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Polysynaptic pathways from hindlimb cutaneous afferent nerves to tail muscle motoneurons in unanesthetized and
1Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Japan.
Abstract:
Postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) were recorded in 57 extensor caudae lateralis (ECL) motoneurons and 82 flexor caudae longus (FCL) motoneurons of 36 decerebrated and spinalized (L1-2) adult cats, upon electrical stimulation of hindlimb cutaneous nerves, such as the sural nerve, superior peroneus nerve, and plantar section of the tibial nerve. With low threshold stimulation (1.2-5.0 T), excitatory PSPs (EPSP, EPSP/IPSP) predominated in ECL and FCL motoneurons. In a few ECL and FCL motoneurons, however, inhibitory PSPs were observed. Increasing the stimulus intensity from 1.2 T to 5.0 T led to an increase in amplitude of the PSPs. The central latencies of the PSPs were distributed over a wide range and minimal latencies of PSPs corresponded to 3.5 and 3.8 ms in ECL and FCL motoneurons, respectively. The measurement of central latencies reveals the oligo- and polysynaptic neural pathways from hindlimb cutaneous nerves to tail muscle motoneurons.