Heat Loss Response Induced by Local Heating of Spinal Cord with Argon Laser

The parts of spinal cord were locally heated with an argon laser in order to induce the heat loss responses in rabbits. And the spinal cord touched with a guide tube for a glass fiber (0.4mm in diameter) was heated by the argon laser irradiation inside the guide tube. This local heating method is possible selectively to heat a part of spinal cord within length of implanted guide tube. The guide tube was implanted into the peridural space from lumbar vertebrae (L4/L5) to thoracic vertebra (Th7) of the rabbit in anesthesia. Two days after implantation of the guide tube, the lateral portion of spinal cord was locally heated in 10 mm sections. Then the heat loss responses such as increases in an ear skin temperature and a respiratory rate were induced by local heating of only 10 mm length in lumbar spinal cord. However, every 10 mm sections of spinal cord could not induce the marked heat loss responses when the spinal cord was locally heated in 10 mm sections