Role of chemical afferents in the maintenance of rhythmic respiratory movements

1983 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. See ◽  
M. E. Schlaefke ◽  
H. H. Loeschcke

In seven anesthetized cats central chemosensitivity was eliminated (cold block) and peripheral chemoreceptors were either stimulated or eliminated (sectioned) to test whether nonchemical vagal afferents can maintain rhythmic ventilation and to determine the relative contribution of the carotid and aortic chemoreceptors to ventilatory drive without central chemosensitivity. Elimination of all chemical afferents invariably induced apnea, whereas ventilation was reduced from 533 to 159 ml X min-1 during cold block of central chemosensitivity and to 478 ml X min-1 after sectioning both sinus nerves. Cold block with only the aortic chemoreceptors and vagal afferents intact produced apnea in four of six cases tested. Stimulation of peripheral chemoreceptors during cold block remained effective and interrupted apnea in three of the four cats with only aortic chemoreceptors intact. We conclude that the nonchemical vagal respiratory afferents alone are unable to maintain rhythmic ventilation. Respiratory rhythm generation is, under the conditions of our experiments, critically dependent on sufficient afferent input from chemical afferents. Of these, central chemosensitivity plays the major role, followed by carotid body and, least importantly, by aortic afferents.

2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1522-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Qin ◽  
Margaret J. Chandler ◽  
Kenneth E. Miller ◽  
Robert D. Foreman

Electrical stimulation of vagal afferents or cardiopulmonary sympathetic afferent fibers excites C1–C2spinal neurons. The purposes of this study were to compare the responses of superficial (depth <0.35 mm) and deeper C1–C2 spinal neurons to noxious chemical stimulation of cardiac afferents and determine the relative contribution of vagal and sympathetic afferent pathways for transmission of noxious cardiac afferent input to C1–C2 neurons. Extracellular potentials of single C1–C2 neurons were recorded in pentobarbital anesthetized and paralyzed male rats. A catheter was placed in the pericardial sac to administer a mixture of algogenic chemicals (0.2 ml) that contained adenosine (10− 3 M), bradykinin, histamine, serotonin, and prostaglandin E2(10− 5 M each). Intrapericardial chemicals changed the activity of 20/106 (19%) C1–C2 spinal neurons in the superficial laminae, whereas 76/147 (52%) deeper neurons responded to cardiac noxious input ( P < 0.01). Of 96 neurons responsive to cardiac inputs, 48 (50%) were excited (E), 41 (43%) were inhibited (I), and 7 were excited/inhibited (E-I) by intrapericardial chemicals. E or I neurons responsive to intrapericardial chemicals were subdivided into two groups: short-lasting (SL) and long-lasting (LL) response patterns. In superficial gray matter, excitatory responses to cardiac inputs were more likely to be LL-E than SL-E neurons. Mechanical stimulation of the somatic field from the head, neck, and shoulder areas excited 85 of 95 (89%) C1–C2 spinal neurons that responded to intrapericardial chemicals; 31 neurons were classified as wide dynamic range, 49 were high threshold, 5 responded only to joint movement, and no neuron was classified as low threshold. For superficial neurons, 53% had small somatic fields and 21% had bilateral fields. In contrast, 31% of the deeper neurons had small somatic fields and 46% had bilateral fields. Ipsilateral cervical vagotomy interrupted cardiac noxious input to 8/30 (6 E, 2 I) neurons; sequential transection of the contralateral cervical vagus nerve (bilateral vagotomy) eliminated the responses to intrapericardial chemicals in 4/22 (3 E, 1 I) neurons. Spinal transection at C6–C7 segments to interrupt effects of sympathetic afferent input abolished responses to cardiac input in 10/10 (7 E, 3 I) neurons that still responded after bilateral vagotomy. Results of this study support the concept that C1–C2 superficial and deeper spinal neurons play a role in integrating cardiac noxious inputs that travel in both the cervical vagal and/or thoracic sympathetic afferent nerves.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (3) ◽  
pp. R451-R464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakan S. Orer ◽  
Gerard L. Gebber ◽  
Shaun W. Phillips ◽  
Susan M. Barman

We tested the hypothesis that blockade of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors on medullary lateral tegmental field (LTF) neurons would reduce the sympathoexcitatory responses elicited by electrical stimulation of vagal, trigeminal, and sciatic afferents, posterior hypothalamus, and midbrain periaqueductal gray as well as by activation of arterial chemoreceptors with intravenous NaCN. Bilateral microinjection of a non-NMDA receptor antagonist into LTF of urethane-anesthetized cats significantly decreased vagal afferent-evoked excitatory responses in inferior cardiac and vertebral nerves to 29 ± 8 and 24 ± 6% of control ( n = 7), respectively. Likewise, blockade of non-NMDA receptors significantly reduced chemoreceptor reflex-induced increases in inferior cardiac (from 210 ± 22 to 129 ± 13% of control; n = 4) and vertebral nerves (from 253 ± 41 to 154 ± 20% of control; n = 7) and mean arterial pressure (from 39 ± 7 to 21 ± 5 mmHg; n = 8). Microinjection of muscimol, but not an NMDA receptor antagonist, caused similar attenuation of these excitatory responses. Sympathoexcitatory responses to the other stimuli were not attenuated by microinjection of a non-NMDA receptor antagonist or muscimol into LTF. In fact, excitatory responses elicited by stimulation of trigeminal, and in some cases sciatic, afferents were enhanced. These data reveal two new roles for the LTF in control of sympathetic nerve activity in cats. One, LTF neurons are involved in mediating sympathoexcitation elicited by activation of vagal afferents and arterial chemoreceptors, primarily via activation of non-NMDA receptors. Two, non-NMDA receptor-mediated activation of other LTF neurons tonically suppresses transmission in trigeminal-sympathetic and sciatic-sympathetic reflex pathways.


1982 ◽  
Vol 243 (5) ◽  
pp. R537-R545 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Jones ◽  
W. K. Milsom ◽  
G. R. Gabbott

Using techniques of vascular isolation and subsequent perfusion we have investigated the effects of altering blood gas tensions, in the cerebral and carotid body circulations, on some cardiovascular responses to diving in unanesthetized ducks. After denervating the right carotid body, perfusion of the innervated left carotid body with hyperoxic blood significantly reduced diving bradycardia and reduced the increase in hindlimb vascular resistance (HLVR) in 1-min dives compared with dives in which the innervated carotid body was autoperfused. Denervation of systemic arterial baroreceptors reduced the fall in heart rate (HR) and increased the rise in HLVR in all dives. Cross-perfusion of the head, from a donor with blood of normal blood gas tensions, did not significantly affect HR or HLVR in 2-min dives compared with dives in which the head was autoperfused. however, cross-perfusing the cerebral circulation with blood of elevated PaCO2 caused significantly greater increases in HLVR than when high PaCO2 only affected the peripheral circulation. We conclude that peripheral chemoreceptors cause virtually all the bradycardia in the later stages of a dive but only about one-half the increase in HLVR, a significant contribution comes from the stimulation of central chemoreceptors with blood of high PaCO2.


1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Miller ◽  
S. Nonaka ◽  
S. F. Lakos ◽  
L. K. Tan

1. The role of dorsal and ventral respiratory group (DRG and VRG) bulbospinal inspiratory (I) neurons in the control of diaphragmatic and external intercostal (inspiratory) muscle activity during vomiting was examined by recording from these neurons during fictive vomiting in decerebrate, paralyzed cats. Fictive vomiting was defined by a characteristic series of bursts of coactivation of phrenic and abdominal muscle nerves, elicited either by electrical stimulation of abdominal vagal afferents or by emetic drugs, which would be expected to produce vomiting if the animals were not paralyzed. 2. Data were recorded from 22 DRG and 29 VRG I neurons that were antidromically activated from the fourth cervical spinal segment (C4). Only 10% (5/51) of these neurons started to fire near the beginning of phrenic discharge during fictive vomiting and thus had the appropriate discharge pattern to contribute to the initial activation of the diaphragm and coactive external intercostal muscles during vomiting. The frequency of occurrence of these Active neurons was not significantly different in the DRG (3/22) and VRG (2/29) (chi 2 test). Most remaining neurons were either totally silent (n = 7) or had only sporadic, infrequent firing (n = 16) (Silent neurons, 23/51 = 45%), or else fired near the end of phrenic discharge during fictive vomiting (End neurons, 21/51 = 41%). Two neurons were categorized as having miscellaneous (Misc) behavior. 3. No differences were found among neurons having different response patterns during fictive vomiting in regard to the following: the manner in which fictive vomiting was elicited: cell location: conduction velocity; and neuronal firing onset, rate, and pattern during respiration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2003 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 576-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiying Zhao ◽  
A. Daniel Martin ◽  
Paul W. Davenport

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of afferent input from the lung and lower airways in magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads (R). To assess the role of lung vagal afferents in respiratory sensation, sensations related to inspiratory R, reflected by subjects' percentage of handgrip responses (HG%), were compared between double-lung transplant (DLT) recipients with normal lung function and healthy control (Nor) subjects. Perceptual sensitivity to the external load was measured as the slope of HG% as a function of peak mouth pressure (Pm), and the slope of HG% as a function of R, after a log-log transformation. The results showed that the DLT group had a similar HG% response, as well as the slopes of log HG%-log Pm and log HG%-log R, compared with the Nor group. Furthermore, the ventilatory responses to external loads were also similar between the two groups. These results suggest that lung vagal afferents do not play a significant role in magnitude estimation of inspiratory resistive loads in humans.


1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (6) ◽  
pp. R1885-R1890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. J. Gieroba ◽  
W. W. Blessing

We determined whether electrical stimulation of the abdominal vagus nerve causes secretion of vasopressin in the rabbit and whether inhibition of neuronal function in the A1 region of the medulla oblongata impairs this secretion. In urethan-anesthetized rabbits, electrical stimulation of the abdominal vagus (5-min train of cathodal pulses, 0.5 ms duration, 20 Hz, 0.5-1 mA) increased plasma vasopressin from 37 +/- 8 to 133 +/- 19 pg/ml (P < 0.01, n = 11). Prior section of the cervical vagus completely prevented the increase seen with stimulation of the abdominal vagus. Injecting the inhibitory agent muscimol (1 nmol) 2 mm dorsal to the A1 area did not significantly reduce the vasopressin response to abdominal vagal stimulation. However, when muscimol was injected into the A1 area, the vagally mediated increase in plasma vasopressin was completely prevented. Our results show that stimulation of abdominal vagal afferents causes secretion of vasopressin in the rabbit via a central pathway that includes neurons in the A1 area.


1993 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 1689-1696 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Praud ◽  
E. Canet ◽  
I. Kianicka ◽  
C. Gaultier ◽  
M. Bureau

The ventilatory response to hypoxia is a complex phenomenon involving several control mechanisms. We designed this study to examine the dynamic control of abdominal muscle expiratory electromyogram (EMG) activity during room-air breathing and hypoxia and then to analyze the relative contribution of the chemoreceptors and vagal afferents. We studied 12 11- to 22-day-old awake nonsedated lambs, six intact and six vagotomized. To assess the dynamic influence of peripheral chemoreceptors on abdominal muscle expiratory activity, we performed transient testing of peripheral chemoreceptor function (pure O2 and N2 inhalation, KCN injection). To assess the influence of central chemoreceptor afferents, we compared results obtained during hypocapnic and isocapnic 15-min hypoxic runs (fractional concentration of inspired O2 0.08) in each lamb. We also compared results obtained in intact and vagotomized lambs so that the importance of vagal afferents could be assessed. We consistently observed abdominal muscle expiratory EMG activity in each lamb, whether intact or vagotomized, during baseline room air breathing; further recruitment was observed during hypoxia. We also consistently observed abdominal muscle expiratory recruitment during hypocapnic hypoxia in each lamb, although it was significantly less marked than during isocapnic hypoxia. Our transient testing of peripheral chemoreceptor function showed, furthermore, that peripheral chemoreceptor afferents dynamically modulate abdominal muscle expiratory activity. Thus, during hypoxia in 11- to 22-day-old awake nonsedated lambs, increased afferent information from peripheral chemoreceptors forcefully enhances abdominal muscle expiratory activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1993 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1027-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Johnston ◽  
P. D. Gluckman

Acute hypoxia inhibits, rather than stimulates, fetal breathing movements (FBM), but there has been controversy as to the activity and role of the peripheral arterial chemoreceptors in the regulation of breathing movements in the unanesthetized fetus in utero. However, after midcollicular brain stem transection or lateral pontine lesion, hypoxia causes FBM to become continuous and stimulated in rate and depth. To determine whether this stimulatory response involves peripheral chemoreceptors, we used a two-stage approach to examine the response to hypoxia after peripheral chemodenervation in lateral pontine-lesioned fetal lambs. The lateral pons was lesioned at 119–121 days, and the response to hypoxia was tested in the unanesthetized fetus 4 days afterward. Fourteen fetuses in which hypoxia stimulated FBM underwent either peripheral chemodenervation or sham denervation in a second operation. Hypoxia had no effect when the fetus was tested 4–5 days after peripheral chemodenervation, and the basal incidence of FBM was significantly lower. The stimulatory response was unchanged by sham denervation. We conclude that the peripheral chemoreceptors are active in fetal life and that they mediate the stimulation of FBM seen in response to hypoxia after removal of the lateral pontine inhibition. In addition, after pontine lesion there is evidence of tonic chemoreceptor-mediated influences on FBM, which are normally overriden in the intact fetus.


2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (5) ◽  
pp. G987-G997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Bielefeldt ◽  
Fang Zhong ◽  
H. Richard Koerber ◽  
Brian M. Davis

Recent studies suggest that the capsaicin receptor [transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)1] may play a role in visceral mechanosensation. To address the potential role of TRPV1 in vagal sensory neurons, we developed a new in vitro technique allowing us to determine TRPV1 expression directly in physiologically characterized gastric sensory neurons. Stomach, esophagus, and intact vagus nerve up to the central terminations were carefully dissected and placed in a perfusion chamber. Intracellular recordings were made from the soma of nodose neurons during mechanical stimulation of the stomach. Physiologically characterized neurons were labeled iontophoretically with neurobiotin and processed for immunohistochemical experiments. As shown by action potential responses triggered by stimulation of the upper thoracic vagus with a suction electrode, essentially all abdominal vagal afferents in mice conduct in the C-fiber range. Mechanosensitive gastric afferents encode stimulus intensities over a wide range without apparent saturation when punctate stimuli are used. Nine of 37 mechanosensitive vagal afferents expressed TRPV1 immunoreactivity, with 8 of the TRPV1-positive cells responding to stretch. A small number of mechanosensitive gastric vagal afferents express neurofilament heavy chains and did not respond to stretch. By maintaining the structural and functional integrity of vagal afferents up to the nodose ganglion, physiological and immunohistochemical properties of mechanosensory gastric sensory neurons can be studied in vitro. Using this novel technique, we identified TRPV1 immunoreactivity in only one-fourth of gastric mechanosensitive neurons, arguing against a major role of this ion channel in sensation of mechanical stimuli under physiological conditions.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (4) ◽  
pp. H1353-H1358
Author(s):  
M. Hay ◽  
E. M. Hasser ◽  
K. P. Undesser ◽  
V. S. Bishop

Activation of the area postrema by either electrical stimulation or chemical application of L-glutamate has been shown to result in an enhancement of cardiovascular baroreflexes similar to that seen with systemic infusions of arginine vasopressin (AVP). In addition, it has been found that the effects of AVP on baroreflex inhibition of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) are similar to those observed with phenylephrine following lesions of the area postrema or after partial denervation of baroreceptor afferents. The present study was undertaken to determine the role of baroreceptor afferent input on area postrema stimulation-induced decreases in sympathetic activity. In anesthetized rabbits, the responses of arterial pressure, heart rate, and RSNA to area postrema electrical stimulation were obtained before and after progressive sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy. Stimulation of the area postrema in carotid sinus-denervated animals consistently decreased RSNA in a frequency-dependent manner. However, following bilateral removal of both the aortic nerves and the vagi, electrical stimulation of the area postrema had no effect on RSNA. These results suggest that the ability of area postrema stimulation to inhibit RSNA is dependent on the presence of baroreceptor afferent input.


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