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Responses and Afferent Pathways of C₁–C₂ Spinal Neurons to Cervical and Thoracic Esophageal Stimulation in Rats

Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190

Submitted 8 October 2003; accepted in final form 19 December 2003

Because vagal and sympathetic inputs activate upper cervical spinal neurons, we hypothesized that stimulation of the esophagus would activate C₁–C₂ neurons. This study examined responses of C₁–C₂ spinal neurons to cervical and thoracic esophageal distension (CED, TED) and afferent pathways for CED and TED inputs to C₁–C₂ spinal neurons. Extracellular potentials of single C₁–C₂ spinal neurons were recorded in pentobarbital-anesthetized male rats. Graded CED or TED was produced by water inflation (0.1–0.5 ml) of a latex balloon. CED changed activity of 48/219 (22%) neurons; 34 were excited (E), 12 were inhibited (I), and 2 were E-I. CED elicited responses for 18/18 neurons tested after ipsilateral cervical vagotomy, for 12/14 neurons tested after bilateral vagotomy and for 9/11 neurons tested after bilateral vagotomy and C₆–C₇ spinal cord transection. TED changed activity of 31/190 (16%) neurons (28E, 3 I). Ipsilateral cervical vagotomy abolished TED-evoked responses of 5/12 neurons. Bilateral vagotomy eliminated responses of 2/4 neurons tested, and C₆–C₇ spinal transection plus bilateral vagotomy eliminated responses of 2/2 neurons. Thus inputs from CED to C₁–C₂ neurons most likely entered upper cervical dorsal roots, whereas inputs from TED were dependent on vagal pathways and/or sympathetic afferent pathways that entered the thoracic dorsal roots. These results supported a concept that C₁–C₂ spinal neurons play a role in integrating visceral information from cervical and thoracic esophagus.

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