Neuromodulation Of Cerebral Blood Flow

After the demonstration that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can improve peripheral blood flow, Hosobuchi in 1986 first studied the effect of SCS on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in human beings. The group found that SCS could produce either an increase of CBF, a reduction, or no effect at all. A reduction of CBF is very rare and occurs when electrodes are place in a more caudal location, while cervical stimulation produces, more frequently, an increase in CBF (61% of cervical stimulations). The effect of SCS on CBF in rabbits suggests that a reversible functional sympathectomy occurs during SCS.
Neuromodulation; Jul2003, Vol. 6 Issue 3, p192-192, 1p

Visocchi, Massimiliano¹
Meglio, Mario¹

Complications of sympathectomy

The excision of axillary sweat glands can cause unsightly scarring and transthoracic sympathectomy (either open or endoscopic) can be associated with complications of compensatory and gustatory hyperhidrosis, Horner syndrome and neuralgia, some of which patients may find worse than the condition itself.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology; 2003, Vol. 4 Issue 10, p681-697, 17p

Effect of sympathetic denervation on the rate of protein synthesis in rat skeletal muscle

Soleus isolated after 2 and 4 days of chemical sympathectomy or after 3 days of lumbar denervation showed a 17–20% statistically significant decrease in in vitro rates of protein synthesis.
American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology & Metabolism; Apr2004, Vol. 49 Issue 4, pE642-E647, 6p

sweat response often to emotional stimuli in body regions influenced by the anterior cingulate cortex

A common link among these disorders is an excessive, nonthermoregulatory sweat response often to emotional stimuli in body regions influenced by the anterior cingulate cortex as opposed to the thermoregulatory sweat response regulated by the preoptic-anterior hypothalamus.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings; May2005, Vol. 80 Issue 5, p657-666, 10p

Eisenach, John H.¹ eisenach.john@mayo.edu
Atkinson, John L. D.²
Fealey, Robert D.³

Immunoglobulin producing cells in the rat dental pulp after unilateral sympathectomy.

Sympathectomy results in recruitment of cells expressing κ and λ light chains into the dental pulp (P=0.005). Electron microscopy revealed these cells to be mainly plasma cells and Mott cells. We conclude that neural imbalance caused by unilateral sympathectomy recruits immunoglobulin producing cells in the dental pulp. Our results are in agreement with a model of immune regulation in which the sympathetic nervous system exerts a tonic regulatory effect over lymphocyte proliferation and migration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
Neuroscience; Jan2006, Vol. 136 Issue 2, p571-577, 7p

Haug, S.R. sivakami.rethnam@biomed.uib.no
Heyeraas, K.J.¹

Severe Bronchospasm Following Bilateral T2-T5 Sympathectomy

We describe a case report of a 32-year-old woman who suffered severe bronchospasm following a bilateral T2-T5 video assisted thoracoscopic sympathetic ganglion ablation. The patient required overnight sedation, mechanical ventilation, nebulized albuterol and a prednisone taper prior to extubation. The combination of the patient's asthma, and the bilateral sympathectomy, enhanced the risk and severity of this complication. A heightened awareness for bronchospasm should be considered when planning surgical therapy and anesthesia in patients being treated for hyperhydrosis, and special consideration be given to the risk benefit ratio of performing bilateral versus staged surgery in patients with reactive airway disease.
Internet Journal of Anesthesiology, 1092406X, 2007, Vol. 12, Issue 2

Anti-inflammatory role of sympathetic nerves in chronic intestinal inflammation

Sympathectomy reduced acute DSS colitis but increased chronic DSS colitis. Sympathectomy also increased chronic colitis in II10^-/- mice. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a loss of sympathetic and an increase of SP⁺ nerve fibres in Crohn's disease. SEMA3C, a sympathetic nerve repellent factor, is highly expressed in the epithelium of Crohn's disease patients. In chronic experimental colitis, the sympathetic nervous system confers an anti-inflammatory influence. Thus, the loss of sympathetic nerve fibres in the chronic phase of the disease is most probably a pro-inflammatory signal, which might be related to repulsion of these fibres by SEMA3C and other repellents.
Straub, R. H.¹ rainer.straub@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Gut; Jul2008, Vol. 57 Issue 7, p911-921,

Similar pathological effects of sympathectomy and hypercholesterolemia on arterial smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts

Summary: In a previous study, we showed that after sympathectomy, the femoral (FA) but not the basilar (BA) artery from non-pathological rabbits manifests migration of adventitial fibroblasts (FBs) into the media and loss of medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The aim of the present study was to verify whether similar behaviour of arteries occurred in the pathological context of atherosclerosis. Thus, similar experiments were conducted on hypercholesterolemic rabbits, which were chemically sympathectomized with 6-hydroxydopamine (n=4) or treated with vehicle for control (n=5).

Both intact and sympathectomized BA and FA developed atherosclerotic plaques, but the thickening of the intima was more advanced in sympathectomized animals, as judged by increased plaque frequency and by the phenotypic modulation of SMCs in the intima. Our results show that in the media of FAs hypercholesterolemia induces changes similar to those observed in sympathectomized rabbits in non-pathological conditions, i.e., migration of adventitial FBs to the media and loss of medial SMCs. These latter changes, which can be ascribed to pathological events, were accentuated after sympathectomy in the hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The present study reveals that pathological events, including migration and phenotypic modulation of vascular FBs and loss of SMCs, may be under the influence of sympathetic nerves.

Acta Histochemica; Jul2008, Vol. 110 Issue 4, p302-313, 12p

Kacem, K.¹ kamel.kacem@fsb.rnu.tn
Sercombe, R.² r.sercombe@orange.fr