Effects of transcutaneous nerve stimulation on dorsal horn cell activity in neuropathic rats

Objective:To study the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS)on the non-invasive evoked dorsal horn cell activities applied to the somatic receptive field in neuropathic pain model.Method:Sprague-Dawley(250-300g)rats were used to made neuropathic pain model.After neuropathic pain was developed,pain sensitivity and extracellular action potentials were assessed through behavioral and electrophysiological test.Result:①Pain sensitivity assessed through behavioral test in experimental group was higher than that of control group(P0.01).②Cell activities produced by both mechanical and thermal stimulation in the neuropathic rats were significantly higher than those in the control rats(P0.01).③After TENS,the non-invasive evoked activities of the dorsal horn cells were significantly decreased in the neuropathic rats(P0.01).④Depressive effects of TENS on the activities of the dorsal horn cell activities of the dorsal horn cells were reversed by the intravenous administration of naloxone(P0.01).Conclusion:Spinal dorsal horn cells are involved in the effects of TENS on reducing allody-nia.Low-frequency TENS can modulate the activity of dorsal horn cell and that by activating endogenous opioids system.