[Skin mechanoreceptor functioning in the white rat during transcranial electrostimulation].

Functional properties of skin afferents were studied by the method of registration of spike activity from single nerve fibres, innervated non-hairy skin in white rats. It was found that mechanoreceptor units varied by the threshold intensity of applied stimulus. These units were divided to three functional groups: low-, medium- and high-threshold units. Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) strongly affected on the functional characteristics of skin afferents. Full suppression of responses was observed in 18-20 min. irrespective of the category of units. A local intracutaneous injection of naloxon eliminated the effect of TES. It is supposed that endogenous opioid peptides regulate an afferent discharge on the level of sensory endings during TES.