scholarly journals Hemorrhagic hypotension-induced hypersensitivity of vagal pulmonary C-fibers to chemical stimulation and lung inflation in anesthetized rats

2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (7) ◽  
pp. R605-R613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruei-Lung Lin ◽  
Yu-Jung Lin ◽  
Fadi Xu ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

This study was carried out to investigate whether hemorrhagic hypotension (HH) altered the sensitivity of vagal pulmonary C-fibers. The fiber activity (FA) of single vagal pulmonary C-fiber was continuously recorded in anesthetized rats before, during, and after HH was induced by bleeding from the femoral arterial catheter into a blood reservoir and lowering the mean systemic arterial pressure (MSAP) to ∼40 mmHg for 20 min. Our results showed the following. First, after MSAP reached a steady state of HH, the peak FA response to intravenous injection of capsaicin was elevated by approximately fivefold. The enhanced C-fiber sensitivity continued to increase during HH and sustained even after MSAP returned to baseline during the recovery, but slowly returned to control ∼20 min later. Second, responses of FA to intravenous injections of other chemical stimulants of pulmonary C-fibers (phenylbiguanide, lactic acid, and adenosine) and a constant-pressure lung hyperinflation were all significantly potentiated by HH. Third, infusion of sodium bicarbonate alleviated the systemic acidosis during HH, and it also attenuated, but did not completely prevent, the HH-induced C-fiber hypersensitivity. In conclusion, the pulmonary C-fiber sensitivity was elevated during HH, probably caused by the endogenous release of chemical substances (e.g., lactic acid) that were produced by tissue ischemia during HH. This enhanced C-fiber sensitivity may heighten the pulmonary protective reflexes mediated through these afferents (e.g., cough, J reflex) during hemorrhage when the body is more susceptible to other hazardous insults and pathophysiological stresses.

1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 2349-2357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Yuan Lee ◽  
Robert F. Morton ◽  
Jan M. Lundberg

Lee, Lu-Yuan, Robert F. Morton, and Jan M. Lundberg.Pulmonary chemoreflexes elicited by intravenous injection of lactic acid in anesthetized rats. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(6): 2349–2357, 1996.—Experiments were carried out to characterize the cardiorespiratory reflex responses to intravenous injection of lactic acid and to determine the involvement of vagal bronchopulmonary C-fiber afferents in eliciting these responses in anesthetized rats. Bolus injection of lactic acid (0.2 mmol/kg iv) immediately elicited apnea, bradycardia, and hypotension, which were then followed by a sustained hyperpnea. The immediate apneic and bradycardiac responses to lactic acid were completely abolished by bilateral vagotomy and were absent when the same dose of lactic acid was injected into the left ventricle. The subsequent hyperpneic response was substantially attenuated by denervation of carotid body chemoreceptors. After a perineural capsaicin treatment of both vagus nerves to block the conduction of C fibers, lactic acid no longer evoked the immediate apnea and bradycardia, whereas the hyperpneic response became more pronounced and sustained, presumably because of the removal of the inhibitory effect on breathing mediated by pulmonary C-fiber activation. Single-unit electrophysiological recording showed that intravenous injection of lactic acid consistently evoked an abrupt and intense burst of discharge from the vagal C-fiber afferent endings in the lungs. In conclusion, the cardiorespiratory depressor responses induced by lactic acid are predominantly elicited by activation of vagal pulmonary C fibers.


1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1509-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yin Ho ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

Acute exposure to ozone (O3) enhances pulmonary chemoreflex response to capsaicin, and an increased sensitivity of bronchopulmonary C-fiber afferent endings may be involved. The present study was aimed at determining the effect of O3 on the responses of pulmonary C fibers to chemical and mechanical stimuli. A total of 31 C fibers were studied in anesthetized, open-chest, and vagotomized rats. During control, right atrial injection of a low dose of capsaicin abruptly evoked a short and mild burst of discharge [0.77 ± 0.28 impulses (imp)/s, 2-s average]. After acute exposure to O3 (3 parts/million for 30 min), there was no significant change in arterial blood pressure, tracheal pressure, or baseline activity of C fibers. However, the stimulatory effect of the same dose of capsaicin on these fibers was markedly enhanced (6.05 ± 0.88 impulses/s; P < 0.01) and prolonged immediately after O3 exposure, and returned toward control in 54 ± 6 min. Similarly, the pulmonary C-fiber response to injection of a low dose of lactic acid was also elevated after O3 exposure. Furthermore, O3 exposure significantly potentiated the C-fiber response to constant-pressure (tracheal pressure = 30 cmH2O) lung inflation (control: 0.19 ± 0.07 imp/s; after O3: 1.12 ± 0.26 imp/s; P < 0.01). In summary, these results show that the excitabilities of pulmonary C-fiber afferents to lung inflation and injections of chemical stimulants are markedly potentiated after acute exposure to O3, suggesting a possible involvement of these afferents in the O3-induced changes in breathing pattern and chest discomfort in humans.


2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qihai Gu ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

To determine whether the excitabilities of pulmonary C fibers to chemical and mechanical stimuli are altered by CO2-induced acidosis, single-unit pulmonary C-fiber activity was recorded in anesthetized, open-chest rats. Transient alveolar hypercapnia (HPC) was induced by administering CO2-enriched gas mixture (15% CO2, balance air) via the respirator inlet for 30 s, which rapidly lowered the arterial blood pH from a baseline of 7.40 ± 0.01 to 7.17 ± 0.02. Alveolar HPC markedly increased the responses of these C-fiber afferents to several chemical stimulants. For example, the C-fiber response to right atrial injection of the same dose of capsaicin (0.25–1.0 μg/kg) was significantly increased from 3.07 ± 0.70 impulses/s at control to 8.48 ± 1.52 impulses/s during HPC ( n = 27; P < 0.05), and this enhanced response returned to control within ∼10 min after termination of HPC. Similarly, alveolar HPC also induced significant increases in the C-fiber responses to right atrial injections of phenylbiguanide (4–8 μg/kg) and adenosine (0.2 mg/kg). In contrast, HPC did not change the response of pulmonary C fibers to lung inflation. Furthermore, the peak response of these C fibers to capsaicin during HPC was greatly attenuated when the HPC-induced acidosis was buffered by infusion of bicarbonate (1.36–1.82 mmol · kg−1 · min−1 for 35 s). In conclusion, alveolar HPC augments the responses of these afferents to various chemical stimulants, and this potentiating effect of CO2 is mediated through the action of hydrogen ions on the C-fiber sensory terminals.


2001 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 1318-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Yuan Lee ◽  
Qihai Gu ◽  
Gerald J. Gleich

Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that human eosinophil granule-derived cationic proteins stimulate vagal C-fiber afferents in the lungs and elicit pulmonary chemoreflex responses in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Intratracheal instillation of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP; 1–2 mg/ml, 0.1 ml) consistently induced an irregular breathing pattern, characterized by tachypnea (change in breathing frequency of 44.7%) and small unstable tidal volume (Vt). The tachypnea, accompanied by decreased heart rate and arterial blood pressure, started within 30 s after the delivery of ECP and lasted for >30 min. These ECP-induced cardiorespiratory responses were completely prevented by perineural capsaicin treatment of both cervical vagi, which selectively blocked C-fiber conduction, suggesting the involvement of these afferents. Indeed, direct recording of single-unit activities of pulmonary C-fibers further demonstrated that the same dose of ECP evoked a pronounced and sustained (>30-min) stimulatory effect on pulmonary C-fibers. Furthermore, the sensitivity of these afferents to lung inflation was also markedly elevated after the ECP instillation, whereas the vehicle of ECP administered in the same manner had no effect. Other types of eosinophil granule cationic proteins, such as major basic protein and eosinophil peroxidase, induced very similar respiratory and cardiovascular reflex responses. In conclusion, these results show that eosinophil granule-derived cationic proteins induce a distinct stimulatory effect on vagal pulmonary C-fiber endings, which may play an important role in the airway hyperresponsiveness associated with eosinophil infiltration in the airways.


1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1712-1723 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bouhassira ◽  
Z. Bing ◽  
D. Le Bars

1. Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) were compared in control sham-operated rats and in rats with lesions of mesencephalic structures involved in the modulation of pain, namely the periaqueductal gray (PAG), cuneiformis nucleus (CNF), and parabrachial nucleus (PB). 2. Lesions were induced by ibotenic acid: 4 micrograms (0.2 microliter) injected bilaterally in the PAG or the CNF-PB area or 10 micrograms (0.5 microliter) injected unilaterally in the CNF or PB. Control animals were microinjected with the vehicle (artificial CSF) alone. Histological controls were performed at the end of each electrophysiological experiment. Only the animals in which the target structure (PAG, CNF, or PB) was completely destroyed in its entire rostrocaudal length were selected. With the exception of the cell bodies of the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus, all neurons were destroyed in these regions. 3. At least 1 wk after the microinjection procedure, recordings were made from convergent neurons in both the right and left trigeminal nucleus caudalis. These neurons were activated by both noxious and nonnoxious stimuli applied to their excitatory receptive fields and gave responses due to activation of both A- and C-fibers after percutaneous electrical stimulation of their receptive fields. These types of response were inhibited by applying noxious conditioning stimuli to heterotopic areas of the body, namely immersing a paw in a 50 degrees C water bath. A virtually total block of the responses was observed during the application of the noxious conditioning stimulus, and this was followed by long-lasting poststimulus effects. 4. The general properties of neurons (sizes of receptive fields, spontaneous activity, thresholds to obtain C-fiber-evoked responses, responses to C-fiber activation) were all found to be similar in the control and the lesioned animals. The percentage inhibition of the C-fiber-evoked responses of the trigeminal convergent neurons elicited by the noxious conditioning stimuli were found to not be significantly different in any group of animals; in all the animals, inhibitions exceeded 85% during the immersion of either paw and were followed by long-lasting poststimulus effects. 5. We conclude that the PAG, CNF, and PB, three structures that are putatively involved in the modulation of pain, do not participate directly in the supraspinal part of the loop subserving DNIC. The involvement of other structure(s) and a possible indirect modulation of DNIC are discussed. It is also concluded that the PAG, CNF, and PB do not participate directly in the tonic descending inhibitory controls, which are presumed to modulate the activity of convergent neurons.


2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 1315-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qihai Gu ◽  
Ting Ruan ◽  
Ju-Lun Hong ◽  
Nausherwan Burki ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

Compelling clinical evidence implicates the potential role of adenosine in development of airway hyperresponsiveness and suggests involvement of pulmonary sensory receptors. This study was carried out to determine the effect of a low dose of adenosine infusion on sensitivity of pulmonary C-fiber afferents in anesthetized open-chest rats. Infusion of adenosine (40 μg · kg-1 · min-1 iv for 90 s) mildly elevated baseline activity of pulmonary C fibers. However, during adenosine infusion, pulmonary C-fiber responses to chemical stimulants and lung inflation (30 cmH2O tracheal pressure) were markedly potentiated; e.g., the response to right atrial injection of capsaicin (0.25 or 0.5 μg/kg) was increased by more than fivefold (change in fiber activity = 2.64 ± 0.67 and 16.27 ± 3.11 impulses/s at control and during adenosine infusion, n = 13, P < 0.05), and this enhanced response returned to control in ∼10 min. The potentiating effect of adenosine infusion was completely blocked by pretreatment with 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (100 μg/kg), a selective antagonist of the adenosine A1 receptor, but was not affected by 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (1 mg/kg), an A2-receptor antagonist, or 3-ethyl-5-benzyl-2-methyl-4-phenylethynyl-6-phenyl-1,4-(±)-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (2 mg/kg), an A3-receptor antagonist. This potentiating effect was also mimicked by N6-cyclopentyladenosine (0.25 μg·kg-1·min-1 for 90 s), a selective agonist of the adenosine A1 receptor. In conclusion, our results showed that infusion of adenosine significantly elevated the sensitivity of pulmonary C-fiber afferents in rat lungs and that this potentiating effect is likely mediated through activation of the adenosine A1 receptor.


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 1050-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. P. Lee ◽  
R. F. Morton ◽  
L. Y. Lee

Spontaneous inhalation of acrolein vapor (350 ppm, 1 ml/100 g body wt) elicited an immediate and transient inhibitory effect on breathing in anesthetized rats, characterized by a prolongation of expiratory duration and accompanied by a bradycardia; ventilation was reduced by 47 +/- 6%, which returned to baseline after three to seven breaths. When both vagi were cooled to 6.6 +/- 0.1 degrees C, the reflex apneic response to lung inflation was completely abolished but the bradypneic response to acrolein was not affected. After perineural capsaicin treatment of both cervical vagi to selectively block the capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferents, acrolein no longer evoked an inhibitory effect on breathing; conversely, an augmented inspiration was consistently elicited with the first breath of acrolein inhalation, which was subsequently abolished by cooling both vagi to 6.5 degrees C. The inhibitory effect of inhaling acrolein at a lower concentration (200 ppm) was not detectable, whereas that of a higher concentration (600 ppm) was more intense and prolonged. All these responses were completely eliminated by bilateral vagotomy. These results suggest that inhaled acrolein activated both vagal C-fiber endings and rapidly adapting irritant receptors in the airways, but the acrolein-induced inhibitory effect on breathing was elicited primarily by the C-fiber afferent stimulation.


1978 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1592-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. K. Dong ◽  
H. Ryu ◽  
I. H. Wagman

1. An extracellular study of the cat medial thalamus has revealed four types of somatosensory neurons. These were located primarily in the n. parafascicularis, n. subparafascicularis, and n. centralis lateralis; none were found in the n. centrum medianum. There was no functional segregation of neurons within each nucleus or between nuclei. Each type of neuron had large and often bilateral receptive areas. No somatotopic organization of neurons was found within the medial thalamus. 2. Noxious (N) and noxious-tap (NT) neurons comprising 72% of the sample (78 of 109 total) were considered to be nociceptive. N cells responded exclusively to noxious mechanical stimulation of skin, muscle fascia, tendons, and joints, and to direct stimulation of A-delta- and C-fiber groups in cutaneous, articular, and muscle nerves. NT cells responded to noxious and tap stimulation in a differential manner and to stimulation of the entire spectrum of A- and C-fibers. N and NT cells accurately signaled the duration of noxious mechanical stimulation. Their nociceptive responses were also graded as a function of both noxious stimulus intensity and the number of activated A-delta- and C-fibers. Stimulation of A- and C-fibers evoked, respectively, an inital burst and a late burst of discharges. A brief period of inhibition intervened between the initial and late bursts of NT cells. Prolonged afterdischarge was often observed following noxious natural stimulation or stimulation of A-delta- and C-fibers. The phenomenon of discharge "windup" was observed during iterative stimulation of C-fibers. 3. Tap (T) neurons (10%) responded only to brisk but innocuous taps applied to skin or underlying tissue. These cells were driven only by activation of A-alpha- and A-beta-fibers. The response to such stimulation was seen as an initial burst of discharges followed by an inhibitory period. 4. Inhibited (I) neurons (18%) had resting discharges that were inhibited by noxious stimuli and stimulation of A-beta- and C-fiber groups. 5. The results obtained from monitoring the peripherally evoked responses of nociceptive N and NT neurons before and after selective lesions of the spinal cord strongly suggested that the spinothalamic tracts were the only spinal projections mediating A- and C-fiber input to these cells. Each spinothalamic tract apparently carried information originating from both sides of the body.


2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangfan Zhang ◽  
Ruei-Lung Lin ◽  
Michelle E. Wiggers ◽  
Lu-Yuan Lee

The effect of ovalbumin (Ova) sensitization on pulmonary C-fiber sensitivity was investigated. Brown-Norway rats were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of Ova followed by aerosolized Ova three times per week for 3 wk. Control rats received the vehicle. At the end of the third week, single-unit fiber activities (FA) of pulmonary C fibers were recorded in anesthetized, artificially ventilated rats. Our results showed the following: 1) Ova sensitization induced airway inflammation (infiltration of eosinophils and neutrophils) and airway hyperresponsiveness in rats; 2) baseline FA in sensitized rats was significantly higher than that in control ones; 3) similarly, the pulmonary C-fiber response to right atrial injection of capsaicin was markedly higher in sensitized rats, which were significantly amplified after the acute Ova inhalation challenge; and 4) similar patterns, but smaller magnitudes of the differences in C-fiber responses to adenosine and lung inflation, were also found between sensitized and control rats. In conclusion, Ova sensitization elevated the baseline FA and excitability of pulmonary C fibers, and the hypersensitivity was further potentiated after the acute Ova inhalation challenge in sensitized rats. Chronic allergic inflammatory reactions in the airway probably contributed to the sensitizing effect on these lung afferents.


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