The effect of stimulating somatic afferents on cholera secretion in the rat small intestine

The effect on rate of cholera secretion in the small bowel of activation of the group III and A delta afferent fibres in the sciatic nerve was studied in rats. Activation of these fibres at 3 Hz for 60 min significantly diminished choleraic secretion from 121 +/- 29 to 25 +/- 9 microliters x min-1 x 100 cm-2 serosal surface (mean +/- SE; n = 9). The effect was apparent after the nerve stimulation. Stimulation of the sciatic nerve had no significant effect on choleraic fluid secretion after interrupting the autonomic nerves to the intestine, nor did it significantly alter net fluid transport in non-choleraic intestine with intact nervous supply. It is proposed that the observations may explain the clinical reports of an effect of acupuncture on cholera secretion.