2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Effect of tactile stimulation applied during infantile period on various autonomic functions in rats.
| Project/Area Number |
15590214
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Environmental physiology (including Physical medicine and Nutritional physiology)
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| Research Institution | International University of Health and Welfare |
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Principal Investigator |
KUROSAWA Mieko International University of Health and Welfare, Department of Health Sciences, Professor, 保健学部, 教授 (30178131)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | touch / autonomic function / stress / growth / blood pressure / heart rate / reflex responses / infantile period |
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| Research Abstract |
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of repeated tactile stimulation applied during infantile period on various autonomic functions. The experiments were performed in rats. The tactile stimulation was applied by stroking manually the abdominal skin area for 5 min every day during 4 weeks after 25 days of age. Following results were obtained.
1.Repeated massage-like stroking prevented stress-induced retardation of growth. The effects were not observed under food restriction, suggesting that the effects of tactile stimulation on body weight were mediated via modulation of food intake.
2.Repeated massage-like stroking augmented spinal autonomic responses of blood pressure and heart rate to noxious pinching; however, the treatment showed no changes in these responses in the rats with intact central nervous system, suggesting that the repeated massage-like stroking might augment descending inhibitory pathways on spinal reflex arcs.
3.Repeated massage-like stroking had no influence on the responses of dopamine release from the nucleus accumbens, which is known to influence autonomic functions, to innocuous brushing and noxious pinching.
These results indicate that tactile stimulation applied during infantile period can affect various autonomic functions.
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Research Products
(24 results)
