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Characterization of upper thoracic spinal neurons responding to esophageal distension in diabetic rats
Author(s) -
Qin Chao,
Thorkilsen Marie L,
Wu Mingyuan,
Farber Jay P,
Ma Jianxing,
Foreman Robert D
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a1315
The aim of this study was to examine spinal neuronal processing of innocuous and noxious mechanical inputs from the esophagus in diabetic rats. Streptozotocin (50 mg/kg, ip) was used to induce diabetes in 13 male SD rats, while vehicle was injected to 14 rats as control. Four weeks after injections, extracellular potentials of single thoracic (T3) spinal neurons were recorded in pentobarbital anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated rats. Graded esophageal distensions (ED, 0.1–0.5 ml, 20s) were produced by water inflation of a latex balloon in thoracic esophagus. Noxious ED (0.4 ml, 20 s) altered activity of 47% (55/116) and 41% (50/122) of T3 spinal neurons in diabetic and in control rats, respectively. Spinal neurons with low threshold for excitatory responses to ED were more frequently encountered in diabetic rats (33/42 vs 23/41, P<0.05). More short‐lasting excitatory responses to ED were observed in diabetic rats (27/42 vs 15/41, P<0.05). Duration of excitatory responses to ED was shorter in diabetic rats (25.9¡À2.7 s vs 31.3¡À3.1 s, P<0.05). In addition, more large size somatic receptive fields of spinal neurons with esophageal input were seen in diabetic than in control rats (28/42 vs 19/45, P<0.05). These results suggested that diabetes influenced response characteristics of thoracic spinal neurons receiving mechanical esophageal input in rats. (NS‐035471, HL‐075524)