SKELETAL MUSCLE REFLEXES OF SPLANCHNIC AND INTERCOSTAL NERVE ORIGIN IN ACUTE SPINAL AND DECEREBRATE CATS

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Abstract
In the acute spinal cat, paralysed with d-tubocurarine, single-shock stimulation of the central end of a splanchnic or intercostal nerve evokes a discharge in other intercostal nerves. Splanchnic excitation spreads quickly upwards along the sympathetic chain, but there is also a slower intra-spinal spread over not more than 4 segments. Contralateral spread is by an intra-spinal path. Intercostal excitation spreads slowly by an intra-spinal mechanism. Central delay times show that multisynaptic paths are involved, but the splanchnic central pathways are the longer. In the decerebrate, reflexes of splanchnic and intercostal origin are smaller, more limited in spread, but a conditioning response facilitates a later test response. In the spinal cat, the reflexes are larger, spread more widely, but now a second test response is inhibited. These differences are not due to change of blood pressure.
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