A mouse model of pharyngeal dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We recently established that the SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse is a suitable model for oral-stage dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether it could serve as a model for pharyngeal-stage dysphagia as well. Electrophysiological and histological experiments were conducted on end-stage SOD1-G93A transgenic mice (n = 9) and age-matched wild-type (WT) littermates (n = 12).

An animal model of oral dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Relatively little is known about the underlying neuropathology of dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); thus, effective treatments remain elusive. Tremendous progress toward understanding and treating dysphagia in ALS may be possible through the use of an animal model of dysphagia in ALS research; however, no such animal model currently exists. The most logical candidate to consider is the SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse, the most widely investigated animal model of ALS.

Role of soluble guanylate cyclase in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis in capsaicin-induced muscle hypersensitivity.

Nitric oxide (NO) produces its effects by activating soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). In the present study, we investigated the potential role of sGC in the subnucleus caudalis (Vc) in mediating masseter hypersensitivity under acute inflammatory condition in male Sprague-Dawley rats. First, our Western blot analysis revealed that sGC protein is reliably detected in the Vc.

The influence of pain on masseter spindle afferent discharge.

Muscle spindles provide proprioceptive feedback supporting normal patterns of motor activity and kinesthetic sensibility. During mastication, jaw muscle spindles play an important role in monitoring and regulating the chewing cycle and the bite forces generated during mastication. Both acute and chronic orofacial pain disorders are associated with changes in proprioceptive feedback and motor function.

Hypertonic saline-induced muscle nociception and c-fos activation are partially mediated by peripheral NMDA receptors.

In this study, the animal model of hypertonic saline (HS) infusion protocol was developed and utilized to test the hypothesis that HS causes peripheral release of glutamate, and that blockade of peripheral NMDA receptors significantly reduces HS-induced nocifensive behavior and central neuronal activation. Nocifensive behavior and c-fos immunoreactivity, as a marker of central neuronal activation, were assessed from the animals that received intramuscular HS infusion with and without the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801. HS infusion (20 microl/min for 10 min) in the rat masseter produced prolonged nocifensive hindpaw shaking responses that peaked in the first minute and gradually diminished over the infusion period.

Assessing mechanical sensitivity of masseter muscle in lightly anesthetized rats: a model for craniofacial muscle hyperalgesia.

In this report, we present a simple and reliable way of assessing mechanical sensitivity of masseter muscle as a model for craniofacial muscle hyperalgesia. Mechanical thresholds that evoke nocifensive hindpaw responses following noxious masseter stimulation were assessed. Masseteric injections of widely used sensitizing agents significantly increased mechanical sensitivity of the muscle in a time dependent manner without affecting other muscles and overlying skin.

Classification of muscle spindle afferents innervating the masseter muscle in rats.

Taylor et al. [Taylor, A., Durbaba, R.

The effect of experimental muscle pain on the amplitude and velocity sensitivity of jaw closing muscle spindle afferents.

The effect of experimental muscle pain on the amplitude and velocity sensitivity of muscle spindle primary afferent neurons in the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vmes) was examined. Extracellular recordings were made from 45 neurons designated as spindle primary- or secondary-like on the basis of their response to ramp-and-hold jaw movements. Velocity sensitivity was assessed in spindle primary-like afferents by calculating the mean dynamic index of each unit in response to three different velocities of jaw opening before and after intramuscular injection with hypertonic saline (HS, 5%, 100 microl).

Innocuous jaw movements increase c-fos expression in trigeminal sensory nuclei produced by masseter muscle inflammation.

Muscle tenderness and pain during movements are prominent symptoms associated with persistent jaw muscle pain. However, there is virtually no information on how trigeminal neurons respond to jaw movements (JM) or muscle palpation in the presence of muscle tissue injury or myositis. In this study, we investigated the effects of innocuous JM in the presence of acute masseteric inflammation on postsynaptic responses in the trigeminal brainstem nuclei by examining the expression of c-fos.

Development of a behavioral assessment of craniofacial muscle pain in lightly anesthetized rats.

In this study, a new behavioral assessment of craniofacial muscle pain in the lightly anesthetized rat is described. Intramuscular injections with algesic agents in lightly anesthetized rats evoked a characteristic ipsilateral hindpaw shaking behavior for several minutes similar to previously described orofacial pain-induced grooming behavior in awake rats (Neurosci Lett 103 (1989) 349, Pain 62 (1995) 295). Eighty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in a series of experiments to study whether this behavior could serve as a valid measure of craniofacial muscle pain.

Effects of experimental muscle pain on electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles in the rat.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of noxious chemical stimulation of a jaw muscle on postural electromyographic (EMG) activity from several masticatory muscles in lightly anesthetized rats. Unilateral injection of a substance known to induce acute muscle pain (5% NaCl) or longer duration of pain with inflammation (mustard oil) was made into the masseter muscle. The changes in EMG activity following the injection were recorded from the injected and contralateral masseter muscles and the ipsilateral digastric muscle.