Yonsei Med J.  1992 Jun;33(2):109-120. 10.3349/ymj.1992.33.2.109.

Effect of peripheral nerve stimulation on the dorsal horn cell activity in cats with cutaneous inflammation

• Nam TS
• Song SH
• Kim YH
• Baik EJ
• Paik KS

• KMID: 1964883
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1992.33.2.109

Abstract

There are some reports showing that an experience of long-enduring pain causes a change in the pain transmission system, suggesting a plastic nature of the nociceptive system. However, most of the studies concerning the analgesic effect of peripheral nerve stimulation dealt with normal animal or human subjects. So, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of peripheral nerve stimulation on the dorsal horn cell activity using a tonic pain model, which was made by producing a cutaneous inflammation. The main results are summarized as follows. 1) The evoked activity by electrical or natural stimulation as well as spontaneous activity was enhanced, and the receptive field size was also expanded by the inflammation. 2) Peripheral nerve conditioning stimulation reduced the C-response of the dorsal horn cell in the normal and inflamed group, and the degree of inhibition between the two groups showed no significant difference. 3) Inhibition of the C-response of the dorsal horn cells by peripheral conditioning stimulation was completely reversed by naloxone in the inflamed group whereas there was a partial block in the normal group.

Keyword

Inflammation; carrageenan; acupuncture; peripheral nerve stimulation; analgesia; endogenous opioid system

MeSH Terms

*Analgesia
Animal
Cats
Dermatitis/*physiopathology
*Electric Stimulation Therapy
Endorphins/physiology
Female
Genes, fos
Male
Naloxone/pharmacology
Nerve Fibers/physiology
Peripheral Nerves/*physiology
Support, Non-U.S. Gov't