Effects of ageing on sensory nerve function in rat skin

Human studies have shown an age-related decrease in modulation of skin vascular reactivity by sensory nerves that correlates with a decline in wound repair efficacy. Using a vacuum-induced blister model in the rat hind footpad, we have investigated age-related changes in pre- and post-terminal activity of primary afferents involved in skin neurovascular function. Changes in local skin blood flow were monitored using a laser Doppler flowmeter. Pre-terminal stimulation was achieved by electrical stimulation of the distal end of the sciatic nerve (10 V, 15 Hz and 0.5 ms) in three groups of young, old and neonatally pretreated capsaicin rats (3, 24 and 3 months old, respectively). The effect of post-terminal stimulation, achieved using local perfusion of 1 microM substance P (SP) over the blister base, was examined in young (3 months old), mature (12 months old) and aged (24 months old) rats. In addition to changes in SP responsiveness, other post-terminal changes studied included changes in smooth muscle reactivity to sodium nitroprusside (SNP), which acts directly on smooth muscle and to endothelial cell function using N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NORAG), a selective inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis and endothelium-dependent relaxation. Electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve in young rats induced an increase in local blood flow (within 1 min) that was maintained during the stimulation period, while the capsaicin group and the old group showed a significantly increased latency and decreased amplitude of the response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)