Bradykinin-induced modulation of the response behaviour of different types of feline group III and IV muscle receptors.

1. In order to test the hypothesis that bradykinin has a sensitizing action on muscle receptors (e.g. during a myositis), the response properties of single group III and IV afferent units from the cat gastrocnemius-soleus muscle were compared before and after infiltration of their receptive fields with a bradykinin solution. According to their responses to graded natural stimuli (local pressure, stretch, contractions and temperature changes) the units were classified as (a) nociceptors, (b) low-threshold pressure-sensitive (LTP) receptors, (c) contraction-sensitive (CS) receptors and (d) thermosensitive receptors. 2. Bradykinin activated the majority of both the nociceptive and low-threshold (LTP, CS and thermosensitive) receptors but a sensitization was prominent only among the nociceptors. Most of the sensitized nociceptors showed increased responses to mechanical, but not to thermal, stimuli. The sensitization appeared to be quite specific in that the nociceptors were sensitized either towards local pressure stimulation or to active contractions, but never towards both forms of stimulation. 3. Both group III and group IV nociceptors were sensitized by bradykinin, the proportion of sensitized receptors being greater for group III units. 4. Some of the low-threshold receptors (particularly the CS units) showed a desensitization under the influence of bradykinin. 5. Although bradykinin (by lowering the mechanical thresholds of nociceptors into the innocuous range) could produce the symptom of allodynia, it was not capable of eliciting all the changes in receptor behaviour which are known to occur in inflamed tissues. For instance, no ongoing activity of longer duration and no substantial sensitization of low-threshold receptors have been observed in the present study.