Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Changes in spinal cord reflexes after cross-anastomosis of cutaneous and muscle nerves in the adult rat

Nature volume 342, pages 272–274 (1989)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 28 December 1989

Abstract

EVIDENCE exists that the specification of afferent nerves and their central connections in the embryo may depend in part on influences from the peripheral target innervated1–7. We have now investigated whether such peripheral determination persists in the adult rat using the unmyelinated afferent system of C fibres, which differ chemically in the adult depending on their target8–11. We have previously shown that if the cutaneous sural nerve and the muscle gastrocnemius nerve are cross-anastomosed so that they grow to each other's target, the A fibres establish functional endings and the C fibres change their chemistry to that which is appropriate for the new target9,12–14. Here we report that in normal adult rats, a short train of stimuli to the cutaneous sural nerve produced a brief facilitation of the flexion reflex, lasting on average only 5 min, whereas similar stimulation of the gastrocnemius-muscle nerve enhanced this reflex for an average of 54 min. In cross-anastomosed animals, stimulation of the gastrocnemius nerve (innervating skin) induced a brief potentiation of the flexion reflex, lasting on average only 3 min. By contrast, stimulation of sural nerve (innervating muscle) produced a potentiation of this reflex lasting 57 min. Thus the ability of adult afferent nerves to potentiate the flexion reflex depends on the target with which they make contact. We propose that tissue-specific factors influence some of the central actions of primary afferent neurons in the adult.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barakat I. & Droz, B. Neuroscience 28, 39–47 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Frank, E. & Westerfield, M. J. Physiol. 324, 495–505 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Marurisich, M. F., Pourmehr, K. & Weston, J. A. Devl. Biol. 118, 505–510 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Smith, C. L. & Frank, E. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 10, 100.34 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Smith, C. L. & Frank, E. Soc. Neurosci. Abs. 11, 63 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Smith, C. L. & Frank, E. J. comp. Neurol. 269, 96–108 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Smith, C. L. & Frank, E. Brain Behav. Evol. 31, 227–242 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. McMahon, S. B., Sykova, E., Wall, P. D., Woolf, C. J. & Gibson, S. Neurosci. Lett. 52, 235–240 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. McMahon, S. B. & Moore, C. E. J. comp. Neurol., 274, 1–8 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gibson, S. J. et al. Peptides 7, 273–283 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Honda, C. N., Rethelyi, M. & Petrusz, P. J. Neurosci. 3, 2183–2196 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lewin, G. R. & McMahon, S. B. Pflügers, Arch. ges Physiol. 411, R179 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Lewin, G. R. & McMahon, S. B. Eur. J. Neurosci. Sup. 1, 51.16 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  14. McMahon, S. B. & Gibson, S. Neurosci. Lett. 73, 9–15 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wall, P. D. & Woolf, C. J. J. Physiol. 356, 443–458 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Woolt, C. J. & Wall, P. D. J. Neurosci. 6, 1433–1442 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Woolf, C. J. Nature 306, 686–688 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Devor, M. & Wall, P. D. Nature 276, 75–76 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Wall, P. D. & Devor, M. Brain Res., 209, 95–111 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wall, P. D., Fitzgerald, M. & Gibson, S. J. Neurosci. 6, 2205–2215 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Merzenich, M. M. et al. Neuroscience 8, 33–55 (1983).

    Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Hylden, J. L. K., Nahin, R. L. & Dubner, R. Brain Res. 411, 341–350 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Munson, J. B., Collins, W. F. & Mendell, L. M. in The Current Status of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration (Eds Gordon, T., Stein, R. B. & Smith, P. A.) 259–268 (Alan Liss, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lewin, G. R. & McMahon, S. B. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 15, 13.9 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Patrick D Wall: Cerebral Functions Research Group, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, St Thomas' Hospital Medical School, Lambeth Palace Rd, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    Stephen B. McMahon & Patrick D Wall

Authors
  1. Stephen B. McMahon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patrick D Wall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McMahon, S., Wall, P. Changes in spinal cord reflexes after cross-anastomosis of cutaneous and muscle nerves in the adult rat. Nature 342, 272–274 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/342272a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/342272a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing