Differential effects of cutaneous and deep application of inflammatory irritant on mechanoreceptive field properties of trigeminal brain stem nociceptive neurons.

1. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differential neuroplastic effects of cutaneous and deep stimuli on the mechanoreceptive field (RF) properties of nociceptive brain stem neurons recorded in trigeminal (V) subnucleus caudalis. 2. A total of 31 caudalis neurons were functionally identified in anesthetized rats as nociceptive neurons receiving convergent cutaneous and deep afferent inputs, and the effects of the small-fiber excitant and inflammatory irritant mustard oil applied to either tongue muscle or facial skin were tested on their cutaneous and deep RFs. 3. The expression of neuroplasticity on the cutaneous and deep RFs of the neurons was found to depend on the site of application of this irritant. Mustard oil injected into the tongue muscle produced a significant and reversible expansion of both the cutaneous and deep RFs. In contrast, application of mustard oil to facial skin resulted in a significant and reversible expansion of the cutaneous RF, but no deep RF expansion occurred. 4. These findings suggest that considerable functional neuroplasticity of the cutaneous and deep RF properties of V nociceptive neurons can be induced by a peripheral inflammatory irritant and that deep inputs are especially effective in evoking these neuroplastic changes.