Autar Singh Paintal, Indian physiologist (Mogkok, Burma 24 September 1925 – Delhi 21 December 2004)

Authored about 400 publications

ACHIEVEMENTS

Discovered several sensory receptors such as atrial B receptors (1953), ventricular pressure receptors (1955), gastric stretch receptors (1954), muscle pain receptors (1960) and mucosal mechanoreceptors of the intestines

Discovered juxtapulmonary capillary or type J receptors (1955)

Established the properties of various receptors

Characterized the reflex and sensory actions of pulmonary J receptors

Introduced the concept of viscerosomatic inhibition

With R.L. Riley showed that aortic chemoreceptors were stimulated by reducing oxygen availability (1976)

Discovered the principle relating to the relative dilution of multiple solutes in flowing fluids (1991)

With C.C. Hunt coined fusimotor neurons

Introduced P index for evaluation of galvanic skin responses (1951)

Developed single-fibred dissection and electrophysiological techniques

Discovered that non-myelinated fibres are blocked at lower temperatures and then proposed a technique to distinguish reflexes mediated by myelinated afferents from those mediated by non-myelinated ones involving usage of liquid paraffin for immersing nerves while dissecting and recording from them (1953)

Developed technique of injection of chemicals into the circulation to discover “silent” visceral receptors (1954)

With A. Anand introduced a new method for measuring the in vivo concentration of J-receptors excitants (1991-3)