Inside Information: The Unique Features of Visceral Sensation

Table 1.

a Biochemical Differences between Visceral and Non-Visceral Spinal Afferents

Biochemical marker Visceral afferents Percent positive Non-visceral afferents Percent positive Reference(s)
a This table shows examples from previous studies that have reported the immunoreactivity or presence of the biochemical markers discussed here. These studies were performed by retrogradely labeling either from specific organs or muscles, or by labeling whole nerves (indicated by “n.” or the appropriate footnote; see also box 1). b saphenous nerve; c values reduced to 14% (CGRP) and 6% (TRPV1) when the saphenous nerve was retrogradely labeled with IB 4 instead of wheat germ agglutinin; d retrograde labeling from the celiac ganglion or left cutaneous branches of the spinal nerves; e femoral nerve; f gastrocnemius nerve; g sciatic nerve; h 72 hours after injecting the retrograde tracer; i 48 hours after injecting the retrograde tracer; j labeled from the L6 dermatome.
CGRP mouse colon 81% rat ankle skin 51% (24, 25)
mouse colon 79% rat plantar skin 41% (34, 36
mouse colon 63% rat dorsal skin 35% (35, 37)
rat colon 88% rat skin b 51% (35, 38)
rat bladder 60% mouse skin b 30% c (26, 39)
rat bladder 52–63% rat skin b 20% (27, 40)
rat bladder 69% rat skin d 19% (25, 41)
rat ureter and urethra 90% rat trapezius muscle 33% (26, 37)
rat kidney, ureter, or bladder >90% rat longissimus muscle 22% (26, 37)
rat kidney 93% mouse muscle e 39% (30, 39)
rat stomach 47–88% rat muscle f 70% (28, 38)
mouse stomach 69–95% rat muscle f 30% (28, 40)
guinea pig stomach 69–87% (28)
rat stomach 36–84% (33)
rat stomach 74% (29)
rat esophagus 54–90% (33)
dog testes ~80% (31)
lamb ileum 57% (32)
rat splanchnic n. 99% (38)
rat splanchnic n. 95% (40)
rat splanchnic n. 88% (41)
trkA rat bladder 75% rat ankle skin 43% (25)
rat pelvic n. 90% rat skin b 48% (43)
rat muscle f 20% (43)
rat skin/muscle g 44% (43)
IB4 binding mouse colon 20% rat ankle skin 43% (24, 25)
mouse colon 14% rat plantar skin 20% (34, 36)
mouse colon 6% rat skin b 37–42% h (35, 44)
rat colon 12% mouse skin b 14% (35, 39)
rat bladder 29% rat muscle 3% i (25, 44)
rat splanchnic n. 1–3%h (44)
rat splanchnic n. 4–5% i (44)
TRPV1 mouse colon 82% rat plantar skin 35% (24, 36)
mouse colon 67% rat skin j 32% (35, 45)
mouse colon 62% mouse skin b 28% c (65, 39)
rat colon 83% mouse muscle e 39% (35, 39)
rat bladder 69% (45)
rat stomach 71% (46)

This Article

  1. MI October 2008 vol. 8 no. 5 242-253