Intrapulmonary CO2 receptors in the duck: IV. Discharge pattern of the population during a respiratory cycle

Effects of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic inhibitors on avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors

Birds have rapidly responding respiratory chemoreceptors [intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC)] that provide vagal sensory feedback about breathing pattern. IPC are exquisitely sensitive to CO(2) but are unaffected by hypoxia. IPC continue to respond to CO(2) during hypoxic and even anoxic conditions, suggesting that they may generate ATP needed for signal transduction anaerobically. To assess IPC energy metabolism, single-cell action potential discharge and acid-base status were recorded from 26 pentobarbital-anesthetized Anas platyrhynchos before and after intravenous infusion of the glycolytic blocker iodoacetate (10-70 mg/kg), mitochondrial blocker rotenone (2 mg/kg), and/or mitochondrial uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (5-15 mg/kg). After 5 min exposure at the highest dosages, iodoacetate inhibited IPC discharge 65% (15.9 +/- 0.3 s(-1) to 5.5 +/- 0.3 s(-1), P < 0.05), rotenone inhibited discharge 80% (12.9 +/- 0.5 s(-1) to 2.6 +/- 0.6 s(-1), P < 0.05), and 2,4-dinitrophenol inhibited discharge 19% (14.0 +/- 0.3 s(-1) to 11.3 +/- 0.3 s(-1), P < 0.05). These results suggest that IPC utilize glucose, require an intact glycolytic pathway, and metabolize the products of glycolysis to CO(2) and H(2)O by mitochondrial respiration. The small but significant effect of 2,4-dinitrophenol suggests that ATP production by glycolysis may be sufficient to meet IPC energy demands if NADH can be oxidized to NAD experimentally by uncoupling mitochondria, or physiologically by transient lactate production. A model for IPC spike frequency adaptation is proposed, whereby the rapid onset of phasic IPC discharge requires ATP from anaerobic glycolysis, using lactate as the electron acceptor, and the roll-off in IPC discharge reflects transient acidosis due to intracellular lactic acid accumulation.

Spike firing allometry in avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors: matching neural code to body size

Biological rates in small animals are usually higher than those in large animals, yet the maximal rate of action potential (spike) generation in sensory neurons encoding rate functions is similar in all animals, due to the conserved genetics of voltage-gated ion channels. Therefore, sensory signals that vary at rates approaching maximal spike generation rate, as might occur in animals of diminished body size, may require specialized spike coding to convey this information. To test whether spike coding scales allometrically in sensory neurons monitoring signals that change frequency with body size, we recorded action potentials from 70 avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC), respiratory neurons that detect lung CO2 changes during breathing, in five different avian species ranging in size from body mass Mb=0.045 kg (lovebirds) to 5.23 kg (geese). Since breathing frequency scales approximately to Mb-1/4 (higher in small birds, lower in large birds), we reasoned that IPC discharge frequencies may also scale to maintain spike information transmission within each breath. We found that phasic action potential discharge pattern, as quantified by the peak discharge rate and the magnitude of spike frequency adaptation, scaled between Mb-0.22 and Mb-0.26, like breathing rate (P<0.05). Previously published values of peak discharge rate in IPC also fit this allometric relationship. We suggest that mass-dependent scaling of neural coding may be necessary for preserving information transmission with decreasing body size.

CO2 transduction mechanisms in avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors: experiments and models

Intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) are neurons that sense tonic and phasic CO2 stimuli in the lungs of birds and diapsid reptiles. IPC are different from most other vertebrate respiratory CO2 receptors because: (1) they are stimulated by low PCO2 and inhibited by high PCO2, (2) they have extremely rapid response characteristics, (3) their CO2 sensitivity is nearly abolished by intracellular inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase, and (4) their CO2 sensitivity is strongly depressed by inhibiting Na+/H+ antiport exchange. Experimental evidence suggests that IPC respond to intracellular pH, not CO2 directly, and that intracellular pH and IPC discharge are determined by a kinetic balance between CO2 hydration/dehydration rates, transmembrane acid/base exchange rates, and intracellular buffering. We review experimental evidence for and against various mechanisms of IPC CO2 chemotransduction, present a conceptual and mathematical model of the proposed mechanisms, and compare this model to CO2 transduction in other respiratory chemoreceptors.

Chronic hypercapnia resets CO2 sensitivity of avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors

Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) are vagal sensory neurons that participate in the control of breathing. IPC action potential frequency is inversely proportional to PCO2, but it is unclear whether low PCO2 or high pH is the immediate stimulus for signal transduction in IPC. To address this question, comparisons were made between single cell neural responses of 34 IPC recorded in 6 anesthetized ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) acclimatized 12 days to 7.5% inspired CO2 and 22 IPC recorded in 9 normal anesthetized ducks. We hypothesized that if respiratory-linked pH changes determine IPC activity, action potential frequency as a function of inspiratory PCO2 (PICO2) should be greater after acclimatization due to metabolic acid-base compensation and higher pH. Conversely, if PCO2 alone determines IPC discharge, action potential frequency vs. PCO2 should be unchanged by acclimatization. Results indicate that after acclimatization ventilation was depressed at 28 and 42 Torr PICO2 (P < 0.05) and mean plasma pH at 40 Torr PCO2 increased from 7.38 +/- 0. 03 to 7.56 +/- 0.02 (P < 0.05), indicating significant metabolic acid-base compensation and HCO-3 retention. Mean IPC discharge rate was elevated by CO2 acclimatization at all PCO2 studied. In acclimatized vs. normal animals, regression analysis of IPC discharge as a function of lnPCO2 showed increased mean intercepts of 81.1 +/- 4.0 vs. 48.4 +/- 3.6 impulses/s (P < 0.05) and increased mean slopes of -19.0 +/- 1.0 vs. -12.0 +/- 1.1 impulses. s-1. lnPCO2-1 (P < 0.05). Results indicate that IPC response to CO2 is mediated by H+ from CO2 hydration and not by CO2 directly.

Discharge of intrapulmonary chemoreceptors and its modulation by rapid F1CO2 changes in decerebrate ducks

Single-unit activity was recorded from intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) in decerebrate ducks inspiring room air (fresh air or control breath), or a short pulse of room air preceded and followed by 5% CO2 (fresh air pulse or experimental breath). Of 36 IPC studied, 28 fired a burst of impulses of similar duration to the fresh air pulse; delaying the fresh air pulse until later and later in inspiration progressively delayed the IPC burst. The remaining 8 IPC did not respond discretely to the fresh air pulse, rather their discharge was reduced diffusely in one or both of the ventilatory phases. The average discharge of the IPC population had a cyclic character during control breathing, with peak discharge mid-way through inspiration and essentially a constant discharge during expiration. An experimental breath had a similar IPC discharge pattern but peak inspiratory discharge was reduced; delaying the fresh air pulse delayed the population IPC burst. The results indicate that IPC could mediate the previously reported changes in T1 and TE that occur when the timing of a fresh air pulse is manipulated in conscious chickens [(Tallman et al. (1979). Am. J. Physiol. 237: R260-R265)].

Response of avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptors to venous CO2 and ventilatory gas flow

Avian intrapulmonary chemoreceptor activity is reduced by increasing airway PCO2 from 0 to 60 torr. Using extracellular electrodes, we recorded discharge of individual intrapulmonary chemoreceptor cell bodies in the left nodose ganglion of the rooster (Gallus domesticus) during unidirectional ventilation of the lungs. All receptors recorded were in the left lung. To vary pulmonary arterial PCO2 independently of ventilation, we ventilated the two lungs separately and supplied the left pulmonary circulation with systemic arterial blood. When the PCO2 in the pulmonary arterial blood was increased, discharge frequency decreased in all 21 receptors studied. Sensitivity to pulmonary arterial PCO2 was similar to sensitivity to airway PCO2. When PCO2 of ventilatory gas was lower than that of pulmonary arterial blood, discharge frequency of the receptor increased when pulmonary blood flow was stopped. Discharge frequency also increased when PCO2 at the receptor site was lowered by increased ventilatory gas flow. We conclude that intrapulmonary chemoreceptors respond to the delivery and removal of CO2 by blood and ventilatory gas. This suggests that the receptors are located within the respiratory gas exchange region of the lung. Because these receptors have a strong inhibitory effect on ventilation, they may serve to (1) adjust minute ventilation to the rate of metabolic CO2 production and (2) to regulate individual breath size.