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Fig. 6 | BMC Neuroscience

Fig. 6

From: The role of C-afferents in mediating neurogenic vasodilatation in plantar skin after acute sciatic nerve injury in rats

Fig. 6

Proposed mechanisms of neurotmesis-induced vasodilatation. a Physiological condition. Neurogenic vasomotion is balanced by orthodromic vasoconstrictor activity of sympathetic axons and antidromic vasodilator activity of C-afferents. C-afferents may modulate sympathetic vasoconstrictor neurons via circuit in the spinal cord. b Neurotmesis-induced vasodilatation is predominantly mediated by C-afferents. Transection of the nerve trunk leaves the axonal distal segment of the C-afferent and the distal post-ganglionic sympathetic axon isolated from their soma, and may evoke antidromic and orthodromic discharges in C-afferents and post-ganglionic sympathetic axons in the distal nerve segment, respectively. Possible uncontrolled release of vasoactive neuropeptides from the C-afferents in the distal nerve segment may result from ectopic discharges, lack of modulation by the soma, and leakage during axonal degeneration

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