Somatosensory afferent inputs release 5-HT and NA from the spinal cord.

Endogenous serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NA) release by somatosensory afferent inputs was investigated at the level of the spinal cord using in vivo microdialysis technique combined with high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). Selective stimulation of large myelinated A beta afferent fibers significantly increased 5-HT release to 151.1 +/- 10.1% of the control, but did not affect NA release. However, selective stimulation of small myelinated A delta fibers released NA rather than 5-HT. The NA level enhanced to 128.8 +/- 6.4% of the control after A delta fibers were stimulated with the intensity of 6 times threshold. Stimulation of unmyelinated C fibers unavoidably excited the A beta and A delta afferent fibers, causing both 5-HT and NA release from the spinal cord. The results suggest that both innocuous and noxious information may activate serotonergic descending pathways. The noradrenergic descending pathways are only triggered by noxious inputs transmitted by small afferent fibers.