Beta adrenergic control of macromolecule synthesis in neonatal rat heart, kidney and lung: relationship to sympathetic neuronal development

The sympathetic nervous system has been hypothesized to coordinate the timing of cellular development in peripheral tissues. In the current study, we evaluated the relationships among the ontogeny of sympathetic projections to peripheral organs, the patterns of macromolecule synthesis in those organs and the reactivity of synthetic processes to beta adrenergic stimulation by isoproterenol. The major developmental rise in norepinephrine concentration and turnover, as well as in numbers of beta receptors, occurred during the second to fourth postnatal weeks in renal and lung sympathetic pathways and slightly earlier in the cardiac-sympathetic axis. The developmental decline in DNA synthesis in heart, kidney and lung coincided with the maturation of sympathetic projections. Direct stimulation of beta receptors by the in vivo administration of isoproterenol caused acute reductions in DNA synthesis in an age-dependent manner. In the heart, isoproterenol was first able to suppress DNA synthesis at 5 days of age and a maximal effect was seen at 9 days; this early phase was characterized by a rapid time constant of coupling of beta receptors to the DNA effect (maximal effect at 6 h after isoproterenol). Reactivity was lessened by 12 days of age and thereafter displayed a longer time constant (maximal effect at 12-24 h). Reactivity of DNA synthesis to isoproterenol challenge was slightly different in kidney and lung (detectable by 2 days of age), but bore similar developmental characteristics to the pattern in the heart (peak of reactivity at 9 days and a decline in reactivity and lengthening of the time constant after 16 days).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of bronchopulmonary C-fiber afferents in the apneic response to cigarette smoke

The role of vagal bronchopulmonary C-fiber afferents in eliciting the immediate changes in breathing pattern after acute inhalation of cigarette smoke was assessed with a selective blockade of myelinated vagal afferents (innervating both stretch and irritant receptors) utilizing the method of differential cooling. In 15 of 17 chloralose-anesthetized dogs tested, spontaneous inhalation of cigarette smoke (19.7% avg conc, 500-700 ml vol) reproducibly caused the following immediate responses: apnea, bradycardia, and hypotension. These responses occurred within 1 to 2 breaths of smoke inhalation and were followed by a delayed hyperpnea. The apneic duration reached 326 +/- 33% (SE) (n = 15) of the mean base-line expiratory duration. Differential cold block of both vagi (coolant temperature 8.4 +/- 0.3 degrees C) abolished the reflex apnea induced by a positive-pressure (7-10 cmH2O) lung inflation but did not affect the apneic response to smoke inhalation (345 +/- 35%). The smoke-induced apnea was completely abolished by lowering the coolant temperature to -1.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C (n = 10) or by bilateral vagotomy (n = 5) and returned to the control level after both vagi were rewarmed. Based on these results, we suggest that the immediate apneic response to inhaled cigarette smoke is elicited by a stimulation of vagal C-fiber afferents in the lungs and airways.

Intracellular potentials and discharge patterns of expiratory neurons in the caudal ventral respiratory group: influence of phasic pulmonary afferent input

In decerebrate paralyzed cats, the membrane potential (MP) patterns of 12 augmenting expiratory (E) neurons in the caudal ventral respiratory group, and phrenic and recurrent laryngeal activities, were compared for inspiratory (I) phases with and without lung inflation. No-inflation produced, in the MPs of E neurons, larger hyperpolarization during I and during early E (associated with increased early-E laryngeal activity), suggesting an increase of inhibitory inputs from I neurons and early-E neurons, respectively.

Dorsal and ventral respiratory groups of neurons in the medulla of the rat

The aim of the present work was to identify and localize in rat the medullary neurons involved in respiration. Neural activity was recorded in ketamine-anesthetized, paralyzed and artificially ventilated rats. Active sites were marked by electrocoagulation. Neurons firing in relation to phrenic nerve activity were located between 0.5 and 2 mm lateral to the midline, extending from 0.5 mm caudal to 2 mm rostral to the posterior end of the area postrema. Two groups of respiratory neurons were found: a dorsal group located ventrolateral to the tractus solitarius and a ventral group located in the ventrolateral reticular formation close to the nucleus ambiguus. Neurons were classified as bulbospinal or laryngeal if stimulation of the spinal cord or the vagus nerve, respectively, elicited antidromic action potentials, or as propriobulbar if they were not activated. Neurons firing synchronously with lung inflation were termed pump (P) cells. The dorsal respiratory group includes inspiratory (I) bulbospinal and propriobulbar neurons, P cells, but few expiratory (E) propriobulbar neurons. The ventral respiratory group includes bulbospinal, laryngeal and propriobulbar I and E neurons. Laryngeal motoneurons project ipsilaterally whereas bulbospinal neurons project contralaterally. Cross-correlations between inspiratory bulbospinal neuronal activity and phrenic discharge suggest that bulbospinal I neurons of dorsal and ventral groups project monosynaptically to contralateral phrenic motoneurons. These results indicate a similarity of the medullary respiratory centers of rats and cats, suggesting that rats may profitably be used in studies of respiratory rhythmogenesis.

Possible sensory receptor of nonadrenergic inhibitory nervous system

To determine the sensory receptor of the nonadrenergic inhibitory nervous system (NAIS), 22 cats were anesthetized and serotonin was continuously administered (50-250 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv) to increase pulmonary resistance (RL) to 377 +/- 57% (SE) of the control value. We then 1) mechanically irritated the trachea, 2) intravenously administered capsaicin (5 micrograms/kg), or 3) induced hypoxia (arterial PO2 30-40 Torr) to stimulate irritant and bronchial C-fiber receptors, pulmonary C-fiber receptors, or the carotid body (chemoreceptors), respectively. After treatment with atropine (3 mg/kg iv) and propranolol (2 mg/kg iv), the serotonin-induced change in RL was reduced by 58.6 +/- 14.3% by mechanical irritation and 63.3 +/- 12.1% by intravenous capsaicin. However, hypoxia produced no dilatation of the airways. In further experiments, we employed capsaicin inhalation to stimulate bronchial C-fiber receptors. Inhaled capsaicin (0.1%, for 5 breaths) also reduced RL by 79.2 +/- 9.2% of the elevated value, after atropine and propranolol. Treatment with a ganglionic blocking agent, hexamethonium (2 mg/kg iv), abolished bronchodilator responses, implying that a reflex pathway through vagal nerves is involved in this phenomenon. These results suggest that pulmonary and bronchial C-fiber receptors may be involved as sensory receptors in NAIS reflex bronchodilatation.

[Mechanoreceptor sensitivity of the frog lung to carbon dioxide]

To reveal CO2-sensitive receptors in the lungs of frogs, studies have been made of the pattern of afferent impulse activity in the pulmonary branch of the vagal nerve in lung preparations during their extension by gaseous mixtures containing 5-8% of CO2. No specific CO2-sensitive chemoreceptors were found. It was found that pulmonary mechanoreceptors exhibit sensitivity to elevated CO2 concentrations which significantly decrease impulse activity in slowly and rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors. It is concluded that the sensitivity of pulmonary mechanoreceptors to CO2 is formed in terrestrial vertebrates at early phylogenetic stages.

High-frequency and medium-frequency components of different inspiratory nerve discharges and their modification by various inputs

In decerebrate paralyzed cats, spectral analysis was performed on simultaneous recordings of efferent inspiratory nerves (phrenic, recurrent laryngeal, hypoglossal). Spectral peaks were present both in the high-frequency (HFO) range (50-100 Hz) and the medium-frequency (MFO) range (20-50 Hz). Different activities were coherent only in the HFO range, indicating that the HFOs arise in a common inspiratory pattern generator that drives the different motoneuron populations, whereas the MFOs are specific to different systems.

Successful extended cardiopulmonary preservation in the autoperfused working heart-lung preparation

Myocardial and pulmonary preservation can be prolonged in the autoperfused working heart-lung (AWHL) preparation by metabolic substrate enhancement. However, uncontrolled pulmonary hypertension following denervation may result in extensive lung injury and occasional early failure of the preparation. To determine whether cardiopulmonary preservation could be reliably extended without development of pulmonary hypertension, six heart-lung blocks were harvested from calves, placed in a normothermic AWHL circuit, and studied. Continuous infusions of isoproterenol and dextrose/insulin were administered for the duration of the preparation. Thirteen heart-lung preparations received neither isoproterenol nor metabolic substrate and served as controls. Myocardial function was assessed by sonomicrometric techniques and pulmonary preservation was evaluated by extravascular lung water, arterial oxygenation on 100% inspired oxygen, static lung compliance, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Pulmonary hypertension developed in the control group and these animals did not survive beyond 7.5 hours. The addition of isoproterenol and metabolic substrate increased organ survival from 4.8 +/- 0.4 to 18.0 +/- 1.4 hours (p = 0.0001) and significantly reduced postexplant pulmonary vasoconstriction (p less than 0.05). Addition of isoproterenol and metabolic substrate to the AWHL model prolonged support of cardiorespiratory function and provided a reliable method for distant procurement in heart-lung transplantation.

Retrograde tracing shows that CGRP-immunoreactive nerves of rat trachea and lung originate from vagal and dorsal root ganglia

The origins of sensory innervation of the lower respiratory tract are thought to be principally the nodose and jugular ganglia of the vagus nerve. It has been suggested and partially demonstrated that there is also a component arising from dorsal root ganglia, but the segmental levels involved are not known precisely. We have therefore investigated the origins of sensory nerves within the rat respiratory tract, particularly those containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), using the technique of retrograde axonal tracing combined with immunohistochemistry. Injections of True blue were made into extra-thoracic trachea (n = 4 rats) and percutaneously into the right and left lung (n = 4 each). Retrogradely labelled neuronal perikarya were detected in vagal and dorsal root ganglia, and sympathetic chain ganglia. CGRP-immunoreactive cells were seen only in vagal and dorsal root ganglia. Tracheal innervation arose bilaterally in the vagal sensory ganglia but those on the right side represented the principal source; the majority of CGRP-containing neurons occurred in the jugular ganglion. A very small component of labelling occurred in spinal ganglia at levels C2-C6. The sensory innervation of the lungs was seen to arise predominantly from the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia (45% of cells CGRP-immunoreactive) at levels T1-T6. In contrast to the trachea, the contribution of vagal sensory neurones to the lungs appeared to be less than that of the spinal ganglia. These results show that the sensory innervation of the rat lungs has a major origin in the dorsal root ganglia, in which almost half of the involved neurons contain CGRP, and confirm that most CGRP-immunoreactive nerves in the trachea arise in the right jugular ganglion.

Role of pulmonary innervation in canine in situ lung-perfusion preparation: a new model of neurogenic pulmonary oedema

1. In situ canine lungs were perfused in the presence or absence of the nerves which coursed to the heart and lungs (the cardiopulmonary nerves, CPN). 2. A right heart-bypassed preparation was made first, so that the respiratory and circulatory conditions could be controlled beforehand. It was then switched to a lung-perfusion preparation, in which the lungs receive all influences of sudden cessation of the brain and systemic circulations solely via the CPN. Hydrostatic mechanisms causing pulmonary oedema were excluded by adjusting the pulmonary arterial pressure under 300 mmH2O (less than 24 mmHg). 3. Accumulation of extravascular lung water and the rate of reservoir blood loss were significantly lower in the CPN-severed group than in the CPN-intact group. 4. After perfusion of 90 min, total loss of reservoir blood was correlated significantly with extravascular water content in lungs. The former was larger than the latter. 5. Elevation of left atrial pressure caused an increase in the rate of reservoir blood loss. When the CPN was severed, the relation between these two parameters was shifted to the right. 6. These findings indicate a CPN-mediated genesis of permeability pulmonary oedema.

Modification by diltiazem, a calcium antagonist, of the pulmonary vagal and cardiac sympathetic chemoreflexes in the dog

1. Experiments were performed on anaesthetized, open-chest dogs to determine the effects of diltiazem on: the pulmonary vagal chemoreflex evoked by intravenous (i.v.) injection of capsaicin; cardiac sympathetic chemoreflexes activated by epicardial application of bradykinin or capsaicin; and baroreflex-mediated changes in heart rate resulting from both pressor and depressor effects produced by i.v. injections of noradrenaline and bradykinin, respectively. 2. Diltiazem infused i.v. at a rate of 10-30 micrograms/kg per min (mean cumulative dose 0.53 +/- 0.05 mg/kg, n = 9), did not affect basal heart rate, despite significant (P less than 0.001) reduction of resting blood pressure. 3. Diltiazem treatment did not affect the pressor responses to i.v. noradrenaline (0.3 micrograms/kg) or the hypotensive effects of i.v. bradykinin (0.3 micrograms/kg), but reduced significantly both the baroreflex-mediated bradycardia (P less than 0.01) and tachycardia (P less than 0.05) occurring with noradrenaline and bradykinin, respectively. 4. In contrast, diltiazem greatly enhanced reflex bradycardia (P less than 0.001) and systemic hypotension (P less than 0.01) resulting from activation of the afferent vagal pulmonary receptors by i.v. capsaicin (3-5 micrograms/kg). 5. Reflex pressor responses evoked by activation of the afferent cardiac sympathetic neurons by epicardial application of bradykinin (1 microgram) or capsaicin (10-20 micrograms) were not affected by diltiazem, but the corresponding reflex increases in heart rate evoked by both substances were significantly (P less than 0.01) reduced. 6. The results indicate that diltiazem, while reducing the influence of sinoaortic baroreceptors on heart rate, facilitates the reflex vagal control of the cardiac pacemaker by the afferent cardiopulmonary vagal receptors. These nervous reflex mechanisms, which include attenuation of positive chronotrophic effects that may result from ischaemia-induced activation of the afferent cardiac sympathetic neurons, may play an important role in the protective action of diltiazem in ischaemic heart disease.

Reinnervation of pulmonary stretch receptors

The Breuer-Hering reflex (BHR) reappears 12-14 wk after surgical lung denervation in beagle dogs (J. Appl. Physiol. 54: 1451-1456, 1983). To demonstrate that this is due to reinnervation of pulmonary stretch receptors, we recorded nerve activity from regenerated branches of the left vagus nerve in five beagle dogs. Ten days postdenervation the BHR was absent, whereas by 19 mo it was clearly present. Multifiber pulmonary afferent activity was observed in all five dogs with single-fiber activity observed in three. Sectioning the right vagus nerve did not alter the BHR, but sectioning all the regenerated branches of the left vagus abolished the reflex. In two additional dogs studied 17 mo postsurgery, recordings were made from few fiber nerve bundles of the left cervical vagus. Nerve activity was increased during gentle stroking of the surface of the left upper and lower lobes, indicating receptive fields in both lobes. These data demonstrate that reinnervation of pulmonary stretch receptors does occur and provides evidence that reinnervation of these receptors is responsible for return of the BHR after pulmonary denervation.

Inhibition of skeletal muscle activity by lung expansion in the dog

The ability of lung expansion to reflexly decrease skeletal muscle activity was tested in anesthetized dogs. In animals whose left lung was vascularly isolated but neurally intact, the left lung was inflated statically to 40 cmH2O pressure or cyclically with tidal volumes of 10, 20, or 30 ml/kg. Responses to these stimuli were compared with those of injecting 120 or 240 micrograms capsaicin into the left pulmonary artery. Skeletal muscle activity was assessed from the electromyogram (EMG) response of the left hindlimb muscles and from the monosynaptic reflex response to a periodic patellar tendon tap of the right leg (knee jerk). Static inflation and cyclic inflations above 10 ml/kg resulted in significant decreases in both EMG and knee jerk responses. The results indicate that lung expansion is capable of initiating a reflex decrease in skeletal muscle activity. Capsaicin injections caused responses that were similar to those caused by lung inflation, suggesting that at least part of this skeletal muscle reflex response to lung inflation can be attributed to the stimulation of pulmonary C-fibers that could be caused by stretch of the lung.

Cross-correlation between vagal afferent impulses from pulmonary mechanoreceptors and high-frequency inflation (HFI) and deflation (HFD) in rabbits

The effects of high-frequency airway inflation (HFI) and high-frequency airway deflation (HFD) generated by a triangular pressure pulse generator on pulmonary mechanoreceptors were examined. The cross-correlograms between vagal afferent impulses from the slowly adapting (SAR) and the rapidly adapting receptors (RAR) and the HFI or the HFD pulses were analysed. HFI stimulated SAR and RAR and HFD stimulated RAR, but inhibited SAR. The time lag of the mode in the correlogram between SAR and HFI was shorter than that of the mode in the correlogram between RAR and HFI. The span of the mode and the trough of SAR was shorter than the span of the mode of RAR. This may indicate that the time to peak of the generator potential of RAR is longer than that of SAR.

Discharge properties of dorsal medullary inspiratory neurons in newborn pigs

The discharges of medullary inspiratory neurons were recorded in newborn pigs. They were classified by discharge pattern; response to lung inflation; synaptic relation to phrenic motoneurons. Our results showed: these neurons have similar discharge patterns and responses to lung inflation as adult cats; most neurons do not project to phrenic motoneurons. It is suggested that our sampled population of neurons is involved in integrating pulmonary afferent inputs.

Pancuronium and gallamine are antagonists for pre- and post-junctional muscarinic receptors in the guinea-pig lung

The effects of atropine, pancuronium and gallamine were tested on pre- and post-junctional muscarinic receptors in the lung. Inhibition of bronchoconstriction induced by intravenous injection of acetylcholine (ACh) was used as a measure of post-junctional receptor blockade. All three antagonists reduced ACh-induced bronchoconstriction. The effects were dose-related for atropine and pancuronium and complete inhibition was obtained with 0.01 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg respectively. Gallamine was much less potent than the other two drugs; the inhibitory effect was not dose-related and never exceeded 50% even at a dose of 10 mg/kg. In contrast, blockade of pre-junctional inhibitory muscarinic receptors in pulmonary parasympathetic nerves by these three antagonists, produced potentiation of bronchoconstriction induced by vagal-nerve stimulation. Consequently, the effect of the three antagonists on vagally-induced bronchoconstriction is dependent on the balance between their pre- and post-junctional blocking activity. Gallamine was the most effective and atropine the least effective antagonist for potentiating nerve-induced bronchoconstriction. At doses which produce 100% neuromuscular blockade, both pancuronium (0.04 mg/kg) and gallamine (4 mg/kg) potentiated vagally-induced bronchoconstriction. At these doses, pancuronium doubled and gallamine caused a four-fold increase in vagally-induced bronchoconstriction, despite partial concurrent blockade of muscarinic receptors in the smooth muscle of the airways.

Human heart-lung transplantation: physiologic aspects of the denervated lung and post-transplant obliterative bronchiolitis

Eighteen sequential follow-up measurements of pulmonary function were obtained over a period of 21 months after heart-lung transplantation in a patient who had undergone surgery for end-stage pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. In the early postoperative period, there was a moderate decrease in VC and TLC but gas exchange was maintained at essentially normal levels. The most conspicuous features of postoperative lung function were a very low airway resistance and an increase in FEV1/VC ratio above 95%. These alterations were associated with an unusual shape of the maximal expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve. Instead of showing a uniform decrease in expiratory flow as expiration proceeds to residual volume, the post-transplant MEFV curve showed a peak followed by a gently sloping plateau ending at a knee where flow suddenly fell. The knee occurred after exhalation of 80% VC. From the sixth postoperative month, the patient developed rapidly increasing air-flow obstruction, which proved to be due to obliterative bronchiolitis. As air-flow obstruction worsened, the knee on the MEFV curve progressively occurred at a higher lung volume, the flow plateau shortened, and flow after the knee became smaller at a given volume. From the ninth postoperative month, it was no longer possible to identify a plateau-knee configuration on the MEFV curve, which resembled that seen in severe obstructive airway disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)