Acetylcholine contributes to hypoxic chemotransmission in co-cultures of rat type 1 cells and petrosal neurons

Neurochemical Plasticity of the Carotid Body

A striking feature of the carotid body (CB) is its remarkable degree of plasticity in a variety of neurotransmitter/modulator systems in response to environmental stimuli, particularly following hypoxic exposure of animals and during ascent to high altitude. Current evidence suggests that acetylcholine and adenosine triphosphate are two major excitatory neurotransmitter candidates in the hypoxic CB, and they may also be involved as co-transmitters in hypoxic signaling. Conversely, dopamine, histamine and nitric oxide have recently been considered inhibitory transmitters/modulators of hypoxic chemosensitivity. It has also been revealed that interactions between excitatory and inhibitory messenger molecules occur during hypoxia. On the other hand, alterations in purinergic neurotransmitter mechanisms have been implicated in ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia. Chronic hypoxia also induces profound changes in other neurochemical systems within the CB such as the catecholaminergic, peptidergic and nitrergic, which in turn may contribute to increased ventilatory and chemoreceptor responsiveness to hypoxia at high altitude. Taken together, current data suggest that complex interactions among transmitters markedly influence hypoxia-induced transmitter release from the CB. In addition, the expression of a wide variety of growth factors, proinflammatory cytokines and their receptors have been identified in CB parenchymal cells in response to hypoxia and their upregulated expression could mediate the local inflammation and functional alteration of the CB under hypoxic conditions.

Neurochemical Anatomy of the Mammalian Carotid Body

Carotid body (CB) glomus cells in most mammals, including humans, contain a broad diversity of classical neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and gaseous signaling molecules as well as their cognate receptors. Among them, acetylcholine, adenosine triphosphate and dopamine have been proposed to be the main excitatory transmitters in the mammalian CB, although subsequently dopamine has been considered an inhibitory neuromodulator in almost all mammalian species except the rabbit. In addition, co-existence of biogenic amines and neuropeptides has been reported in the glomus cells, thus suggesting that they store and release more than one transmitter in response to natural stimuli. Furthermore, certain metabolic and transmitter-degrading enzymes are involved in the chemotransduction and chemotransmission in various mammals. However, the presence of the corresponding biosynthetic enzyme for some transmitter candidates has not been confirmed, and neuroactive substances like serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid and adenosine, neuropeptides including opioids, substance P and endothelin, and gaseous molecules such as nitric oxide have been shown to modulate the chemosensory process through direct actions on glomus cells and/or by producing tonic effects on CB blood vessels. It is likely that the fine balance between excitatory and inhibitory transmitters and their complex interactions might play a more important than suggested role in CB plasticity.

Carotid body chemoreceptors: physiology, pathology, and implications for health and disease

The carotid body (CB) is the main peripheral chemoreceptor for arterial respiratory gases O2 and CO2 and pH, eliciting reflex ventilatory, cardiovascular, and humoral responses to maintain homeostasis. This review examines the fundamental biology underlying CB chemoreceptor function, its contribution to integrated physiological responses, and its role in maintaining health and potentiating disease. Emphasis is placed on 1) transduction mechanisms in chemoreceptor (type I) cells, highlighting the role played by the hypoxic inhibition of O2-dependent K+ channels and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, and their modification by intracellular molecules and other ion channels; 2) synaptic mechanisms linking type I cells and petrosal nerve terminals, focusing on the role played by the main proposed transmitters and modulatory gases, and the participation of glial cells in regulation of the chemosensory process; 3) integrated reflex responses to CB activation, emphasizing that the responses differ dramatically depending on the nature of the physiological, pathological, or environmental challenges, and the interactions of the chemoreceptor reflex with other reflexes in optimizing oxygen delivery to the tissues; and 4) the contribution of enhanced CB chemosensory discharge to autonomic and cardiorespiratory pathophysiology in obstructive sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, resistant hypertension, and metabolic diseases and how modulation of enhanced CB reactivity in disease conditions may attenuate pathophysiology.

Mechanistic actions of oxygen and methylxanthines on respiratory neural control and for the treatment of neonatal apnea

Apnea remains one of the most concerning and prevalent respiratory disorders spanning all ages from infants (particularly those born preterm) to adults. Although the pathophysiological consequences of apnea are fairly well described, the neural mechanisms underlying the etiology of the different types of apnea (central, obstructive, and mixed) still remain incompletely understood. From a developmental perspective, however, research into the respiratory neural control system of immature animals has shed light on both central and peripheral neural pathways underlying apnea of prematurity (AOP), a highly prevalent respiratory disorder of preterm infants. Animal studies have also been fundamental in furthering our understanding of how clinical interventions (e.g. pharmacological and mechanical) exert their beneficial effects in the clinical treatment of apnea. Although current clinical interventions such as supplemental O2 and positive pressure respiratory support are critically important for the infant in respiratory distress, they are not fully effective and can also come with unfortunate, unintended (and long-term) side-effects. In this review, we have chosen AOP as one of the most common clinical scenarios involving apnea to highlight the mechanistic basis behind how some of the interventions could be both beneficial and also deleterious to the respiratory neural control system. We have included a section on infants with critical congenital heart diseases (CCHD), in whom apnea can be a clinical concern due to treatment with prostaglandin, and who may benefit from some of the treatments used for AOP.

Sensory Processing and Integration at the Carotid Body Tripartite Synapse: Neurotransmitter Functions and Effects of Chronic Hypoxia

Maintenance of homeostasis in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems depends on reflexes that are initiated at specialized peripheral chemoreceptors that sense changes in the chemical composition of arterial blood. In mammals, the bilaterally-paired carotid bodies (CBs) are the main peripheral chemoreceptor organs that are richly vascularized and are strategically located at the carotid bifurcation. The CBs contribute to the maintenance of O₂, CO₂/H⁺, and glucose homeostasis and have attracted much clinical interest because hyperactivity in these organs is associated with several pathophysiological conditions including sleep apnea, obstructive lung disease, heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes. In response to a decrease in O₂ availability (hypoxia) and elevated CO₂/H⁺ (acid hypercapnia), CB receptor type I (glomus) cells depolarize and release neurotransmitters that stimulate apposed chemoafferent nerve fibers. The central projections of those fibers in turn activate cardiorespiratory centers in the brainstem, leading to an increase in ventilation and sympathetic drive that helps restore blood PO₂ and protect vital organs, e.g., the brain. Significant progress has been made in understanding how neurochemicals released from type I cells such as ATP, adenosine, dopamine, 5-HT, ACh, and angiotensin II help shape the CB afferent discharge during both normal and pathophysiological conditions. However, type I cells typically occur in clusters and in addition to their sensory innervation are ensheathed by the processes of neighboring glial-like, sustentacular type II cells. This morphological arrangement is reminiscent of a "tripartite synapse" and emerging evidence suggests that paracrine stimulation of type II cells by a variety of CB neurochemicals may trigger the release of "gliotransmitters" such as ATP via pannexin-1 channels. Further, recent data suggest novel mechanisms by which dopamine, acting via D2 receptors (D2R), may inhibit action potential firing at petrosal nerve endings. This review will update current ideas concerning the presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms that underlie chemosensory processing in the CB. Paracrine signaling pathways will be highlighted, and particularly those that allow the glial-like type II cells to participate in the integrated sensory response during exposures to chemostimuli, including acute and chronic hypoxia.

Topical Application of Connexin43 Hemichannel Blocker Reduces Carotid Body-Mediated Chemoreflex Drive in Rats

The carotid body (CB) is the main arterial chemoreceptor involved in oxygen sensing. Upon hypoxic stimulation, CB chemoreceptor cells release neurotransmitters, which increase the frequency of action potentials in sensory nerve fibers of the carotid sinus nerve. The identity of the molecular entity responsible for oxygen sensing is still a matter of debate; however several ion channels have been shown to be involved in this process. Connexin-based ion channels are expressed in the CB; however a definitive role for these channels in mediating CB oxygen sensitivity has not been established. To address the role of these channels, we studied the effect of blockers of connexin-based ion channels on oxygen sensitivity of the CB. A connexin43 (Cx43) hemichannel blocking agent (CHBa) was applied topically to the CB and the CB-mediated hypoxic ventilatory response (F_iO₂ 21, 15, 10 and 5%) was measured in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (~250 g). In normoxic conditions, CHBa had no effect on tidal volume or respiratory rate, however Cx43 hemichannels inhibition by CHBa significantly impaired the CB-mediated chemoreflex response to hypoxia. CHBa reduced both the gain of the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) and the maximum HVR by ~25% and ~50%, respectively. Our results suggest that connexin43 hemichannels contribute to the CB chemoreflex response to hypoxia in rats. Our results suggest that CB connexin43 hemichannels may be pharmacological targets in disease conditions characterized by CB hyperactivity.

Purinergic and Cholinergic Drugs Mediate Hyperventilation in Zebrafish: Evidence from a Novel Chemical Screen

A rapid test to identify drugs that affect autonomic responses to hypoxia holds therapeutic and ecologic value. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a convenient animal model for investigating peripheral O₂ chemoreceptors and respiratory reflexes in vertebrates; however, the neurotransmitters and receptors involved in this process are not adequately defined. The goals of the present study were to demonstrate purinergic and cholinergic control of the hyperventilatory response to hypoxia in zebrafish, and to develop a procedure for screening of neurochemicals that affect respiration. Zebrafish larvae were screened in multi-well plates for sensitivity to the cholinergic receptor agonist, nicotine, and antagonist, atropine; and to the purinergic receptor antagonists, suramin and A-317491. Nicotine increased ventilation frequency (f_V) maximally at 100 μM (EC₅₀ = 24.5 μM). Hypoxia elevated f_V from 93.8 to 145.3 breaths min^-1. Atropine reduced the hypoxic response only at 100 μM. Suramin and A-317491 maximally reduced f_V at 50 μM (EC₅₀ = 30.4 and 10.8 μM) and abolished the hyperventilatory response to hypoxia. Purinergic P2X3 receptors were identified in neurons and O₂-chemosensory neuroepithelial cells of the gills using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. These studies suggest a role for purinergic and nicotinic receptors in O₂ sensing in fish and implicate ATP and acetylcholine in excitatory neurotransmission, as in the mammalian carotid body. We demonstrate a rapid approach for screening neuroactive chemicals in zebrafish with implications for respiratory medicine and carotid body disease in humans; as well as for preservation of aquatic ecosystems.

Petrosal ganglion: a more complex role than originally imagined

The petrosal ganglion (PG) is a peripheral sensory ganglion, composed of pseudomonopolar sensory neurons that innervate the posterior third of the tongue and the carotid sinus and body. According to their electrical properties PG neurons can be ascribed to one of two categories: (i) neurons with action potentials presenting an inflection (hump) on its repolarizing phase and (ii) neurons with fast and brisk action potentials. Although there is some correlation between the electrophysiological properties and the sensory modality of the neurons in some species, no general pattern can be easily recognized. On the other hand, petrosal neurons projecting to the carotid body are activated by several transmitters, with acetylcholine and ATP being the most conspicuous in most species. Petrosal neurons are completely surrounded by a multi-cellular sheet of glial (satellite) cells that prevents the formation of chemical or electrical synapses between neurons. Thus, PG neurons are regarded as mere wires that communicate the periphery (i.e., carotid body) and the central nervous system. However, it has been shown that in other sensory ganglia satellite glial cells and their neighboring neurons can interact, partly by the release of chemical neuro-glio transmitters. This intercellular communication can potentially modulate the excitatory status of sensory neurons and thus the afferent discharge. In this mini review, we will briefly summarize the general properties of PG neurons and the current knowledge about the glial-neuron communication in sensory neurons and how this phenomenon could be important in the chemical sensory processing generated in the carotid body.

Synaptic and paracrine mechanisms at carotid body arterial chemoreceptors

Mammalian carotid bodies are the main peripheral arterial chemoreceptors, strategically located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. When stimulated these receptors initiate compensatory respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes to maintain homeostasis. Thus, in response to low oxygen (hypoxia) or increased CO2/H(+) (acid hypercapnia), chemoreceptor type I cells depolarize and release excitatory neurotransmitters, such as ATP, which stimulate postsynaptic P2X2/3 receptors on afferent nerve terminals. The afferent discharge is shaped by autocrine and paracrine mechanisms involving both excitatory and inhibitory neuromodulators such as adenosine, serotonin (5-HT), GABA and dopamine. Recent evidence suggests that paracrine activation of P2Y2 receptors on adjacent glia-like type II cells may help boost the ATP signal via the opening of pannexin-1 channels. The presence of an inhibitory efferent innervation, mediated by release of nitric oxide, provides additional control of the afferent discharge. The broad array of neuromodulators and their receptors appears to endow the carotid body with a remarkable plasticity, most apparent during natural and pathophysiological conditions associated with chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia.

Petrosal ganglion responses to acetylcholine and ATP are enhanced by chronic normobaric hypoxia in the rabbit

In mammals, adaptation to chronic hypoxia requires the integrity of the arterial chemoreceptors, specially the carotid body (CB). Chronic hypoxia increases the sensibility of the CB by acting on the receptor cells, but there is limited information on the effects of chronic hypoxia on the sensory neurons that innervate the CB. Therefore, we studied the responses evoked by ACh and ATP, the main transmitters that generate the chemoafferent activity, on the petrosal ganglion (PG) of rabbits exposed to chronic normobaric hypoxia (CNH) during fourteen days. ATP and ACh increased the activity of PG neurons in a dose-dependent manner, in a similar way than in rabbits not exposed to hypoxia (naïve). However, the duration of the responses were significantly increased by CNH, with the mean maximal responses to ACh and ATP increased by a factor of two and four, respectively. Our results suggest that CNH increases duration of the responses by modifying the expression and/or content of ACh and ATP receptors.

Immunohistochemical localization of tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin transporter in the carotid body of the rat

It has been proposed that serotonin (5-HT) facilitates the chemosensory activity of the carotid body (CB). In the present study, we investigated mRNA expression and immunohistochemical localization of the 5-HT synthetic enzyme isoforms, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and TPH2, and the 5-HT plasma membrane transport protein, 5-HT transporter (SERT), in the CB of the rat. RT-PCR analysis detected the expression of mRNA for TPH1 and SERT in extracts of the CB. Using immunohistochemistry, 5-HT immunoreactivity was observed in a few glomus cells. TPH1 and SERT immunoreactivities were observed in almost all glomus cells. SERT immunoreactivity was seen on nerve fibers with TPH1 immunoreactivity. SERT immunoreactivity was also observed in varicose nerve fibers immunoreactive for dopamine beta-hydroxylase, but not in nerve fibers immunoreactive for vesicular acetylcholine transporters or nerve terminals immunoreactive for P2X3 purinoreceptors. These results suggest that 5-HT is synthesized and released from glomus cells and sympathetic nerve fibers in the CB of the rat, and that the chemosensory activity of the CB is regulated by 5-HT from glomus cells and sympathetic nerve fibers.

Signal processing at mammalian carotid body chemoreceptors

Mammalian carotid bodies are richly vascularized chemosensory organs that sense blood levels of O(2), CO(2)/H(+), and glucose and maintain homeostatic regulation of these levels via the reflex control of ventilation. Carotid bodies consist of innervated clusters of type I (or glomus) cells in intimate association with glial-like type II cells. Carotid bodies make afferent connections with fibers from sensory neurons in the petrosal ganglia and receive efferent inhibitory innervation from parasympathetic neurons located in the carotid sinus and glossopharyngeal nerves. There are synapses between type I (chemosensory) cells and petrosal afferent terminals, as well as between neighboring type I cells. There is a broad array of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators and their ionotropic and metabotropic receptors in the carotid body. This allows for complex processing of sensory stimuli (e.g., hypoxia and acid hypercapnia) involving both autocrine and paracrine signaling pathways. This review summarizes and evaluates current knowledge of these pathways and presents an integrated working model on information processing in carotid bodies. Included in this model is a novel hypothesis for a potential role of type II cells as an amplifier for the release of a key excitatory carotid body neurotransmitter, ATP, via P2Y purinoceptors and pannexin-1 channels.

Recent advances and contraversies on the role of pulmonary neuroepithelial bodies as airway sensors

Pulmonary neuroepithelial bodies are polymodal sensors widely distributed within the airway mucosa of mammals and other species. Neuroepithelial body cells store and most likely release serotonin and peptides as transmitters. Neuroepithelial bodies have a complex innervation that includes vagal sensory afferent fibers and dorsal root ganglion fibers. Neuroepithelial body cells respond to a number of intraluminal airway stimuli, including hypoxia, hypercarbia, and mechanical stretch. This article reviews recent findings in the cellular and molecular biology of neuroepithelial body cells and their potential role as airway sensors involved in the control of respiration, particularly during the perinatal period. Alternate hypotheses and areas of controversy regarding potential function as mechanosensory receptors involved in pulmonary reflexes are discussed.

Effect of development on [Ca2+]i transients to ATP in petrosal ganglion neurons: a pharmacological approach using optical recording

ATP, acting through P2X(2)/P2X(3) receptor-channel complexes, plays an important role in carotid body chemoexcitation in response to natural stimuli in the rat. Since the channels are permeable to calcium, P2X activation by ATP should induce changes in intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)). Here, we describe a novel ex vivo approach using fluorescence [Ca(2+)](i) imaging that allows screening of retrogradely labeled chemoafferent neurons in the petrosal ganglion of the rat. ATP-induced [Ca(2+)](i) responses were characterized at postnatal days (P) 5-8 and P19-25. While all labeled cells showed a brisk increase in [Ca(2+)](i) in response to depolarization by high KCl (60 mM), only a subpopulation exhibited [Ca(2+)](i) responses to ATP. ATP (250-1,000 μM) elicited one of three temporal response patterns: fast (R1), slow (R2), and intermediate (R3). At P5-8, R2 predominated and its magnitude was attenuated 44% by the P2X(1) antagonist, NF449 (10 μM), and 95% by the P2X(1)/P2X(3)/P2X(2/3) antagonist, TNP-ATP (10 μM). At P19-25, R1 and R3 predominated and their magnitudes were attenuated 15% by NF449, 66% by TNP-ATP, and 100% by suramin (100 μM), a nonspecific P2 purinergic receptor antagonist. P2X(1) and P2X(2) protein levels in the petrosal ganglion decreased with development, while P2X(3) protein levels did not change significantly. We conclude that the profile of ATP-induced P2X-mediated [Ca(2+)](i) responses changes in the postnatal period, corresponding with changes in receptor isoform expression. We speculate that these changes may participate in the postnatal maturation of chemosensitivity.

Peripheral chemoreceptors: function and plasticity of the carotid body

The discovery of the sensory nature of the carotid body dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Following these seminal discoveries, research into carotid body mechanisms moved forward progressively through the 20th century, with many descriptions of the ultrastructure of the organ and stimulus-response measurements at the level of the whole organ. The later part of 20th century witnessed the first descriptions of the cellular responses and electrophysiology of isolated and cultured type I and type II cells, and there now exist a number of testable hypotheses of chemotransduction. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of current concepts on sensory transduction and transmission of the hypoxic stimulus at the carotid body with an emphasis on integrating cellular mechanisms with the whole organ responses and highlighting the gaps or discrepancies in our knowledge. It is increasingly evident that in addition to hypoxia, the carotid body responds to a wide variety of blood-borne stimuli, including reduced glucose and immune-related cytokines and we therefore also consider the evidence for a polymodal function of the carotid body and its implications. It is clear that the sensory function of the carotid body exhibits considerable plasticity in response to the chronic perturbations in environmental O2 that is associated with many physiological and pathological conditions. The mechanisms and consequences of carotid body plasticity in health and disease are discussed in the final sections of this article.

Inhibition of adenylate cyclase attenuates muscarinic Ca²(+) signaling by a PKA-independent mechanism in rat carotid body Type I cells

Carotid body (CB) Type I cells respond to hypoxia by releasing excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. This mechanism leads to increased firing of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN) which alters breathing to maintain blood gases within the physiological range. Acetylcholine targets both muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in the rat CB, acting postsynaptically on CSN and presynaptically on Type I cells. Muscarinic Ca²(+) signaling is inhibited by the activation of G(i)-coupled receptors including histamine H3 receptors. Here inhibition of adenylate cyclase with SQ22536 mimicked H3 receptor activation. Using Ca²(+) imaging techniques it was observed that inhibition of muscarinic Ca²(+) signaling was independent of protein kinase A (PKA) as PKA inhibitors H89 and KT5720 were without effect on the muscarinic Ca²(+) response. By contrast the Epac (exchange protein activated by cAMP) inhibitor brefeldin A inhibited muscarinic Ca²(+) signaling whereas the Epac activator 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP-AM potentiated Ca²(+) signaling. Thus in Type I cells inhibition of adenylate cyclase inhibited muscarinic Ca²(+) signaling via a PKA-independent pathway that may rely upon modulation of Epac.

Responses induced by acetylcholine and ATP in the rabbit petrosal ganglion

Acetylcholine and ATP appear to mediate excitatory transmission between receptor (glomus) cells and the petrosal ganglion (PG) neuron terminals in the carotid body. In most species these putative transmitters are excitatory, while inhibitory effects had been reported in the rabbit. We studied the effects of the application of acetylcholine and ATP to the PG on the carotid nerve activity in vitro. Acetylcholine and ATP applied to the PG increased the carotid nerve activity in a dose-dependent manner. Acetylcholine-induced responses were mimicked by nicotine, antagonized by hexamethonium, and enhanced by atropine. Bethanechol had no effect on basal activity, but reduced acetylcholine-induced responses. Suramin antagonized ATP-induced responses, and AMP had little effect on the carotid nerve activity. Our results suggest that rabbit PG neurons projecting through the carotid nerve are endowed with nicotinic acetylcholine and purinergic P2 receptors that increase the carotid nerve activity, while simultaneous activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors reduce the maximal response evoked by nicotinic cholinergic receptor activation.

Neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory mechanisms at peripheral arterial chemoreceptors

The control of breathing depends critically on sensory inputs to the central pattern generator of the brainstem, arising from peripheral arterial chemoreceptors located principally in the carotid bodies (CBs). The CB receptors, i.e. glomus or type I cells, are excited by chemical stimuli in arterial blood, particularly hypoxia, hypercapnia, acidosis and low glucose, which initiate corrective reflex cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular adjustments. Type I cells occur in clusters and are innervated by petrosal afferent fibres. Synaptic specializations (both chemical and electrical) occur between type I cells and petrosal terminals, and between neighbouring type I cells. This, together with the presence of a wide array of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators linked to both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors, allows for a complex modulation of CB sensory output. Studies in several laboratories over the last 20 years have provided much insight into the transduction mechanisms. More recent studies, aided by the development of a co-culture model of the rat CB, have shed light on the role of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in shaping the afferent response. This review highlights some of these developments, which have contributed to our current understanding of information processing at CB chemoreceptors.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors do not mediate excitatory transmission in young rat carotid body

Carotid body chemoreceptors transduce a decrease in arterial oxygen tension into increased action potential (AP) activity on the sinus nerve, which increases the drive to breathe. The mechanism by which AP activity increases is unresolved, but acetylcholine (ACh), acting through nicotinic receptors, is postulated to be a major contributor to nerve excitation based partly on the demonstration that pharmacological antagonism of nicotinic receptors reduces the afferent nerve response in some studies. However, most previous studies relied on indirect measures of chemoreceptor activity or utilized a recording configuration that is sensitive to AP morphology in addition to AP frequency. In the present study, single-unit AP activity was recorded from the soma of rat chemoreceptor neurons in vitro. The nicotinic blocker mecamylamine (50 microM) ablated the excitatory actions of exogenous ACh and increased, rather than decreased, AP activity during moderate hypoxia. At higher dosage (500 microM) AP height was reduced, conduction velocity slowed, and conduction failure occurred, especially during hypoxia, producing the appearance of a decreased response to hypoxia. Recovery from mecamylamine block was slow (>10 min). In contrast to mecamylamine, suramin, a P2X receptor blocker, reversibly inhibited the response to hypoxia, suggesting relatively free diffusion of drugs to the glomus cell/nerve synaptic site. These results strongly suggest that ACh acting through nicotinic receptors does not mediate excitatory transmission in rat carotid body and that previous results demonstrating such a role may have been partially influenced by changes in AP morphology or conduction failure.

Developmental maturation of chemosensitivity to hypoxia of peripheral arterial chemoreceptors--invited article

Peripheral arterial chemoreceptors, particularly the carotid body chemoreceptors, are the primary sites for the detection of hypoxia and reflexly increase ventilatory drive and behavioral arousal during hypoxic or asphyxial events. Newborn infants are at risk for hypoxic and asphyxial events during sleep, yet, the strength of the chemoreceptor responses is low or absent at birth and then progressively increases with early postnatal development. This review summarizes the available data showing that even though the "oxygen sensor" in the glomus cells has not been unequivocally identified, it is clear that development affects many of the other properties of the chemoreceptor unit (glomus cell, afferent nerve fibers and neurotransmitter profile at the synapse) that are necessary and essential for the propagation of the "sensing" response, and exposure to hypoxia, hyperoxia and nicotine can modify normal development of each of the components leading to altered peripheral chemoreceptor responses.

Electrical and pharmacological properties of petrosal ganglion neurons that innervate the carotid body

The petrosal ganglion (PG) contains the somata of primary afferent neurons that innervate the chemoreceptor (glomus) cells in the carotid body (CB). The most accepted model of CB chemoreception states that natural stimuli trigger the release of one or more transmitters from glomus cells, which in turn acting on specific post-synaptic receptors increases the rate of discharge in the nerve endings of PG neurons. However, PG neurons that project to the CB represent only small fraction (roughly 20%) of the whole PG and their identification is not simple since their electrophysiological and pharmacological properties are not strikingly different as compared with other PG neurons, which project to the carotid sinus or the tongue. In addition, differences reported on the actions of putative transmitters on PG neurons may reflect true species differences. Nevertheless, some experimental strategies have contributed to identify and characterize the properties of PG neurons that innervate the CB. In this review, we examined the electrophysiological properties and pharmacological responses of PG neurons to putative CB excitatory transmitters, focusing on the methods of study and species differences. The evidences suggest that ACh and ATP play a major role in the fast excitatory transmission between glomus cells and chemosensory nerve endings in the cat, rat and rabbit. However, the role of other putative transmitters such as dopamine, 5-HT and GABA is less clear and depends on the specie studied.

Developmental profile of cholinergic and purinergic traits and receptors in peripheral chemoreflex pathway in cats

This study describes the developmental profile of specific aspects of cholinergic and purinergic neurotransmission in key organs of the peripheral chemoreflex: the carotid body (CB), petrosal ganglion (PG) and superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Using real time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, we assessed both mRNA and protein expression levels for choline-acetyl-transferase (ChAT), nicotinic receptor (subunits alpha3, alpha4, alpha7, and beta2), ATP and purinergic receptors (P2X2 and P2X3). These analyses were performed on tissue from 1- and 15-day-old, 2-month-old, and adult cats. During development, ChAT protein expression level increased slightly in CB; however, this increase was more important in PG and SCG. In CB, mRNA level for alpha4 nicotinic receptor subunit decreased during development (90% higher in 1-day-old cats than in adults). In the PG, mRNA level for beta2 nicotinic receptor subunit increased during development (80% higher in adults than in 1-day-old cats). In SCG, mRNA for alpha7 nicotinic receptor levels increased (400% higher in adults vs. 1-day-old cats). Conversely, P2X2 receptor protein level was not altered during development in CB and decreased slightly in PG; a similar pattern was observed for the P2X3 receptor. Our findings suggest that in cats, age-related changes in cholinergic and purinergic systems (such as physiological expression of receptor function) are significant within the afferent chemoreceptor pathway and likely contribute to the temporal changes of O2-chemosensitivity during development.

Is ATP a suitable co-transmitter in carotid body arterial chemoreceptors?

A review is presented on carotid body ATP content, effects and release, receptors involved and results of their block by purinergic antagonists, and the possibility of cholinergic-purinergic co-transmission in the carotid body. Glomus cells release ACh and ATP upon physiological stimulation. Both agents and their agonists have chemo-excitatory actions and their combined effects disappear upon blocking n-ACh and P2X receptors. Both ACh and ATP also are capable of exciting the somata of chemosensory neurons of petrosal ganglia. Although a combined cholinergic-purinergic block suppresses the chemosensory activity in neurons co-cultured with glomus cells and some carotid body preparations in vitro, basal chemosensory activity and chemosensory responses to hypoxic stimuli persist in cat carotid body preparations in situ and in vitro. Therefore, ATP is an effective excitatory agent for carotid body chemosensory activity, although less potent than ACh; their joint participation may contribute to -- but does not entirely explain -- the transfer of chemoreceptor excitation from glomus cells to sensory endings in carotid body.

Role of acetylcholine in neurotransmission of the carotid body

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been considered an important excitatory neurotransmitter in the carotid body (CB). Its physiological and pharmacological effects, metabolism, release, and receptors have been well documented in several species. Various nicotinic and muscarinic ACh receptors are present in both afferent nerve endings and glomus cells. Therefore, ACh can depolarize or hyperpolarize the cell membrane depending on the available receptor type in the vicinity. Binding of ACh to its receptor can create a wide variety of cellular responses including opening cation channels (nicotinic ACh receptor activation), releasing Ca(2+) from intracellular storage sites (via muscarinic ACh receptors), and modulating activities of K(+) and Ca(2+) channels. Interactions between ACh and other neurotransmitters (dopamine, adenosine, nitric oxide) have been known, and they may induce complicated responses. Cholinergic biology in the CB differs among species and even within the same species due to different genetic composition. Development and environment influence cholinergic biology. We discuss these issues in light of current knowledge of neuroscience.

Neurotransmitter mechanisms mediating low-glucose signalling in cocultures and fresh tissue slices of rat carotid body

The mammalian carotid body (CB) is a polymodal chemosensor which can detect low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia), leading to increased afferent discharge and activation of counter-regulatory autonomic pathways. The underlying neurotransmitter mechanisms are unknown and controversy surrounds whether the action of low glucose is direct or indirect. To address this, we used a coculture model containing functional chemosensory units of rat CB receptor (type I) cell clusters and afferent petrosal neurones (PN). During perforated-patch, whole-cell recordings, low glucose (0-2 mM) stimulated sensory discharge in cocultured PN. When the background P(O2) was lowered to levels typical of arterial blood (approximately 90 mmHg), robust PN chemoexcitation could be induced by physiological hypoglycaemia (3.3-4 mM glucose). These sensory responses were reversibly inhibited by a combination of purinergic (suramin, 50 microM) and nicotinic (mecamylamine, 1 microM) receptor blockers, suggesting that transmission depended on corelease of ATP and ACh. Hypoglycaemic responses were additive with those evoked by hypoxia or hypercapnia; further, they could be potentiated by the GABAB receptor blocker (CGP 55845) and inhibited by 5-HT2A receptor blockers (ketanserin or ritanserin). During paired simultaneous recordings from a PN and a type I cell in an adjacent cluster, the afferent PN response coincided with type I cell depolarization, which was associated with a decrease in input resistance. In fresh tissue slices of rat CB, low glucose stimulated ATP secretion as determined by the luciferin-luciferase assay; this secretion was cadmium sensitive, potentiated by CGP 55845, and inhibited by ketanserin. Taken together these data indicate that CB receptors act as direct glucosensors, and that processing of hypoglycaemia utilizes similar neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory mechanisms as hypoxia.

Expression of multiple P2X receptors by glossopharyngeal neurons projecting to rat carotid body O2-chemoreceptors: role in nitric oxide-mediated efferent inhibition

In mammals, ventilation is peripherally controlled by the carotid body (CB), which receives afferent innervation from the petrosal ganglion and efferent innervation from neurons located along the glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN). GPN neurons give rise to the "efferent inhibitory" pathway via a plexus of neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase-positive fibers, believed to be responsible for CB chemoreceptor inhibition via NO release. Although NO is elevated during natural CB stimulation by hypoxia, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We hypothesized that ATP, released by rat CB chemoreceptors (type 1 cells) and/or red blood cells during hypoxia, may directly activate GPN neurons and contribute to NO-mediated inhibition. Using combined electrophysiological, molecular, and confocal immunofluorescence techniques, we detected the expression of multiple P2X receptors in GPN neurons. These receptors involve at least four different purinergic subunits: P2X2 [and the splice variant P2X2(b)], P2X3, P2X4, and P2X7. Using a novel coculture preparation of CB type I cell clusters and GPN neurons, we tested the role of P2X signaling on CB function. In cocultures, fast application of ATP, or its synthetic analog 2',3'-O-(4 benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP, caused type I cell hyperpolarization that was prevented in the presence of the NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide potassium. These data suggest that ATP released during hypoxic stress from CB chemoreceptors (and/or red blood cells) will cause GPN neuron depolarization mediated by multiple P2X receptors. Activation of this pathway will lead to calcium influx and efferent inhibition of CB chemoreceptors via NO synthesis and consequent release.

Are there interactions between acetylcholine- and ATP-induced responses at the level of a visceral sensory ganglion?

We investigate possible interactions between acetylcholine (ACh)- and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-induced responses of petrosal ganglion, where the perikarya of most sensory neurons of the glossopharyngeal nerve are located. Experiments were performed on petrosal ganglia excised from pentobarbitone-anesthetized cats, desheathed and perfused in vitro. Separate applications of ACh and ATP to the exposed surface of the ganglion induced bursts of antidromic potentials recorded from the carotid (sinus) nerve branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve, which frequencies were dependent on the dose of the applied agonists. The simultaneous application of previously determined ED50s of ACh and ATP provoked responses corresponding closely to the simple addition of the responses elicited by the separate application of each agent. Responses usually subsided within 1 min of stimuli application but were followed by periods of refractoriness to subsequent application of the same agent. After determining the timing for recovering from desensitization to the ED50s of ACh and ATP applied separately, ACh was applied while the preparation had been desensitized to ATP and then ATP was applied during desensitization to ACh, but responses obtained were similar to control responses induced by each agent separately. In summary, ACh- and ATP-induced responses of petrosal ganglion neurons are simply additive, followed by a few minute lasting desensitization, but cross-desensitization was not observed. Thus, ACh and ATP seem to operate through independent receptors, activating separate ionic channels, whose coincident currents do not interfere each other.

Oxygen sensing in the body

This review is divided into three parts: (a) The primary site of oxygen sensing is the carotid body which instantaneously respond to hypoxia without involving new protein synthesis, and is historically known as the first oxygen sensor and is therefore placed in the first section (Lahiri, Roy, Baby and Hoshi). The carotid body senses oxygen in acute hypoxia, and produces appropriate responses such as increases in breathing, replenishing oxygen from air. How this oxygen is sensed at a relatively high level (arterial PO2 approximately 50 Torr) which would not be perceptible by other cells in the body, is a mystery. This response is seen in afferent nerves which are connected synaptically to type I or glomus cells of the carotid body. The major effect of oxygen sensing is the increase in cytosolic calcium, ultimately by influx from extracellular calcium whose concentration is 2 x 10(4) times greater. There are several contesting hypotheses for this response: one, the mitochondrial hypothesis which states that the electron transport from the substrate to oxygen through the respiratory chain is retarded as the oxygen pressure falls, and the mitochondrial membrane is depolarized leading to the calcium release from the complex of mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum. This is followed by influx of calcium. Also, the inhibitors of the respiratory chain result in mitochondrial depolarization and calcium release. The other hypothesis (membrane model) states that K(+) channels are suppressed by hypoxia which depolarizes the membrane leading to calcium influx and cytosolic calcium increase. Evidence supports both the hypotheses. Hypoxia also inhibits prolyl hydroxylases which are present in all the cells. This inhibition results in membrane K(+) current suppression which is followed by cell depolarization. The theme of this section covers first what and where the oxygen sensors are; second, what are the effectors; third, what couples oxygen sensors and the effectors. (b) All oxygen consuming cells have a built-in mechanism, the transcription factor HIF-1, the discovery of which has led to the delineation of oxygen-regulated gene expression. This response to chronic hypoxia needs new protein synthesis, and the proteins of these genes mediate the adaptive physiological responses. HIF-1alpha, which is a part of HIF-1, has come to be known as master regulator for oxygen homeostasis, and is precisely regulated by the cellular oxygen concentration. Thus, the HIF-1 encompasses the chronic responses (gene expression in all cells of the body). The molecular biology of oxygen sensing is reviewed in this section (Semenza). (c) Once oxygen is sensed and Ca(2+) is released, the neurotransmittesr will be elaborated from the glomus cells of the carotid body. Currently it is believed that hypoxia facilitates release of one or more excitatory transmitters from glomus cells, which by depolarizing the nearby afferent terminals, leads to increases in the sensory discharge. The transmitters expressed in the carotid body can be classified into two major categories: conventional and unconventional. The conventional neurotransmitters include those stored in synaptic vesicles and mediate their action via activation of specific membrane bound receptors often coupled to G-proteins. Unconventional neurotransmitters are those that are not stored in synaptic vesicles, but spontaneously generated by enzymatic reactions and exert their biological responses either by interacting with cytosolic enzymes or by direct modifications of proteins. The gas molecules such as NO and CO belong to this latter category of neurotransmitters and have unique functions. Co-localization and co-release of neurotransmitters have also been described. Often interactions between excitatory and inhibitory messenger molecules also occur. Carotid body contains all kinds of transmitters, and an interplay between them must occur. But very little has come to be known as yet. Glimpses of these interactions are evident in the discussion in the last section (Prabhakar).

An important functional role of persistent Na+ current in carotid body hypoxia transduction

Systemic hypoxia in mammals is sensed and transduced by the carotid body into increased action potential (AP) frequency on the sinus nerve, resulting in increased ventilation. The mechanism of hypoxia transduction is not resolved, but previous work suggested that fast Na(+) channels play an important role in determining the rate and timing of APs (Donnelly, DF, Panisello JM, and Boggs D. J Physiol. 511: 301-311, 1998). We speculated that Na(+) channel activity between APs, termed persistent Na(+) current (I(NaP)), is responsible for AP generation that and riluzole and phenytoin, which inhibit this current, would impair organ function. Using whole cell patch clamp recording of intact petrosal neurons with projections to the carotid body, we demonstrated that I(NaP) is present in chemoreceptor afferent neurons and is inhibited by riluzole. Furthermore, discharge frequencies of single-unit, chemoreceptor activity, in vitro, during normoxia (Po(2) 150 Torr) and during acute hypoxia (Po(2) 90 Torr) were significantly reduced by riluzole concentrations at or above 5 microM, and by phenytoin at 100 microM, without significant affect on nerve conduction time, AP magnitude (inferred from extracellular field), and AP duration. The effect of both drugs appeared solely postsynaptic because hypoxia-induced catecholamine release in the carotid body was not altered by either drug. The respiratory response of unanesthetized, unrestrained 2-wk-old rats to acute hypoxia (12% inspired O(2) fraction), which was measured with whole body plethysmography, was significantly reduced after treatment with riluzole (2 mg/kg ip) and phenytoin (20 mg/kg ip). We conclude that I(NaP) is present in chemoreceptor afferent neurons and serves an important role in peripheral chemoreceptor function and, hence, in the ventilatory response to hypoxia.

Neurotransmitters in carotid body development

This review examines the possible role of neurotransmitters present in the carotid body on the functional expression of chemosensory activity during postnatal development. In particular, dopamine, acetylcholine, adenosine and neuropeptides are reviewed. Evidence to date shows involvement of these transmitters in signal transmission from the chemoreceptor cells to chemosensory afferent fibers of the sinus nerve, with clear age- or maturation-dependence of some aspects. However, it remains unresolved whether these neurotransmitters, some of which are expressed in the carotid body before birth, are directly involved in the maturation of the functional properties of the carotid chemoreceptors in sensing oxygen or other stimuli during postnatal development.

Immunohistochemical evidence for species-specific coexistence of catecholamines, serotonin, acetylcholine and nitric oxide in glomus cells of rat and guinea pig aortic bodies

The aortic bodies are small paraganglia distributed along the vagus nerve and its branches in the vicinity of the aortic arch which, like the carotid bodies, act as arterial chemoreceptors. In the rat carotid body, corelease of ATP and acetylcholine (ACh) from glomus cells is considered to be the main mechanism mediating fast hypoxic chemotransmission while dopamine, serotonin, and nitric oxide (NO) exert modulating effects. The present study was aimed at determination of the endogenous sources of serotonin, ACh and NO within rat and guinea pig aortic bodies by immunohistochemical double- and triple-labeling approaches, utilizing antibodies to serotonin, the NO and ACh synthesizing enzymes neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), respectively, as well as to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). Additional marker antibodies were directed against the rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine synthesis, i.e. tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and the vesicular protein, synaptophysin (SYN). In both species, all aortic body glomus cells were immunoreactive to serotonin and cholinergic markers. In the rat, all glomus cells were additionally catecholaminergic, as indicated by TH-immunoreactivity, whereas this applied only to a subgroup of guinea pig glomus cells. On the other hand, all guinea pig glomus cells were nNOS-immunoreactive, whereas only nerve fibers but not glomus cells exhibited nNOS-immunoreactivity in the rat. These data support the concept that the chemoexcitatory transmitters ACh and serotonin are involved in hypoxic excitation of aortic chemoreceptor terminals in both species. The production of the inhibitory modulators, dopamine and NO, however, appears to be species-specifically regulated.

The effect of a nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside, on the release of acetylcholine from the in vitro cat carotid body

The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of a nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), on the release of acetylcholine (ACh), an essential excitatory neurotransmitter, from the in vitro cat carotid body (CB). Bilateral CBs were harvested from five deeply anesthetized cats according to the regulations contained in the policies of the Johns Hopkins Animal Care and Use Committee. After recovering from the surgical procedures for extraction and cleaning, the CBs were taken through a 15-step protocol in which they were exposed to a hyperoxic gas mixture (40% O2/5% CO2; 20 min), then a hypoxic gas mixture (6% O2/5% CO2; 20 min), and a final 10 min hyperoxic mixture. This sequence was applied twice, followed by the same sequence in the presence, first, of 5 microM SNP, and secondly in the presence of 10 microM SNP. After washing and a recovery period the CBs were again exposed to the gases as in the first two non-SNP trials. The SNP exposures significantly reduced the overall release of ACh by about 20% (P=0.039). Further, SNP significantly reduced the hypoxia-induced increase in ACh release (without SNP: 82.4+/-19.1 fmol/20 microL versus with SNP: 49.7+/-15.0 fmol/20 microL; mean+/-S.E.M.; P=0.032). Trials #1 and #2 which preceded the application of SNP and Trial #3 which followed SNP were statistically indistinguishable. The CBs had recovered their original status. The data support the hypothesis that the frequently reported NO-induced reduction in CB neural output during hypoxia is at least in part due to the reduction in ACh release. The results are consistent with a previous report in which l-arginine, an NO precursor, had the same reducing effect. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

Neurotransmission and neuromodulation in the chemosensory carotid body

The mammalian carotid body is a small chemosensory organ that helps maintain the chemical composition of arterial blood via reflex control of ventilation. Thus, in response to decreased PO2 (hypoxia), increased PCO2 (hypercapnia), or decreased pH (acidity), chemoreceptor glomus or type I cells become stimulated and release neuroactive agents that excite apposed sensory terminals of the carotid sinus nerve. The resulting increase in afferent discharge ultimately leads to corrective changes in ventilation so as to maintain blood gas and pH homeostasis. Recent evidence that the organ can also sense low glucose further emphasizes its role as a polymodal sensor of blood-borne stimuli. The chemoreceptors occur in organized cell clusters that receive sensory innervation from petrosal afferents and are intimately associated with the blood supply. Additionally, synaptic specializations between neighboring receptor cells allow for autocrine and paracrine regulation of the sensory output. Though not without controversy, significant progress has been made in elucidating the various chemotransductive pathways, as well as the neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory mechanisms that translate the receptor potential into an afferent sensory discharge. Progress in the latter has been hampered by the presence of a wide variety of endogenous ligands, and an even broader spectrum of receptor subtypes, that apparently help shape the chemoreceptor output and afferent discharge. This review will highlight recent advances in understanding the role of these neuroactive ligands in carotid body function.

l-arginine's effect on the hypoxia-induced release of acetylcholine from the in vitro cat carotid body

NO is known to reduce the hypoxia-induced increase in carotid body neural activity (CBNA). Acetylcholine (ACh), a known excitatory transmitter in the cat carotid body (CB), is released during hypoxia. This study addressed the impact of an NO precursor on ACh release during hypoxia. Both CBs from nine cats were prepared for incubation, then inserted into a medium and bubbled with three consecutive gas mixtures, hyperoxic, hypoxic, and a final hyperoxic mixture. This series of exposures was performed in the absence of L-arginine, followed by the three exposures in a 1mM L-arginine medium, and followed, thirdly, in a 10mM L-arginine medium. L-Arginine significantly attenuated the hypoxia-induced release of ACh. Two post-arginine procedures suggested strongly that the reduction in the ACh release was not due to a gradual exhaustion of carotid body ACh stores over the course of the experiment. The data are consistent with those reports showing that NO donors and precursors reduce the hypoxia-induced increase in CBNA, and further support a role for ACh in the hypoxia-induced increase in CBNA.

Neurotransmission in the carotid body: transmitters and modulators between glomus cells and petrosal ganglion nerve terminals

The carotid body (CB) is the main arterial chemoreceptor. The most accepted model of arterial chemoreception postulates that carotid body glomus (type I) cells are the primary receptors, which are synaptically connected to the nerve terminals of petrosal ganglion (PG) neurons. In response to natural stimuli, glomus cells are expected to release one (or more) transmitter(s) which, acting on the peripheral nerve terminals of processes from chemosensory petrosal neurons, increases the sensory discharge. Among several molecules present in glomus cells, acetylcholine and adenosine nucleotides and dopamine are considered as excitatory transmitter candidates. In this review, we will examine recent evidence supporting the notion that acetylcholine and adenosine 5'-triphosphate are the main excitatory transmitters in the cat and rat carotid bodies. On the other hand, dopamine may act as a modulator of the chemoreception process in the cat, but as an excitatory transmitter in the rabbit carotid body.

Increased ventilation and CO2 chemosensitivity in acetylcholinesterase knockout mice

To investigate the effects of a permanent excess of acetylcholine (AChE) on respiration, breathing and chemosensitivity were analyzed from birth to adulthood in mice lacking the AChE gene (AChE-/-), in heterozygotes, and in control wild-type (AChE+/+) littermates. Breathing at rest and ventilatory responses to brief exposures to hypoxia (10% O2) and hypercapnia (3-5% CO2) were measured by whole-body plethysmography. At rest AChE-/- mice show larger tidal volumes (VT, + 96% in adults), overall ventilation (VE, + 70%), and mean inspiratory flow (+270%) than wild-type mice, with no change in breathing frequency (fR). AChE-/- mice have a slightly blunted response to hypoxia, but increased VE and fR responses to hypercapnia. Heterozygous animals present no consistent alterations of breathing at rest and chemosensitivity is normal. Adult AChE-/- mice have an increased VE/VO2 and a marginally higher normalized VO2. The results suggest that the hyperventilation and altered chemosensitivity in AChE-/- mice largely reflect alterations of central respiratory control.

The impact of adenosine on the release of acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine from the cat carotid body

Exogenously administered adenosine provokes an increase in respiration in both animal models and in man. Administered near the carotid body adenosine increases neural output from the carotid body in rats and cats. Hypoxia has the same effect. Hypoxia also provokes a release of acetylcholine (ACh), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) from the carotid body. The present study aimed to determine the effect of exogenous adenosine on the release of ACh, DA, and NE from the carotid bodies of cats. After a recovery period (from surgery) carotid bodies were first incubated for 10 (DA, NE) or 15 (ACh) min in Eppendorf tubes containing 85 microL of a physiological salt solution equilibrated with 40% O2/5% CO2 at 37 degrees C (hyperoxia). At the end of the incubation period the medium was drawn off, and measured for ACh, DA, and NE using HPLC-ECD methods. Next 85 microL of the medium and the tubes were equilibrated with a hypoxic gas mixture (4% O2/5% CO2) and the carotid bodies were incubated for 10 (DA, NE) or 15 (ACh) min, at the end of which the medium was drawn off and measured for ACh, DA, and NE. In the ACh studies there followed a post-hypoxic hyperoxic exposure (40% O2/5% CO2). ACh tubes were then made 100 microM with respect to adenosine, and the hyperoxic, hypoxic, and post-hypoxic hyperoxic challenges were repeated. One of the two DA, NE tubes had the 100 microM adenosine from the start. Adenosine significantly increased the release of ACh, but significantly decreased the hypoxia-induced release of DA. Potential mechanisms for these changes are reviewed.

CO2/pH chemosensory signaling in co-cultures of rat carotid body receptors and petrosal neurons: role of ATP and ACh

The neurotransmitter mechanisms that process acid hypercapnia in the mammalian carotid body (CB) are poorly understood. Using a co-culture model containing rat CB chemoreceptor (type 1 cell) clusters and petrosal neurons (PN), we tested the hypothesis that co-released ACh and ATP was an important mechanism. Sensory transmission from type I clusters to PN in co-culture occurred at chemical synapses via co-release of ATP and ACh because isohydric hypercapnia depolarized and/or increased firing in co-cultured PN, but not in PN cultured alone; PN chemoexcitatory responses were inhibited by decreasing the extracellular Ca(2+):Mg2+ ratio; partial inhibition of these responses occurred during separate perfusion of cholinergic (hexamethonium or mecamylamine) and P2X (suramin) receptor blockers, although inhibition was often complete with both blockers present; and rapid chemoexcitatory responses to hypercapnia were inhibited by acetazolamide (10 microM), an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase, localized in type I cells. Acidosis (pH = 7.0, 7.2) enhanced the ATP-induced whole cell current in functional PN relative to that at physiologic pH (7.4), suggesting that increased sensitivity of postsynaptic P2X receptors may contribute to acid chemotransmission. Type I cells in CB tissue sections expressed vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), a cholinergic marker, as revealed by confocal immunofluorescence. Thus co-release of ACh and ATP is an important neurotransmitter mechanism for processing isohydric and acidic hypercapnia in the rat carotid body.

Identification of M1 and M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the cat carotid body chemosensory system

The carotid body is a major arterial chemoreceptor that senses low O2 tension, high CO2 tension and low pH in the arterial blood. It is generally believed that neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine (ACh), participate in the genesis of afferent neural output from the carotid body and modulate the function of chemoreceptor cells (glomus cells). Previous pharmacological studies suggest that M1 and M2 muscarinic ACh receptors (mAChRs) are involved in these processes. This study was designed to demonstrate the presence and localization of M1 and M2 mAChRs in the carotid body and in the petrosal ganglion of the cat. Since DNA sequences of the cat M1 and M2 mAChRs were not known, we first determined partial DNA sequences. These sequences and deduced amino acid sequences highly resembled those of human and the rat. Subsequent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)analysis has demonstrated that mRNAs for M1 and M2 mAChRs are present in the carotid body and the petrosal ganglion of the cat. Immunohistochemistry has indicated that the localization of these receptors appears different. Immunoreactivity for M1 mAChR was strong in nerves in the carotid body. Nerve endings positively stained for M1 mAChR appear to innervate glomus cells. Weak staining for M1 mAChRs was seen in glomus cells. On the other hand, M2 receptor protein seems to be present in glomus cells but not on nerve endings. One third of the neurons in the petrosal ganglion showed immunoreactivity for M1 mAChR. Many neurons and nerve fibers in the petrosal ganglion expressed M2 mAChR immunoreactivity. The results were consistent with previous pharmacological studies. Thus, activation of M1 mAChRs on afferent nerve endings may be linked to the increase in neural output during hypoxia. Further, M1 and M2 mAChRs on glomus cells modulate the release of neurotransmitters.

Autonomic microganglion cells: a source of acetylcholine in the rat carotid body

Hypoxic chemosensitivity of peripheral arterial chemoreceptors and the ventilatory response to O2 deprivation increases with postnatal development. Multiple putative neurotransmitters, which are synthesized in the carotid body (CB), are thought to mediate signals generated by hypoxia. Acetylcholine (ACh) is believed to be a major excitatory neurotransmitter participating in hypoxic chemosensitivity. However, it is not known whether ACh originates from type I cells in the CB. In these studies, we tested the hypothesis that choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT) mRNAs are expressed in the CB and that mRNA levels would increase with postnatal maturation or exposure to hypoxia. Semiquantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunohistochemistry were used to localize cholinergic markers within neurons and cells of the rat CB, the nodose-petrosal-jugular ganglion complex, and the superior cervical ganglion up to postnatal day 28. We show that the pattern of distribution, in tissue sections, is similar for both ACh markers; however, the level of VAChT mRNA is uniformly greater than that of ChAT. VAChT mRNA and immunoreactivity are detected abundantly in the nodose-petrosal-jugular ganglion complex in a number of microganglion cells embedded in nerve fibers innervating the CB for all postnatal groups, whereas ChAT mRNA is detected in only a few of these cells. Contrary to our hypothesis, postnatal maturation caused a reduction in ACh trait expression, whereas hypoxic exposure did not induce the upregulation of VAChT and ChAT mRNA levels in the CB, microganglion, or within the ganglion complex. The present findings indicate that the source of ACh in the CB is likely within autonomic microganglion cells and cholinergic nerve terminals.

Acetylcholine release from the carotid body by hypoxia: evidence for the involvement of autoinhibitory receptors

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether hypoxia influences acetylcholine (ACh) release from the rabbit carotid body and, if so, to determine the mechanism(s) associated with this response. ACh is expressed in the rabbit carotid body (5.6 +/- 1.3 pmol/carotid body) as evidenced by electrochemical analysis. Immunocytochemical analysis of the primary cultures of the carotid body with antibody specific to ACh further showed that ACh-like immunoreactivity is localized to many glomus cells. The effect of hypoxia on ACh release was examined in ex vivo carotid bodies harvested from anesthetized rabbits. The basal release of ACh during normoxia ( approximately 150 Torr) averaged 5.9 +/- 0.5 fmol.min-1.carotid body-1. Lowering the Po2 to 90 and 20 Torr progressively decreased ACh release by approximately 15 and approximately 68%, respectively. ACh release returned to the basal value on reoxygenation. Simultaneous monitoring of dopamine showed a sixfold increase in dopamine release during hypoxia. Hypercapnia (21% O2 + 10% CO2) as well as high K+ (100 mM) facilitated ACh release from the carotid body, suggesting that hypoxia-induced inhibition of ACh release is not due to deterioration of the carotid body. Hypoxia had no significant effect on acetylcholinesterase activity in the medium, implying that increased hydrolysis of ACh does not account for hypoxia-induced inhibition of ACh release. In the presence of either atropine (10 microM) or domperidone (10 microM), hypoxia stimulated ACh release. These results demonstrate that glomus cells of the rabbit carotid body express ACh and that hypoxia overall inhibits ACh release via activation of muscarinic and dopaminergic autoinhibitory receptors in the carotid body.

GABA mediates autoreceptor feedback inhibition in the rat carotid body via presynaptic GABAB receptors and TASK-1

Background K+ channels exert control over neuronal excitability by regulating resting potential and input resistance. Here, we show that GABAB receptor-mediated activation of a background K+ conductance modulates transmission at rat carotid body chemosensory synapses in vitro. Carotid body chemoreceptor (type I) cells expressed GABAB(1) and GABAB(2) subunits as well as endogenous GABA. The GABAB receptor agonist baclofen activated an anandamide- and Ba2+-sensitive TASK-1-like background K+ conductance in chemoreceptor cell clusters, but was without effect on voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Hydroxysaclofen (50 microM), 5-aminovaleric acid (100 microM) and CGP 55845 (100 nM), selective GABAB receptor blockers, potentiated the hypoxia-induced receptor potential; this effect was abolished by pre-treatment with pertussis toxin (PTX; 500 ng ml-1), an inhibitor of Gi, or by H-89 (50 microM), a selective inhibitor of protein kinase A. The protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine chloride (100 microM) was without effect on this potentiation. GABAB receptor blockers also caused depolarisation of type I cells in clusters, and enhanced spike discharge in spontaneously firing cells. In functional co-cultures of type I clusters and petrosal sensory neurones, GABAB receptor blockers potentiated hypoxia-induced postsynaptic chemosensory responses mediated by the fast-acting transmitters ACh and ATP. Thus GABAB receptor-mediated activation of TASK-1 or a related channel provides a presynaptic autoregulatory feedback mechanism that modulates fast synaptic transmission in the rat carotid body.

Distribution of transient receptor potential channels in the rat carotid chemosensory pathway

Glomus cells in the carotid body respond to decreases in oxygen tension of the blood and transmit this sensory information in the carotid sinus nerve to the brain via neurons in the petrosal ganglion. G-protein-coupled membrane receptors linked to phospholipase C may play an important role in this response through the activation of the cation channels formed by the transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins. In the present study, expression of TRPC proteins in the rat carotid body and petrosal ganglion was examined using immunohistochemical techniques. TRPC3, TRPC4, TRPC5, TRPC6, and TRPC7 were present in neurons throughout the ganglion. TRPC1 was expressed in only 28% of petrosal neurons, and of this population, 45% were tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive, accounting for essentially all the TH-expressing neurons in the ganglion. Because TH-positive neurons project to the carotid body, this result suggests that TRPC1 is selectively associated with the chemosensory pathway. Confocal images through the carotid body showed that TRPC1/3/4/5/6 proteins localize to the carotid sinus nerve fibers, some of which were immunoreactive to an anti-neurofilament (NF) antibody cocktail. TRPC1 and TRPC3 were present in both NF-positive and NF-negative fibers, whereas TPRC4, TRPC5, and TRPC6 expression was primarily localized to NF-negative fibers. Only TRPC1 and TRPC4 were localized in the afferent nerve terminals that encircle individual glomus cells. TRPC7 was not expressed in sensory fibers. All the TRPC proteins studied were present in type I glomus cells. Although their role as receptor-activated cation channels in the chemosensory pathway is yet to be established, the presence of TRPC channels in glomus cells and sensory nerves of the carotid body suggests a role in facilitating and/or sustaining the hypoxic response.

Presynaptic modulation of rat arterial chemoreceptor function by 5-HT: role of K+ channel inhibition via protein kinase C

The peripheral control of breathing is mediated by O2-sensitive carotid body (CB) type 1 cells, which express multiple neurotransmitters including the monoamines, dopamine and serotonin (5-HT). Whereas dopamine has been extensively studied, 5-HT has received little attention. Here, to elucidate the role of 5-HT in CB chemotransmission, we used perforated-patch recording from rat type 1 cell clusters and co-cultured petrosal (afferent) neurones. 5-HT induced action potentials and/or membrane depolarization associated with a conductance decrease in approximately 40% of recordings from type 1 cells (n = 78/192). These responses were markedly inhibited by the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin (10-50 microM) and by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine (50 microM). The PKC activator 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG; 50 microM) mimicked the 5-HT-induced depolarization, and the combined effects of 5-HT and OAG were non-additive. The 5-HT-induced responses reversed near the potassium (K+) equilibrium potential (at approximately -82 mV; EK = -83 mV), suggesting inhibition of a resting K+ conductance. In type 1 cells (n = 7), voltage-activated outward K+ current was also inhibited by 1-50 microM 5-HT, an effect that was prevented by PKC inhibitors (chelerythrine and NPC 15437) and mimicked by OAG; the outward K+ current inhibited by 5-HT appeared to be predominantly a Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current. The 5-HT2 receptor blockers ketanserin and ritanserin reversibly inhibited spontaneous action potentials and the hypoxia-induced receptor potential recorded from clustered type 1 cells. Moreover, these blockers reversibly inhibited the hypoxic chemosensory response recorded postsynaptically in petrosal neurones that functionally innervated type 1 clusters in co-culture. RT-PCR and confocal immunofluorescence techniques revealed 5-HT2a receptor expression in rat CB type 1 cells. These results suggest that release of endogenous 5-HT regulates CB chemoreceptor function presynaptically, by a positive feedback mechanism involving autocrine-paracrine stimulation of 5-HT2a receptors and PKC modulation of resting and Ca(2+)-dependent K+ conductances.

Characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in cultured arterial chemoreceptor cells of the cat

Neurotransmitters appear to be involved in chemotransmission of the carotid body, a major arterial chemoreceptor. Substantial data indicate that acetylcholine (ACh) is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the carotid body, regulating the excitability of afferent nerve endings and glomus cells (putative chemoreceptor cells). In this study we characterized properties of nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) in cultured cat glomus cells using immunocytochemistry and whole cell patch clamp techniques. Cultured glomus cells expressed immunoreactivity for alpha3, alpha4, and beta2 subunits of nAChRs. An application of ACh elicited inward current. Nicotinic AChRs of glomus cells showed high affinity for ACh. The current-voltage relationship showed strong inward rectification at positive membrane potential. alpha-Conotoxin MII (20 nM), dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DHbetaE; 1 nM), and hexamethonium (300 microM) significantly inhibited ACh-induced current. These results indicate that cultured cat glomus cells possess functional nAChRs, and that their characteristics are consistent with those of alpha3, alpha4 and beta2 containing nAChRs.