Descending influences on the responses of spinocervical tract neurones to chemical stimulation of fine muscle afferents

1. In cats, extracellular micro‐electrode recordings were made from axons of the spinocervical tract (s.c.t.) in both the decerebrate state and during cold block of the spinal cord (reversible spinal state) to examine the effects of intra‐arterial injection of algesic agents (bradykinin, potassium, 5‐hydroxytryptamine) into the gastrocnemius‐soleus (g.s.) muscle on the discharge behaviour of s.c.t. neurones. 2. In the decerebrate state without cooling the spinal cord 13% of the cells (eleven out of eighty‐three) responded to intra‐arterial injection of bradykinin, 33% (twenty‐two out of sixty‐nine) to 5‐hydroxytryptamine, and 38% (thirty‐five out of ninety‐one) to potassium injection. 3. The general time course and the latency of the responses of s.c.t. cells induced by injection of pain‐producing substances into the g.s. muscle reflect in many respects the activations of g.s. group III and group IV primary afferent units studied previously. 4. For twenty‐seven s.c.t. neurones the period of recording was long enough to record the responses of the same cell to injections of algesic agents in both the decerebrate and the reversible spinal state. In the reversible spinal state 83% (nineteen out of twenty‐three) of the s.c.t. neurones tested with all the three substances responded to at least one of the algesic agents. In the decerebrate state the percentage was lower (39%). 5. Reversible spinalization led not only to a significant increase in the number of s.c.t. neurones responding to the algesic agents used but also to an increase in the magnitude of the chemically induced responses. 6. The mean latency of the responses of neurones that were activated in both preparations were shorter in the reversible spinal state than in the decerebrate state. 7. Control experiments showed that the responses to bradykinin and potassium were entirely due to the nervous outflow from the g.s. muscle. In contrast, intra‐arterially applied 5‐hydroxytryptamine influenced the s.c.t. cells via unknown additional sites of action. 8. The results indicate that muscular group III and/or group IV units excitable by algesic substances do project on to neurones of the spinocervical tract. Furthermore it is concluded that the responses of s.c.t. neurones to activation of fine muscle afferents by algesic agents are subject to a descending control similar to the well known descending modulation of their responsiveness to cutaneous input. Therefore, in addition to serving as a cutaneous pathway the spinocervical tract may take part in muscular nociception.