Reflex pathways in the abdominal prevertebral ganglia: evidence for a colo-colonic inhibitory reflex.

1. In vitro experiments were performed on preparations consisting of prevertebral ganglia attached to the entire colon of guinea-pigs. The colon was divided into an orad and a caudad segment and intraluminal pressure was recorded from the terminal end of each segment. Intracellular recordings were simultaneously obtained from neurones in the coeliac plexus. 2. The source of mechanosensory input from the colon paralleled the responses to mesenteric nerve stimulation. That is, section of the mesenteric nerve that contributed the strongest synaptic input to a neurone eliminated most of the mechanosensory input to that neurone. 3. The origin of the mechanosensory input to some neurones could be localized as coming from either the orad or caudad segment of the colon. In the coeliac ganglia 68% of the neurones tested responded primarily to orad distension and 37% to caudad distension. In the superior mesenteric ganglion 57% responded to orad distension and 43% to caudad distension. 4. Repetitive stimulation of the mesenteric nerve trunks arising from the prevertebral ganglia inhibited contractions differentially in the orad and caudad segments. The inferior coeliac nerves inhibited primarily the orad segments of colon and the lumbar colonic nerves inhibited primarily the caudad segments of colon. Stimulation of the superior coeliac nerves did not alter the motility of either segment. 5. When one of the colonic segments was distended, contractions in the other colonic segment were inhibited in 71% of the distensions. This inhibition operated in both directions: either orad inhibiting caudad or vice versa. 6. Cutting the intermesenteric nerve which communicates between the orad and caudad prevertebral ganglia eliminated the inhibitory reflex. 7. These experiments provide evidence for a colo-colonic inhibitory reflex mediated through pathways in the prevertebral ganglia.