Sensory receptors in mammalian skin in an in vitro preparation.

The saphenous nerve and a patch of innervated skin were excised from the rat and guinea pig and kept in modified Krebs-Henseleit solution. The nerve was split into filaments and single fibre action potentials were recorded. Various cutaneous receptors could be identified by adequate stimulation of the superfused skin with radiant heat, von Frey hairs, constant pressure, cold and chemical stimuli restricted to receptive fields. In comparison to previous in vivo experiments no obvious differences occurred with respect to excitability and spontaneous activity. Within 12 h after excision of the skin no time-related changes in receptor behaviour became obvious.