Figure 3.

 Effects of disrupting ASIC1a on visceral mechanoreceptors. (A) Increased sensitivity of vagal gastro-oesophageal mucosal receptors. Stimulus-response functions of mucosal receptors from ASIC1a (+/+) (circles, n = 18, N = 12) and (-/-) mice (squares, n = 28, N = 13), showing a significant increase in ASIC1a -/- (p<0.05, two way ANOVA of stimulus response curves). (B) Increased sensitivity of vagal gastro-oesophageal tension receptors. Stimulus-response functions of tension receptors from ASIC1a (+/+) (circles, n = 40, N = 23) and (-/-) mice (squares, n = 47, N = 30), showing a significant increase in ASIC1a -/- (p<0.02, two way ANOVA; data from Page et al¹⁰). (C) Increased sensitivity of colonic mesenteric mechanoreceptors. Stimulus-response functions of colonic mesenteric mechanoreceptors from ASIC1a (+/+) (circles, n = 10, N = 8) and (-/-) mice (squares, n = 17, N = 11), showing a significant increase in stimulus-response function in ASIC1a -/- mice (p<0.001, two way ANOVA). (D) Increased sensitivity of colonic serosal mechanoreceptors and unaffected adaptation profile. Stimulus-response functions of colonic serosal mechanoreceptors from ASIC1a (+/+) (circles, n = 17, N = 12) and (-/-) mice (squares, n = 16, N = 11), showing a significant increase in stimulus-response function in ASIC1a -/- mice (p<0.01, two way ANOVA). Asterisks denote differences at individual stimulus strengths significant by Bonferroni post hoc analysis (*p<0.05). N = number of animals and n = number of observations.