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The Role of Dorsal Root Reflexes in Neurogenic Inflammation and Pain

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Pain and Neuroimmune Interactions

Abstract

Intradermal injection of capsaicin into the rat hindpaw causes flare and paw swelling. Both are dramatically reduced by sectioning the peripheral nerves that supply the distal hindlimb or by dorsal rhizotomy. Thus, flare and paw swelling do not depend on axon reflexes. Both flare and paw swelling are diminished by intrathecal injection of CNQX, bicuculline or AP7, but not by phaclofen, indicating that these depend largely on a central nervous system mechanism involving non-NMDA and NMDA glutamate receptors and GABAA receptors. Intradermal injection of capsaicin results in an increase in dorsal root reflexes evoked by stimulation of the skin, suggesting that dorsal root reflexes may contribute to neurogenic inflammation in the skin. Dorsal root reflexes could be recorded from individual AS and C fibers in the proximal stumps of cut dorsal rootlets, suggesting that fine, possibly peptidergic, afferent fibers can conduct these antidromic action potentials and contribute to neurogenic inflammation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy & Neurosciences and Marine Biomedical Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555-1069

    William D. Willis, J. Wu & Qing Lin

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  1. William D. Willis
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  2. J. Wu
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  3. Qing Lin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Nayef E. Saadé  & Suhayl J. Jabbur  & 

  2. SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse, New York, USA

    A. Vania Apkarian

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© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Willis, W.D., Wu, J., Lin, Q. (2000). The Role of Dorsal Root Reflexes in Neurogenic Inflammation and Pain. In: Saadé, N.E., Apkarian, A.V., Jabbur, S.J. (eds) Pain and Neuroimmune Interactions. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4225-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4225-4_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6897-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4225-4

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