Control of Echolocation Pulses in the CF-FM-Bat Rhinolophus rouxi: Neurophysiological Investigations of the Function of the Brain Stem Motor Nucleus Innervating the Larynx: the Nucleus Ambiguus

Author(s):  
R. Rübsamen
2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 2285-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuli Liu ◽  
Margaret T. T. Wong-Riley

Previously, we reported that cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in the rat pre-Bötzinger complex (PBC) exhibited a plateau on postnatal days (P) 3–4 and a prominent decrease on P12 (Liu and Wong-Riley, J Appl Physiol 92: 923–934, 2002). These changes were correlated with a concomitant reduction in the expression of glutamate and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit 1 and an increase in GABA, GABAB, glycine receptor, and glutamate receptor 2. To determine whether changes were limited to the PBC, the present study aimed at examining the expression of CO in a number of brain stem nuclei, with or without known respiratory functions from P0 to P21 in rats: the ventrolateral subnucleus of the solitary tract nucleus, nucleus ambiguus, hypoglossal nucleus, nucleus raphe obscurus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, medial accessory olivary nucleus, spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, and medial vestibular nucleus (MVe). Results indicated that, in all of the brain stem nuclei examined, CO activity exhibited a general increase with age from P0 to P21, with MVe having the slowest rise. Notably, in all of the nuclei examined except for MVe, there was a plateau or decrease at P3–P4 and a prominent rise-fall-rise pattern at P11–P13, similar to that observed in the PBC. In addition, there was a fall-rise-fall pattern at P15–P17 in these nuclei, instead of a plateau pattern in the PBC. Our data suggest that the two postnatal periods with reduced CO activity, P3–P4 and especially P12, may represent common sensitive periods for most of the brain stem nuclei with known or suspected respiratory control functions.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (4) ◽  
pp. R625-R633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zixi (Jack) Cheng ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Shang Z. Guo ◽  
Robert Wurster ◽  
David Gozal

In previous single-labeling experiments, we showed that neurons in the nucleus ambiguus (NA) and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DmnX) project to intrinsic cardiac ganglia. Neurons in these two motor nuclei differ significantly in the size of their projection fields, axon caliber, and endings in cardiac ganglia. These differences in NA and DmnX axon cardiac projections raise the question as to whether they target the same, distinct, or overlapping populations of cardiac principal neurons. To address this issue, we examined vagal terminals in cardiac ganglia and tracer injection sites in the brain stem using two different anterograde tracers {1,1′-dioleyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine methanesulfonate and 4-[4-(dihexadecylamino)-styryl]- N-methylpyridinium iodide} and confocal microscopy in male Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that 1) NA and DmnX neurons innervate the same cardiac ganglia, but these axons target separate subpopulations of principal neurons and 2) axons arising from neurons in the NA and DmnX in the contralateral sides of the brain stem enter the cardiac ganglionic plexus through separate bundles and preferentially innervate principal neurons near their entry regions, providing topographic mapping of vagal motor neurons in left and right brain stem vagal nuclei. Because the NA and DmnX project to distinct populations of cardiac principal neurons, we propose that they may play different roles in controlling cardiac function.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Yamaguchi ◽  
Jessica Cavin Barnes ◽  
Todd Appleby

Central pattern generators (CPGs) in the brain stem are considered to underlie vocalizations in many vertebrate species, but the detailed mechanisms underlying how motor rhythms are generated, coordinated, and initiated remain unclear. We addressed these issues using isolated brain preparations of Xenopus laevis from which fictive vocalizations can be elicited. Advertisement calls of male X. laevis that consist of fast and slow trills are generated by vocal CPGs contained in the brain stem. Brain stem central vocal pathways consist of a premotor nucleus [dorsal tegmental area of medulla (DTAM)] and a laryngeal motor nucleus [a homologue of nucleus ambiguus (n.IX-X)] with extensive reciprocal connections between the nuclei. In addition, DTAM receives descending inputs from the extended amygdala. We found that unilateral transection of the projections between DTAM and n.IX-X eliminated premotor fictive fast trill patterns but did not affect fictive slow trills, suggesting that the fast and slow trill CPGs are distinct; the slow trill CPG is contained in n.IX-X, and the fast trill CPG spans DTAM and n.IX-X. Midline transections that eliminated the anterior, posterior, or both commissures caused no change in the temporal structure of fictive calls, but bilateral synchrony was lost, indicating that the vocal CPGs are contained in the lateral halves of the brain stem and that the commissures synchronize the two oscillators. Furthermore, the elimination of the inputs from extended amygdala to DTAM, in addition to the anterior commissure, resulted in autonomous initiation of fictive fast but not slow trills by each hemibrain stem, indicating that the extended amygdala provides a bilateral signal to initiate fast trills. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Central pattern generators (CPGs) are considered to underlie vocalizations in many vertebrate species, but the detailed mechanisms underlying their functions remain unclear. We addressed this question using an isolated brain preparation of African clawed frogs. We discovered that two vocal phases are mediated by anatomically distinct CPGs, that there are a pair of CPGs contained in the left and right half of the brain stem, and that mechanisms underlying initiation of the two vocal phases are distinct.


2005 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 1442-1457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiuli Liu ◽  
Margaret T. T. Wong-Riley

Previously, we reported that the expression of cytochrome oxidase in a number of brain stem nuclei exhibited a plateau or reduction at postnatal day (P) 3–4 and a dramatic decrease at P12, against a general increase with age. The present study examined the expression of glutamate, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit 1 (NMDAR1), GABA, GABAB receptors, glycine receptors, and glutamate receptor subunit 2 (GluR2) in the ventrolateral subnucleus of the solitary tract nucleus, nucleus ambiguus, hypoglossal nucleus, medial accessory olivary nucleus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and cuneate nucleus, from P2 to P21 in rats. Results showed that 1) the expression of glutamate increased with age in a majority of the nuclei, whereas that of NMDAR1 showed heterogeneity among the nuclei; 2) GABA and GABAB expressions decreased with age, whereas that of glycine receptors increased with age; 3) GluR2 showed two peaks, at P3–4 and P12; and 4) glutamate and NMDAR1 showed a significant reduction, whereas GABA, GABAB receptors, glycine receptors, and GluR2 exhibited a concomitant increase at P12. These features were present but less pronounced in hypoglossal nucleus and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and were absent in the cuneate nucleus. These data suggest that brain stem nuclei, directly or indirectly related to respiratory control, share a common developmental trend with the pre-Bötzinger complex in having a transient period of imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory drives at P12. During this critical period, the respiratory system may be more vulnerable to excessive exogenous stressors.


1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 3508-3510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens C. Rekling ◽  
Jack L. Feldman

Rekling, Jens C. and Jack L. Feldman. Bidirectional electrical coupling between inspiratory motoneurons in the newborn mouse nucleus ambiguus. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 3508–3510, 1997. Some spinal and brain stem motoneurons are electrically coupled in the early postnatal period. To test whether respiratory motoneurons in the brain stem are electrically coupled, we performed single and dual whole cell patch recordings from presumptive motoneurons in the nucleus ambiguus in a rhythmically active brain stem slice from newborn mice. Two of eight (25%) biocytin-injected neurons showed dye-coupling and 4 of 11 (36%) of intracellularly recorded pairs of neurons showed evidence of bidirectional electrical coupling. Impulse activity in one cell elicited small spikelets in the other and hyperpolarization of one cell led to hyperpolarization of the other with a coupling ratio (Δ V 2:Δ V 1) of 0.03–0.14. We conclude that inspiratory ambiguus motoneurons in the newborn mouse brain stem are bidirectionally electrically coupled, which may serve to transmit or coordinate signals, chemical or electrical.


1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 1772-1777 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Lamanna ◽  
M. A. Haxhiu ◽  
K. L. Kutina-Nelson ◽  
S. Pundik ◽  
B. Erokwu ◽  
...  

LaManna, J. C., M. A. Haxhiu, K. L. Kutina-Nelson, S. Pundik, B. Erokwu, E. R. Yeh, W. D. Lust, and N. S. Cherniack.Decreased energy metabolism in brain stem during central respiratory depression in response to hypoxia. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(4): 1772–1777, 1996.—Metabolic changes in the brain stem were measured at the time when oxygen deprivation-induced respiratory depression occurred. Eucapnic ventilation with 8% oxygen in vagotomized urethan-anesthetized rats resulted in cessation of respiratory drive, monitored by recording diaphragm electromyographic activity, on average within 11 min (range 5–27 min), presumably via central depressant mechanisms. At that time, the brain stems were frozen in situ for metabolic analyses. By using 20-μm lyophilized sections from frozen-fixed brain stem, microregional analyses of ATP, phosphocreatine, lactate, and intracellular pH were made from 1) the ventral portion of the nucleus gigantocellularis and the parapyramidal nucleus; 2) the compact and ventral portions of the nucleus ambiguus; 3) midline neurons; 4) nucleus tractus solitarii; and 5) the spinal trigeminal nucleus. At the time of respiratory depression, lactate was elevated threefold in all regions. Both ATP and phosphocreatine were decreased to 50 and 25% of control, respectively. Intracellular pH was more acidic by 0.2–0.4 unit in these regions but was relatively preserved in the chemosensitive regions near the ventral and dorsal medullary surfaces. These results show that hypoxia-induced respiratory depression was accompanied by metabolic changes within brain stem regions involved in respiratory and cardiovascular control. Thus it appears that there was significant energy deficiency in the brain stem after hypoxia-induced respiratory depression had occurred.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (4) ◽  
pp. E609-E616 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Kuo ◽  
J. H. Hsieh ◽  
W. C. Wu ◽  
H. T. Horng ◽  
L. R. Shian ◽  
...  

In 65 cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose and urethane, the effects of insulin on cardiovascular responses to stimulation of various structures in the brain stem were studied. The threshold dose of insulin injected intravenously that produced systemic hypoglycemia was 5-10 U/kg. Subthreshold hypoglycemic doses of insulin were used intracerebroventricularly (0.25 U/kg) or intracerebrally (2 mU in 200 nl). Sixty minutes after intravenous insulin, when serum glucose concentrations decreased from 158 to 43 mg/100 ml, pressor responses to stimulation of the periaqueductal gray of midbrain (PAG), locus coeruleus (LC), dorsal medulla (DM), ventrolateral medulla (VLM), and parvocellular reticular nucleus (PVC) decreased significantly. Depressor and bradycardiac response to stimulation of paramedian reticular nucleus or dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMV) decreased significantly as well. Thirty minutes after intracerebroventricular insulin, pressor responses of PAG, DM, and the bradycardiac response of DMV decreased significantly. Thirty minutes after intracerebral insulin, pressor responses and renal nerve activities of LC (but not PAG), VLM, DM, and PVC decreased significantly. A similar but faster onset (5 min) of depression of cardiovascular responses on stimulating the LC, VLM, DM, and PVC was observed in another six acutely midcollicular-decerebrate cats recovered from halothane anesthesia. These findings suggest that insulin directly inhibits the vasomotor structures of the brain stem and decreases the pressor responses to stimulation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 117 (8) ◽  
pp. 848-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Martino ◽  
S. Olesiak ◽  
D. Batuuka ◽  
D. Riley ◽  
S. Neumueller ◽  
...  

The ventilatory CO2 chemoreflex is inherently low in inbred Brown Norway (BN) rats compared with other strains, including inbred Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats. Since the brain stem expression of various pH-sensitive ion channels may be determinants of the CO2 chemoreflex, we tested the hypothesis that there would be fewer pH-sensitive K+ channel-expressing cells in BN relative to SS rats within brain stem sites associated with respiratory chemoreception, such as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), but not within the pre-Bötzinger complex region, nucleus ambiguus or the hypoglossal motor nucleus. Medullary sections (25 μm) from adult male and female BN and SS rats were stained with primary antibodies targeting TASK-1, Kv1.4, or Kir2.3 K+ channels, and the total (Nissl-stained) and K+ channel immunoreactive (-ir) cells counted. For both male and female rats, the numbers of K+ channel-ir cells within the NTS were reduced in the BN compared with SS rats ( P < 0.05), despite equal numbers of total NTS cells. In contrast, we found few differences in the numbers of K+ channel-ir cells among the strains within the nucleus ambiguus, hypoglossal motor nucleus, or pre-Bötzinger complex regions in both male and female rats. However, there were no predicted functional mutations in each of the K+ channels studied comparing genomic sequences among these strains. Thus we conclude that the relatively selective reductions in pH-sensitive K+ channel-expressing cells in the NTS of male and female BN rats may contribute to their severely blunted ventilatory CO2 chemoreflex.


2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 648-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather J. Yu ◽  
Ayako Yamaguchi

Serotonin initiates various rhythmic behaviors in vertebrates. Previously we have shown that serotonergic neurons innervate the central vocal pathway in the African clawed frog ( Xenopus laevis ). We also discovered that exogenous serotonin applied to isolated brains in vitro activates fictive vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors. In this study, we examined the location of 5-HT2C-like receptors and determined whether endogenously released serotonin also initiates vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors in male Xenopus brains. To this end, we first identified the specific location of 5-HT2C-like receptors using immunohistochemistry. We next examined which of the populations of neurons that express 5-HT2C-like receptors are functionally relevant for initiating fictive vocalizations by applying a 5-HT2C receptor agonist to brains transected at various levels. Of four populations of immunopositive neurons, we showed that 5-HT2C-like receptors located in two areas of the brain stem vocal circuit, the raphe nucleus and motor nucleus IX-X, initiate fictive vocalizations. We next showed that endogenous serotonin can also activate fictive vocalizations by increasing the extracellular concentration of endogenous serotonin using a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The SSRI-induced vocal initiation is also mediated by activation of 5-HT2C-like receptors because blockade of these receptors prevents fictive vocalization. The results suggest that in vivo release of serotonin initiates male vocalizations by activating 5-HT2C-like receptors in the brain stem vocal nuclei.


2017 ◽  
Vol 313 (5) ◽  
pp. G434-G441 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Anselmi ◽  
L. Toti ◽  
C. Bove ◽  
R. A. Travagli

Dopamine (DA)-containing fibers and neurons are embedded within the brain stem dorsal vagal complex (DVC); we have shown previously that DA modulates the membrane properties of neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) via DA1 and DA2 receptors. The vagally dependent modulation of gastric tone and phasic contractions, i.e., motility, by DA, however, has not been characterized. With the use of microinjections of DA in the DVC while recording gastric tone and motility, the aims of the present study were 1) assess the gastric effects of brain stem DA application, 2) identify the DA receptor subtype, and, 3) identify the postganglionic pathway(s) activated. Dopamine microinjection in the DVC decreased gastric tone and motility in both corpus and antrum in 29 of 34 rats, and the effects were abolished by ipsilateral vagotomy and fourth ventricular treatment with the selective DA2 receptor antagonist L741,626 but not by application of the selective DA1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390. Systemic administration of the cholinergic antagonist atropine attenuated the inhibition of corpus and antrum tone in response to DA microinjection in the DVC. Conversely, systemic administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-l-arginine methyl ester did not alter the DA-induced decrease in gastric tone and motility. Our data provide evidence of a dopaminergic modulation of a brain stem vagal neurocircuit that controls gastric tone and motility. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Dopamine administration in the brain stem decreases gastric tone and phasic contractions. The gastric effects of dopamine are mediated via dopamine 2 receptors on neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. The inhibitory effects of dopamine are mediated via inhibition of the postganglionic cholinergic pathway.


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