Asc. Rice et al., THE CONSEQUENCES OF MICRONEUROGRAPHY ELECTRODE-INDUCED INJURY OF PERIPHERAL-NERVES OBSERVED IN THE RAT AND MAN, Pain, 59(3), 1994, pp. 385-393
The consequences of microneurography were assessed, using tungsten and
coaxial electrodes in rat and man. Firstly, the sequelae of microneur
ography were examined for up to 1 month in a rat sciatic nerve model,
using 3 techniques. Expression of the injury-associated protein GAP-43
was measured by immunofluorescence in sciatic nerve and dorsal root g
anglia 3 and 28 days following sciatic nerve injury by microneurograph
y electrodes. No increase in GAP-43 was observed in sciatic nerve 3 da
ys following injury, but 28 days after injury the coaxial electrode wa
s associated with an increase in GAP-43 expression, All electrodes wer
e associated with an increase in GAP-43 in dorsal root ganglia 28 days
after injury. The capacity of unmyelinated afferent fibres to induce
neurogenic oedema was examined up to the 28th post-experimental day, a
s measured by Evan's Blue extravasation. The tungsten electrode induce
d a decrease in extravasation, which persisted for 28 days. In contras
t, the decrease in plasma extravasation associated with lesions induce
d by the coaxial electrode returned to baseline within 7 days. The hin
d-limb withdrawal time from a noxious stimulus was also measured up to
28 days following injury. Both types of electrode induced a significa
nt change in the immediate post-experimental period, but this returned
to normal within 1 week. The direction of change differed between the
tungsten and coaxial electrodes. In humans, symptomatology questionna
ires were collected after microneurography experiments with the coaxia
l electrode. Thirty-two volunteers were studied. Two subjects reported
mild paraesthesiae, which fully resolved within 24 h. This compares f
avourably with similar studies of the tungsten electrode.