Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 54, Issue 5 1109-1122, Copyright © 1985 by APS

ARTICLES

Effects of an experimental arthritis on the sensory properties of fine articular afferent units

H. G. Schaible and R. F. Schmidt

An acute experimental arthritis was induced in the right knee joint of adult cats anesthetized with chloralose, and the activity of single fine afferent units of the medial articular nerve was recorded from filaments of the saphenous nerve. All units included in this study were sensitive to local mechanical probing of the medial and anteromedial aspects of the knee joint. The units were identified by their conduction velocity as belonging either to group III (2.5-20 m/s, 48 U) or group IV (less than 2.5 m/s, 29 U). After the identification, the resting activity was measured, and the evoked activity was determined using local mechanical stimulation with glass rods and von Frey hairs, and passive movements of the knee joint. The results were compared with those obtained in a similar study of fine articular units from normal joints. Resting activity was observed in 75% of the group III and 83% of the group IV units. The discharges were irregular and often of high frequency. Both the percentages of units with resting activity and the frequencies of their discharges were more than twice as high as in the control sample. Nearly all units from inflamed joints had low threshold to movements (group III 89%, group IV 72%), and most units responded well to flexion and extension. In contrast, in units from normal joints only 33% of the group III and 10% of the group IV units responded well to passive movements in the normal working range of the joint. In inflamed as well as in normal joints the responses were mostly tonic in character and adapted slowly or not at all when the joint was held in a new position. In normal joints 24% of the group III and 36.5% of the group IV afferent units with local mechanosensitive receptive fields could not be excited by any physiological or noxious joint movements. Such units were only very occasionally seen in the present sample. The average number of receptive fields per unit found in inflamed joints exceeded considerably that in normal units, but no systematic drop in von Frey thresholds was seen when comparing the control sample with the inflamed one. From the above data we conclude that an acute inflammation sensitizes many fine articular units, making them active at rest and increasing the responsiveness more readily to normally innocuous joint movements. Both nociceptors and units with low threshold to movement seem to become sensitized by the inflammation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Edgar The nerve supply of the lumbar intervertebral disc J Bone Joint Surg Br, September 1, 2007; 89-B(9): 1135 - 1139. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Mason Placing pain on the sensory map: Classic papers by Ed Perl and colleagues J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2007; 97(3): 1871 - 1873. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. G. Vance, R. Radhakrishnan, D. A Skyba, and K. A Sluka Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation at Both High and Low Frequencies Reduces Primary Hyperalgesia in Rats With Joint Inflammation in a Time-Dependent Manner Physical Therapy, January 1, 2007; 87(1): 44 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Chen, Y. Lu, S. Kallakuri, A. Patwardhan, and J. M. Cavanaugh Distribution of A-{delta} and C-Fiber Receptors in the Cervical Facet Joint Capsule and Their Response to Stretch J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., August 1, 2006; 88(8): 1807 - 1816. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Alessandri-Haber, O. A. Dina, E. K. Joseph, D. Reichling, and J. D. Levine A transient receptor potential vanilloid 4-dependent mechanism of hyperalgesia is engaged by concerted action of inflammatory mediators. J. Neurosci., April 5, 2006; 26(14): 3864 - 3874. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Takebayashi, J. M. Cavanaugh, S. Kallakuri, C. Chen, and T. Yamashita Sympathetic afferent units from lumbar intervertebral discs J Bone Joint Surg Br, April 1, 2006; 88-B(4): 554 - 557. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Takeda, T. Tanimoto, M. Ikeda, M. Nasu, J. Kadoi, Y. Shima, H. Ohta, and S. Matsumoto Temporomandibular Joint Inflammation Potentiates the Excitability of Trigeminal Root Ganglion Neurons Innervating the Facial Skin in Rats J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2005; 93(5): 2723 - 2738. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. M. Flake, D. B. Bonebreak, and M. S. Gold Estrogen and Inflammation Increase the Excitability of Rat Temporomandibular Joint Afferent Neurons J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2005; 93(3): 1585 - 1597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M. Hamalainen, G. F. Gebhart, and T. J. Brennan Acute Effect of an Incision on Mechanosensitive Afferents in the Plantar Rat Hindpaw J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2002; 87(2): 712 - 720. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Zhang, Y. Lu, Y. Chen, and K. N. Westlund Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Antagonists Block Secondary Thermal Hyperalgesia in Rats with Knee Joint Inflammation J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., January 1, 2002; 300(1): 149 - 156. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. E. Cairns, B. J. Sessle, and J. W. Hu Characteristics of Glutamate-Evoked Temporomandibular Joint Afferent Activity in the Rat J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2001; 85(6): 2446 - 2454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Andrew and J. D. Greenspan Mechanical and Heat Sensitization of Cutaneous Nociceptors After Peripheral Inflammation in The Rat J Neurophysiol, November 1, 1999; 82(5): 2649 - 2656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Iwata, A. Tashiro, Y. Tsuboi, T. Imai, R. Sumino, T. Morimoto, R. Dubner, and K. Ren Medullary Dorsal Horn Neuronal Activity in Rats with Persistent Temporomandibular Joint and Perioral Inflammation J Neurophysiol, September 1, 1999; 82(3): 1244 - 1253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. O. Urban and G. F. Gebhart Supraspinal contributions to hyperalgesia PNAS, July 6, 1999; 96(14): 7687 - 7692. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Danziger, J. Weil-Fugazza, D. Le Bars, and D. Bouhassira Alteration of Descending Modulation of Nociception during the Course of Monoarthritis in the Rat J. Neurosci., March 15, 1999; 19(6): 2394 - 2400. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Sluka Blockade of N- and P/Q-Type Calcium Channels Reduces the Secondary Heat Hyperalgesia Induced by Acute Inflammation J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., October 1, 1998; 287(1): 232 - 237. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				T. HOGERVORST and R. A. BRAND Current Concepts Review - Mechanoreceptors in Joint Function J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., September 1, 1998; 80(9): 1365 - 1378. [Full Text]

				A. K. Houghton, Y. Lu, and K. N. Westlund S-(+)-3-Isobutylgaba and Its Stereoisomer Reduces the Amount of Inflammation and Hyperalgesia in an Acute Arthritis Model in the Rat J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., May 1, 1998; 285(2): 533 - 538. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				W Kuis, C J Heijnen, J A Hogeweg, G Sinnema, and P J M Helders How painful is juvenile chronic arthritis? Arch. Dis. Child., November 1, 1997; 77(5): 451 - 453. [Full Text]

				G. M. Bove and M. A. Moskowitz Primary Afferent Neurons Innervating Guinea Pig Dura J Neurophysiol, January 1, 1997; 77(1): 299 - 308. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]