council; P.K. thanks the Mental Health Trust for a project grant     

Abnormal dorsal light response in teleost fish after intraocular injection of 6-hydroxydopamine

Following unilateral intraocular injection with 6-hydroxydopamine to the right eye, Midas cichlids displayed an acute abnormal dorsal light response, in favour of the right eye. This condition was reversed immediately by dopamine or dopamine receptor agonists delivered by intraocular injection but this recovery was not sustained, Retinal dopamine production reappeared gradually from day 30 post-6-hydroxydopamine treatment, and coincided with the fish beginning to adopt a normal dorsal light reaction. Dopamine production recovered completely at day 45 post-6-hydroxydopamine injection and coincided with complete recovery of the normal dorsal light reaction. These observations suggest a role for intraocular dopamine in maintenance of the visual part of the normal dorsal light reaction.     

The spinal cord in vitro: What can it tell us about nociception?

The use of amphibian and mammalian in vitro spinal cord preparations, e.g., hemisected cord and transverse slices, has gained in popularity over the years due to the flexibility and ease of use of such preparations compared to classical in vivo approaches. When combined with modern experimental methodologies, such as patch clamping of visualized single cells or post-experimental neuroanatomy, this approach provides a powerful addition to the armamentarium available to study nociceptive processing in the dorsal horn. Some of these novel experimental approaches and the insight into nociception that they have provided are described below. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 38, Nos. 5/6, pp. 481–491, September–December, 2006.