Experiments were performed in eight lightly anesthetized thiopental sodium (Pentothal) cats to examine whether diaphragmatic afferents can significantly alter the neural drive to the diaphragm when the animal is exposed to lower body negative pressure. Moving-time-averaged diaphragmatic electromyograms (EMGma) were recorded and compared before and during exposure to lower body negative pressure in each of three consecutive conditions: C7 spinalization, bilateral vagotomy, and cervical dorsal rhizotomy. Application of lower body negative pressure in C7-spinalized animals resulted in a decrease in inspiratory time and peak diaphragmatic activity compared with control levels. After bilateral vagotomy, EMGma activity was prolonged with the application of lower body negative pressure. However, there was no increase in peak EMGma activity. After transection of the cervical dorsal roots subserving the phrenic nerve, the prolongation of diaphragmatic activity negative was eliminated. Therefore, we conclude that the significant increase in duration of inspiration in response to application of lower body negative pressure in the C7-spinalized, bilaterally vagotomized cat is mediated by phrenic nerve afferents.
