PAD patterns of physiologically identified afferent fibres from the medial gastrocnemius muscle

Abstract

Intracellular recordings were made in the barbiturate-anesthetized cat from single afferent fibres left in continuity with the medial gastrocnemius muscle to document the transmembrane potential changes produced in functionally identified fibres by stimulation of sensory nerves and of the contralateral red nucleus (RN). Fifty five fibres from muscle spindles had conduction velocities above 70 m/s and were considered as from group Ia. Stimulation of group I afferent fibres of the posterior biceps and semitendinosus nerve (PBSt) produced primary afferent depolarization (PAD) in 30 (54%) Ia fibres. Stimulation of the sural (SU) nerve produced no transmembrane potential changes in 39 (71%) group Ia fibres and dorsal root reflex-like activity (DRRs) in 16 (29%) fibres. In 17 out of 28 group Ia fibres (60.7%) SU conditioning inhibited the PAD generated by stimulation of the PBSt nerve. Facilitation of the PBSt-induced PAD by SU conditioning was not seen. Repetitive stimulation of the RN had mixed effects: it produced PAD in 1 out of 8 fibres and inhibited the PAD induced by PBSt stimulation in 2 other fibres. Nine fibres connected to muscle spindles had conduction velocities below 70 m/s and were considered to be group II afferents. No PAD was produced in these fibres by SU stimulation but DRRs were generated in 5 of them. In 23 out of 31 fibres identified as from tendon organs group I PBSt volleys produced PAD. However, stimulation of the SU nerve produced PAD only in 3 out of 34 fibres, no transmembrane potential changes in 30 fibres and DRRs in 1 fibre. The effects of SU conditioning on the PAD produced by PBSt stimulation were tested in 19 Ib fibres and were inhibitory in 12 of them. In 9 of these fibres SU alone produced no transmembrane potential changes. Repetitive stimulation of the RN produced PAD in 3 out of 9 Ib fibres. SU conditioning inhibited the RN-induced PAD. The present findings support the existence of an alternative inhibitory pathway from cutaneous to Ib fibres, in addition to the well known excitatory pathway producing PAD. Possible functional implications of inhibitory actions of cutaneous fibres with the pathways mediating the PAD of group Ia and Ib fibres are discussed.