The effect of gender on visceral afferent mechanosensitivity and chemosensitivity
| Mechanosensitivity | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | |||||
| Firing rate spikes 2 s−1 probe (proportion responders) | Firing rate spikes 2 s−1 probe (proportion responders) | |||||
| VFH (g) | 0.07 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.07 | 0.4 | 2 |
| All tissues | 11.8±1.4 (4/9) (44%) | 18.1±3.4 (8/9) (89%) | 21.5±4.5 (7/7) (100%) | 4.7±2.1 (3/4) (75%) | 17.4±4.8NS (4/4) (100%) | 27.6±4.7NS (4/4) (100%) |
| Sigmoid colon | 11.5±2.0 (2/6) (33%) | 19.1±4.7 (5/6) (83%) | 21.4±5.4 (5/5) (100%) | 6.8±0.3 (2/2) (100%) | 24.3±6.8 (2/2) (100%) | 35.5±2.5 (2/2) (100%) |
| Rectum | 15 (1/1) (100%) | 26 (1/1) (100%) | 33 (1/1) (100%) | 0.5 (1/2) (50%) | 10.5±1.0 (2/2) (100%) | 19.8±0.8 (2/2) (100%) |
| Bradykinin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion responders | Δ Firing rate (spikes 20 s−1) | Proportion responders | Δ Firing rate (spikes 20 s−1) | |
| All tissues | 15/23 (65%) | 58.5±12.0 | 9/16 (56%) | 30.2±5.9NS |
| Sigmoid colon | 8/15 (53%) | 69.6±22.1 | 4/8 (50%) | 36.9±7.3NS |
| Rectum | 3/3 (100%) | 52.6±20.9 | 2/4 (50%) | 16.9±12.3 |
| ATP | ||||
| Proportion responders | Δ Firing rate (spikes 20 s−1) | Proportion responders | Δ Firing rate (spikes 20 s−1) | |
| All tissues | 17/18 (94%) | 35.4±6.4 | 6/8 (75%) | 13.8±3.2NS |
| Sigmoid colon | 12/13 (92%) | 35.3±8.4 | 2/3 (67%) | 10.4 |
| Rectum | 2/2 (100%) | 43.9±23.9 | 2/2 (100%) | 13.0±6.4 |
Table illustrating single unit responses to VFH probing at 0.07, 0.4 and 2 g, bradykinin or ATP in tissues from male or female patients. The data were analysed for tissue from cancer resections only, and presented for all tissue regions studied, sigmoid colon only and rectum only. Mean±SEM; p>0.05; paired t-test.
NS, not significant; VFH, von Frey hair.