Abstract
To investigate spinal cord function following hypertension in M-SHRSP, spinal reflex evoked by magnetic stimulation was recorded in the tibiallis anterior muscle and the histological changes were observed before and after paralysis apperance. Recording of magnetically evoked EMGs activity corresponds to H-reflex and M-responses, allowing examination of the neuronal states of the spinal cord. Acceleration of the F-wave and a reduction in the amplitude of the H-reflex observed even before paralysis apperance. The thresholds of the M-response shifted after paralysis apperance. The pathological studies showed that spinal hypertensive vascular lesions were detected in 79% and 93% of the before and after paralysis apperance in M-SHRSP, respectively. In WKY and SHR, magnetically evoked EMGs and pathological lesions were not detected in spinal cord of any of the 6 weeks to 25 weeks old rats. These results indicated that changes in associated with muscular action in the spinal cord precede the development of morphologic changes of the spinal cord. Spinal reflex evoked by magnetic stimulation was a very useful method for detecting spinal hypertensive vascular lesions. [Jpn J Physiol 54 Suppl:S247 (2004)]
