A comparison of experimental procedures of investigation of the dorsal root evoked ventral root reflex in the frog.

Effects of the drug methyl-m-aminobenzoate (MS-222 Sandoz) on the dorsal root evoked ventral root responses were studied by electrophysiological methods in the frog spinal cord. A fairly quick and marked depression of the response was observed from which complete recovery was seen within 60 minutes. Larger doses or repeated injection of small amounts of the drug prolonged the recovery and the monosynaptic discharge component of the ventral root reflex often deteriorated irreversibly. - In further experiments, monosynaptic ventral root discharges were demonstrated in spinal cords isolated from the vertebral canal and kept in Ringer solution. The results are discussed in the light of controversial views about the occurrence of monosynaptic ventral root discharge to stimulation of the primary afferents in the amphibian spinal cord.