• Chao Qin, Jiande D Z Chen, Jing Zhang, and Robert D Foreman.
• Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; and Veteran Research Foundation, VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
• Neuromodulation. 2010 Apr 1;13(2):77-86.

Objectives  The aim was to determine whether somatic afferent fiber stimulation influences thoracic spinal neuronal activity responding to gastric distensions.Materials And Methods  Extracellular potentials of single T9-T10 spinal neurons were recorded in anesthetized male rats. Ipsilateral median and peroneal nerve afferent stimulation (MNAS, PNAS) was delivered by electrodes. Inflation of a latex balloon was used to produce gastric distension.Results  MNAS and PNAS (1.5 mA, 50 Hz, 10 sec) altered activity of 63% and 66% of the spinal neurons excited or inhibited by gastric distension, respectively. MNAS more frequently reduced spinal neuronal activity with excitatory responses to gastric distension than did PNAS (p < 0.05). PNAS more likely increased neuronal activity with low-threshold excitatory responses to gastric distension than MNAS (p < 0.05).Conclusions  Peripheral somatic afferent information utilizes central pathways to modulate gastric afferent processing in T9-T10 spinal neurons. Thus, somatic afferent stimulation might be used to treat gastric pain and/or hypersensitivity.© 2009 International Neuromodulation Society.

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