T El Ouazzani's research while affiliated with Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University and other places

In anesthetized cats, thermal stimulation of esophagus, stomach and duodenum, activates 3 kinds of thermoreceptors: warm, cold and mixed thermoreceptors. Responses of sensory vagal units were recorded in the nodose ganglion by means of extracellular glass microelectrodes. Analysis of conduction velocities (values ranged between 0.7 and 1.5 m/s) shows that the temperature receptors activate unmyelinated vagal fibers (C-fibers).From the study of the role of these receptors, it is concluded that thermoreceptors intervene in digestive motility contraction. In intact animals, the heating of thoracic esophagus and stomach, provokes a partial inhibition of the contraction at the cervical level of esophagus. The contrary effect was obtained by cooling.On the other hand, after cervical bivagotomy, the phenomena elicited by cold and warm stimulations were reversed.

Vagal unitary discharges were elicited in anesthetized cats by thermal stimulation of the lower thoracic esophagus and stomach. Discharges were recorded from the nodose ganglion, using extracellular glass microelectrodes. Three types of receptors were distinguished according to the temperature ranges at which they discharged: the cold receptors (10 degrees-36 degrees C), the warm receptors (39 degrees-50 degrees C), and the mixed receptors (10 degrees-35 degrees C and 40 degrees-50 degrees C). All endings were connected to unmyelinated fibers (conduction velocities around 1 m/s). These receptors are stimulated neither by mechanical (strong distention, localized stroking of mucosa) nor by chemical (acid and glucose solutions) stimuli. Therefore they must be considered as true thermoreceptors. Stimulation of the esophageal and gastric thermoreceptors produced changes both in esophageal motility and in respiratory frequency. It was concluded that they are involved in coordination of digestive activity as well as in thermoregulation.

Vagal sensitivity to carbohydrates (mainly glucose) and to acids (hydrochloric and acetic acids) was studied in the gastro-duodenal region of anesthetized cats. Action potentials were recorded extracellularly from the nodose ganglion by means of glass microelectrodes. Receptors responding to glucose perfusion were found at this level as well as receptors stimulated by acid perfusion. It is shown that each type of receptor was activated by only one kind of stimulus (carbohydrates and acids, respectively). These receptors must thus be considered as true glucoreceptors or acido-receptors. Being silent before activation, these two types of chemoreceptors discharged at a frequency that varied from 2 to 14 imp/s for the acido-receptors, and from 2 to 30 imp/s for the glucoreceptors. The response could be irregular or regular and might last several minutes. Its latency was short (between 1 and 20 s for both types of chemoreceptors. It was therefore supposed that they were located in the mucosa or neighboring structures. From the conduction velocities (0.8-1.2 m/s), it was concluded that fibers originating from the acido- and glucoreceptors belonged to the C type. Recording of the electromyographic activity from the gastro-duodenal region demonstrated that the gluco- and acid-receptors are involved in the regulation of motility of the gastric and duodenal regions.

La sensibilité vagale aux hydrates de carbone (glucose en particulier) et aux acides (acide chlorhydrique et acide acétique) a été étudiée dans la région gastro-duodénale chez des chats anesthésiés. Les potentiels d'action ont été enregistrés dans le ganglion plexiforme droit au moyen de microélectrodes extracellulaires. Des récepteurs, sélectivement sensibles soit aux hydrates de carbone, soit aux acides, ont été ainsi mis en évidence. Ces récepteurs doivent donc être considérés comme de véritables glucorécepteurs et acidorécepteurs. Les deux types de chémorécepteurs, silencieux au départ, présentent une fréquence de décharge basse qui varie entre 2 et 14 imp/s pour les acido-récepteurs et entre 2 et 30 imp/s pour les glucorécepteurs. Les réponses peuvent être irrégulières ou régulières et durer plusieurs minutes; leur latence est faible (entre 1 et 20 s) pour les deux types de chémorécepteurs, ce qui suggère une localisation dans la muqueuse ou au voisinage de celleci. Les fibres connectées aux glucorécepteurs et aux acido-récepteurs ont une vitesse de conduction qui varie entre 0,8 et 1,2 m/s: elles sont donc amyéliniques. L'enregistrement de l'activité électromyographique de la région gastro-duodénale a permis de montrer que les acido-récepteurs et les glucorécepteurs interviennent dans la régulation de la motilité gastrique et duodénale, l'effet le plus marqué étant une diminution du rythme électrique de base de l'estomac.

In anaesthetized cats, sensory vagal units were recorded in the nodose ganglion by means of extracellular glass microelectrodes. In the antrum and the duodenum we have found receptors tonically activated by warm (38-51 degrees C with an optimum at 46-49 degrees C) or cold (36-10 degrees C with an optimum at 12-10 degrees C) solutions. These receptors did not respond to mechanical stimuli (compression and distension of the viscera) and to chemical ones (perfusion with glucose and acid solutions). Thus they did not belong to polymodal type, but they must be considered as true thermoreceptors, specifically sensitive to warm or cold stimulations. The gastro-duodenal thermoreceptors were connected to non-medullated vagal fibres (conduction velocity: 0.8-1.4 m/s). On the other hand, the role of the gastro-duodenal vagal thermoreceptors in the regulation of the digestive motility was studied. By using several electromyographic recordings, it was possible to show that the cold and warm stimulations of the duodenum which elicited thermoreceptor responses, induced an inhibition of the electrical activity of the antrum. The changes persisted after bisplanchnectomy, but disappeared completely after bivagotomy. From these facts it was concluded that the vagal thermoreceptors were involved in the nervous regulations of the gastro-duodenal motility.

In anaesthetized cats, sensory vagal units were recorded in the nodose ganglion by means of extracellular glass microelectrodes. In the antrum and the duodenum we have found receptors tonically activated by warm (38–51 ° C with an optimum at 46–49 ° C) or cold (36–10 ° C with an optimum at 12–10 ° C) solutions. These receptors did not respond to mechanical stimuli (compression and distension of the viscera) and to chemical ones (perfusion with glucose and acid solutions). Thus they did not belong to polymodal type, but they must be considered as true thermoreceptors, specifically sensitive to warm or cold stimulations. The gastro-duodenal thermoreceptors were connected to non-medullated vagal fibres (conduction velocity: 0.8–1.4 m/s). On the other hand, the role of the gastro-duodenal vagal thermoreceptors in the regulation of the digestive motility was studied. By using several electromyographic recordings, it was possible to show that the cold and warm stimulations of the duodenum which elicited thermoreceptor responses, induced an inhibition of the electrical activity of the antrum. The changes persisted after bisplanchnectomy, but disappeared completely after bivagotomy. From these facts it was concluded that the vagal thermoreceptors were involved in the nervous regulations of the gastro-duodenal motility.

The sensory innervation of the small intestine was studied in the cat with electrophysiological, histological and histochemical techniques. Thanks to the histochemical technique (peroxydase method) the exact number and proportion of splanchnic and vagal fibres was determined : the latter being about 9 times more numerous than the former. On the other hand the exact position of the corresponding cells was defined in the nodose and spinal ganglia by means of the previous technique and the microelectrophysiological method (recording of single units into the ganglia with extracellular glass microelectrodes). The splanchnic neurones were found in the T9, T10 and T11 ganglia whereas the vagal ones were chiefly located in the lower half of the nodose ganglia. The histological studies using electronic microscope showed many non-medullated endings, which were often found beneath the epithelium and in the lamina propria of the villi close to the blood vessels. This result is certainly the proof that numerous receptors (mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors and even thermoreceptors do exist in the small intestine.