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Projection field of primary afferent fibers innervating the ventral portion of the lumbar intervertebral disc in the spinal cord dorsal horn

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Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the central projection of afferent fibers innervating the lumbar intervertebral disc using the fluorescent neurotracer 1,1?-dioctadecyl-3,3,3?,3?-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI). The tracer DiI was applied to the ventrolateral portion of the L5-L6 intervertebral disc in 11 adult rats. Fluorescent sites were observed microscopically on spinal cord transverse sections. Fluorescent spots in laminae I-III were plotted on the central projection map of cutaneous afferents. In six of 11 rats, DiI was restricted to the application site. Of these six rats, three showed no evident fluorescent sites. In the remaining three rats, small fluorescent spots were scattered in the dorsal horn. Fluorescent spots in dorsal horn lamina I were located in the central projection fields of the low back and groin skin. Fluorescent spots were observed, also sporadically, in Clarke’s column in T12-L1 segments. The central projection of afferent fibers innervating the rat lumbar intervertebral disc was indistinct with DiI labeling. We presumed this was due to the scarcity of central terminal arbors of disc afferent fibers. Spotty projections in laminae I-III were present near the central projection fields of the loin and groin, indicating that pain would be perceived in the groin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Chiba City Rehabilitation and Care Center for the Disabled, 4-8-3 Takahama, Mihama-ku, 261-0003, Chiba City, Chiba

    Yuzuru Takahashi

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Japan

    Yuzuru Takahashi, Yasuchika Aoki, Hideo Douya, Seiji Ohtori & Kazuhisa Takahashi

  3. Department of Neurobiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

    Yasuchika Aoki & Hideo Douya

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  1. Yuzuru Takahashi
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  2. Yasuchika Aoki
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  3. Hideo Douya
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  4. Seiji Ohtori
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  5. Kazuhisa Takahashi
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Correspondence to Yuzuru Takahashi.

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Takahashi, Y., Aoki, Y., Douya, H. et al. Projection field of primary afferent fibers innervating the ventral portion of the lumbar intervertebral disc in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Anato Sci Int 81, 92–99 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-073X.2006.00137.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-073X.2006.00137.x

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