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Khalilpour J, Soltani Zangbar H, Alipour MR, Shahabi P. The hypoxic respiratory response of the pre-Bötzinger complex. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34491. [PMID: 39114066 PMCID: PMC11305331 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the pre-Bötzinger Complex (preBötC) as a crucial region for generating the main respiratory rhythm, our understanding of its cellular and molecular aspects has rapidly increased within the last few decades. It is now apparent that preBötC is a highly flexible neuronal network that reconfigures state-dependently to produce the most appropriate respiratory output in response to various metabolic challenges, such as hypoxia. However, the responses of the preBötC to hypoxic conditions can be varied based on the intensity, pattern, and duration of the hypoxic challenge. This review discusses the preBötC response to hypoxic challenges at the cellular and network level. Particularly, the involvement of preBötC in the classical biphasic response of the respiratory network to acute hypoxia is illuminated. Furthermore, the article discusses the functional and structural changes of preBötC neurons following intermittent and sustained hypoxic challenges. Accumulating evidence shows that the preBötC neural circuits undergo substantial changes following hypoxia and contribute to several types of the respiratory system's hypoxic ventilatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Khalilpour
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamid Soltani Zangbar
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Parviz Shahabi
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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2
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Hill ES, Wang J, Brown JW, Mistry VK, Frost WN. Surprising multifunctionality of a Tritonia swim CPG neuron: C2 drives the early phase of postswim crawling despite being silent during the behavior. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:96-107. [PMID: 38777746 PMCID: PMC11381120 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00001.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to a suitably aversive skin stimulus, the marine mollusk Tritonia diomedea launches an escape swim followed by several minutes of high-speed crawling. The two escape behaviors are highly dissimilar: whereas the swim is a muscular behavior involving alternating ventral and dorsal whole body flexions, the crawl is a nonrhythmic gliding behavior mediated by the beating of foot cilia. The serotonergic dorsal swim interneurons (DSIs) are members of the swim central pattern generator (CPG) and also strongly drive crawling. Although the swim network is very well understood, the Tritonia crawling network to date comprises only three neurons: the DSIs and pedal neurons 5 and 21 (Pd5 and Pd21). Since Tritonia's swim network has been suggested to have arisen from a preexisting crawling network, we examined the possible role that another swim CPG neuron, C2, may play in crawling. Because of its complete silence in the postswim crawling period, C2 had not previously been considered to play a role in driving crawling. However, semi-intact preparation experiments demonstrated that a brief C2 spike train surprisingly and strongly drives the foot cilia for ∼30 s, something that cannot be explained by its synaptic connections to Pd5 and Pd21. Voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging in the pedal ganglion identified many candidate crawling motor neurons that fire at an elevated rate after the swim and also revealed several pedal neurons that are strongly excited by C2. It is intriguing that unlike the DSIs, which fire tonically after the swim to drive crawling, C2 does so despite its postswim silence.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Tritonia swim central pattern generator (CPG) neuron C2 surprisingly and strongly drives the early phase of postswim crawling despite being silent during this period. In decades of research, C2 had not been suspected of driving crawling because of its complete silence after the swim. Voltage-sensitive dye imaging revealed that the Tritonia crawling motor network may be much larger than previously known and also revealed that many candidate crawling neurons are excited by C2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan S Hill
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Jean Wang
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Jeffrey W Brown
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Viral K Mistry
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - William N Frost
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, United States
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3
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Borrus DS, Stettler MK, Grover CJ, Kalajian EJ, Gu J, Conradi Smith GD, Del Negro CA. Inspiratory and sigh breathing rhythms depend on distinct cellular signalling mechanisms in the preBötzinger complex. J Physiol 2024; 602:809-834. [PMID: 38353596 PMCID: PMC10940220 DOI: 10.1113/jp285582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Breathing behaviour involves the generation of normal breaths (eupnoea) on a timescale of seconds and sigh breaths on the order of minutes. Both rhythms emerge in tandem from a single brainstem site, but whether and how a single cell population can generate two disparate rhythms remains unclear. We posit that recurrent synaptic excitation in concert with synaptic depression and cellular refractoriness gives rise to the eupnoea rhythm, whereas an intracellular calcium oscillation that is slower by orders of magnitude gives rise to the sigh rhythm. A mathematical model capturing these dynamics simultaneously generates eupnoea and sigh rhythms with disparate frequencies, which can be separately regulated by physiological parameters. We experimentally validated key model predictions regarding intracellular calcium signalling. All vertebrate brains feature a network oscillator that drives the breathing pump for regular respiration. However, in air-breathing mammals with compliant lungs susceptible to collapse, the breathing rhythmogenic network may have refashioned ubiquitous intracellular signalling systems to produce a second slower rhythm (for sighs) that prevents atelectasis without impeding eupnoea. KEY POINTS: A simplified activity-based model of the preBötC generates inspiratory and sigh rhythms from a single neuron population. Inspiration is attributable to a canonical excitatory network oscillator mechanism. Sigh emerges from intracellular calcium signalling. The model predicts that perturbations of calcium uptake and release across the endoplasmic reticulum counterintuitively accelerate and decelerate sigh rhythmicity, respectively, which was experimentally validated. Vertebrate evolution may have adapted existing intracellular signalling mechanisms to produce slow oscillations needed to optimize pulmonary function in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Borrus
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Marco K. Stettler
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Cameron J. Grover
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Eva J. Kalajian
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Jeffrey Gu
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Gregory D. Conradi Smith
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Conradi Smith and Del Negro contributed equally
| | - Christopher A. Del Negro
- Applied Science and Neuroscience, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
- Conradi Smith and Del Negro contributed equally
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4
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Morgado-Valle C, Smith JC, Fernandez-Ruiz J, Lopez-Meraz L, Beltran-Parrazal L. Modulation of inspiratory burst duration and frequency by bombesin in vitro. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:101-117. [PMID: 35066612 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02663-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian respiratory rhythm-generating circuits in the brainstem are subject to neuromodulation by multiple peptidergic afferent inputs controlling circuit behavior and outputs. Although functionally important, actions of neuropeptide modulators have not been fully characterized. We analyzed at cellular and circuit levels two inspiratory patterns intrinsically generated by the preBötzinger complex (preBötC) and their modulation by the neuropeptides bombesin and substance P (SP) in neonatal rat medullary slices in vitro. We found that, in recordings of hypoglossal nerve and preBötC neuron inspiratory activity, some inspiratory bursts occurring spontaneously under basal conditions have a biphasic shape with longer duration than normal inspiratory bursts and occur at a lower frequency. This biphasic burst pattern has been proposed to represent inspiratory activity underling periodic sighs. Bath-applied bombesin or SP decreased the period and increased the duration of both normal inspiratory and biphasic bursts and their underlying synaptic drives. The ratio of the biphasic long-duration burst period to the normal inspiratory burst period and the ratio of their burst durations remained the same before and after peptidergic modulation. Bombesin increased the frequency of the inspiratory rhythm in a Ca2+-independent manner and the frequency of long-duration bursts in a Ca2+-dependent manner. This finding suggests that period and burst duration coupling are due to intrinsic mechanisms controlling simultaneously timing and burst termination within the inspiratory rhythm-generating network. We propose a model in which signaling cascades activated by bombesin and SP modulate mechanisms controlling inspiratory burst frequency and duration to coordinate preBötC circuit behavioral outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Morgado-Valle
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190. .,Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Juan Fernandez-Ruiz
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Ciudad de México, México City, 04510, México
| | - Leonor Lopez-Meraz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190
| | - Luis Beltran-Parrazal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa Veracruz, México, 91190.
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Burgraff NJ, Phillips RS, Severs LJ, Bush NE, Baertsch NA, Ramirez JM. Inspiratory rhythm generation is stabilized by Ih. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:181-196. [PMID: 35675444 PMCID: PMC9291429 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00150.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular and network properties must be capable of generating rhythmic activity that is both flexible and stable. This is particularly important for breathing, a rhythmic behavior that dynamically adapts to environmental, behavioral, and metabolic changes from the first to the last breath. The pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC), located within the ventral medulla, is responsible for producing rhythmic inspiration. Its cellular properties must be tunable, flexible as well as stabilizing. Here, we explore the role of the hyperpolarization-activated, nonselective cation current (Ih) for stabilizing PreBötC activity during opioid exposure and reduced excitatory synaptic transmission. Introducing Ih into an in silico preBötC network predicts that loss of this depolarizing current should significantly slow the inspiratory rhythm. By contrast, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that the loss of Ih minimally affected breathing frequency, but destabilized rhythmogenesis through the generation of incompletely synchronized bursts (burstlets). Associated with the loss of Ih was an increased susceptibility of breathing to opioid-induced respiratory depression or weakened excitatory synaptic interactions, a paradoxical depolarization at the cellular level, and the suppression of tonic spiking. Tonic spiking activity is generated by nonrhythmic excitatory and inhibitory preBötC neurons, of which a large percentage express Ih. Together, our results suggest that Ih is important for maintaining tonic spiking, stabilizing inspiratory rhythmogenesis, and protecting breathing against perturbations or changes in network state.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The Ih current plays multiple roles within the preBötC. This current is important for promoting intrinsic tonic spiking activity in excitatory and inhibitory neurons and for preserving rhythmic function during conditions that dampen network excitability, such as in the context of opioid-induced respiratory depression. We therefore propose that the Ih current expands the dynamic range of rhythmogenesis, buffers the preBötC against network perturbations, and stabilizes rhythmogenesis by preventing the generation of unsynchronized bursts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Burgraff
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ryan S. Phillips
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Liza J. Severs
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nicholas E. Bush
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nathan A. Baertsch
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,2Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jan-Marino Ramirez
- 1Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington,2Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,3Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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6
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Severs L, Vlemincx E, Ramirez JM. The psychophysiology of the sigh: I: The sigh from the physiological perspective. Biol Psychol 2022; 170:108313. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Abstract
Breathing is a critical, complex, and highly integrated behavior. Normal rhythmic breathing, also referred to as eupnea, is interspersed with different breathing related behaviors. Sighing is one of such behaviors, essential for maintaining effective gas exchange by preventing the gradual collapse of alveoli in the lungs, known as atelectasis. Critical for the generation of both sighing and eupneic breathing is a region of the medulla known as the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC). Efforts are underway to identify the cellular pathways that link sighing as well as sneezing, yawning, and hiccupping with other brain regions to better understand how they are integrated and regulated in the context of other behaviors including chemosensation, olfaction, and cognition. Unraveling these interactions may provide important insights into the diverse roles of these behaviors in the initiation of arousal, stimulation of vigilance, and the relay of certain behavioral states. This chapter focuses primarily on the function of the sigh, how it is locally generated within the preBötC, and what the functional implications are for a potential link between sighing and cognitive regulation. Furthermore, we discuss recent insights gained into the pathways and mechanisms that control yawning, sneezing, and hiccupping.
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8
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Borrus DS, Grover CJ, Conradi Smith GD, Del Negro CA. Role of Synaptic Inhibition in the Coupling of the Respiratory Rhythms that Underlie Eupnea and Sigh Behaviors. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0302-19.2020. [PMID: 32393585 PMCID: PMC7363481 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0302-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The preBötzinger complex (preBötC) gives rise to two types of breathing behavior under normal physiological conditions: eupnea and sighing. Here, we examine the neural mechanisms that couple their underlying rhythms. We measured breathing in awake intact adult mice and recorded inspiratory rhythms from the preBötC in neonatal mouse brainstem slice preparations. We show previously undocumented variability in the temporal relationship between sigh breaths or bursts and their preceding eupneic breaths or inspiratory bursts. Investigating the synaptic mechanisms for this variability in vitro, we further show that pharmacological blockade of chloride-mediated synaptic inhibition strengthens inspiratory-to-sigh temporal coupling. These findings contrast with previous literature, which suggested glycinergic inhibition linked sigh bursts to their preceding inspiratory bursts with minimal time intervals. Furthermore, we verify that pharmacological disinhibition did not alter the duration of the prolonged interval that follows a sigh burst before resumption of the inspiratory rhythm. These results demonstrate that synaptic inhibition does not enhance coupling between sighs and preceding inspiratory events or contribute to post-sigh apneas. Instead, we conclude that excitatory synaptic mechanisms coordinate inspiratory (eupnea) and sigh rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Borrus
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Cameron J Grover
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Gregory D Conradi Smith
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
| | - Christopher A Del Negro
- Department of Applied Science, Integrated Science Center, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
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9
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Rodriguez-Torres EE, Paredes-Hernandez U, Vazquez-Mendoza E, Tetlalmatzi-Montiel M, Morgado-Valle C, Beltran-Parrazal L, Villarroel-Flores R. Characterization and Classification of Electrophysiological Signals Represented as Visibility Graphs Using the Maxclique Graph. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:324. [PMID: 32351953 PMCID: PMC7174547 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Detection, characterization and classification of patterns within time series from electrophysiological signals have been a challenge for neuroscientists due to their complexity and variability. Here, we aimed to use graph theory to characterize and classify waveforms within biological signals using maxcliques as a feature for a deep learning method. We implemented a compact and easy to visualize algorithm and interface in Python. This software uses time series as input. We applied the maxclique graph operator in order to obtain further graph parameters. We extracted features of the time series by processing all graph parameters through K-means, one of the simplest unsupervised machine learning algorithms. As proof of principle, we analyzed integrated electrical activity of XII nerve to identify waveforms. Our results show that the use of maxcliques allows identification of two distinct types of waveforms that match expert classification. We propose that our method can be a useful tool to characterize and classify other electrophysiological signals in a short time and objectively. Reducing the classification time improves efficiency for further analysis in order to compare between treatments or conditions, e.g., pharmacological trials, injuries, or neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulises Paredes-Hernandez
- Área Académica de Matemáticas y Física, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico
| | - Enrique Vazquez-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Consuelo Morgado-Valle
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Luis Beltran-Parrazal
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Dirección General de Investigaciones, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Rafael Villarroel-Flores
- Área Académica de Matemáticas y Física, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico
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10
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Wei AD, Ramirez JM. Presynaptic Mechanisms and KCNQ Potassium Channels Modulate Opioid Depression of Respiratory Drive. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1407. [PMID: 31824331 PMCID: PMC6882777 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD) is the major cause of death associated with opioid analgesics and drugs of abuse, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated opioid action in vivo in unanesthetized mice and in in vitro medullary slices containing the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC), a locus critical for breathing and inspiratory rhythm generation. Although hypothesized as a primary mechanism, we found that mu-opioid receptor (MOR1)-mediated GIRK activation contributed only modestly to OIRD. Instead, mEPSC recordings from genetically identified Dbx1-derived interneurons, essential for rhythmogenesis, revealed a prevalent presynaptic mode of action for OIRD. Consistent with MOR1-mediated suppression of presynaptic release as a major component of OIRD, Cacna1a KO slices lacking P/Q-type Ca2+ channels enhanced OIRD. Furthermore, OIRD was mimicked and reversed by KCNQ potassium channel activators and blockers, respectively. In vivo whole-body plethysmography combined with systemic delivery of GIRK- and KCNQ-specific potassium channel drugs largely recapitulated these in vitro results, and revealed state-dependent modulation of OIRD. We propose that respiratory failure from OIRD results from a general reduction of synaptic efficacy, leading to a state-dependent collapse of rhythmic network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aguan D. Wei
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
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11
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Garcia AJ, Viemari JC, Khuu MA. Respiratory rhythm generation, hypoxia, and oxidative stress-Implications for development. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2019; 270:103259. [PMID: 31369874 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2019.103259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Encountered in a number of clinical conditions, repeated hypoxia/reoxygenation during the neonatal period can pose both a threat to immediate survival as well as a diminished quality of living later in life. This review focuses on our current understanding of central respiratory rhythm generation and the role that hypoxia and reoxygenation play in influencing rhythmogenesis. Here, we examine the stereotypical response of the inspiratory rhythm from the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), basic neuronal mechanisms that support rhythm generation during the peri-hypoxic interval, and the physiological consequences of inspiratory network responsivity to hypoxia and reoxygenation, acute and chronic intermittent hypoxia, and oxidative stress. These topics are examined in the context of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, apneas of prematurity, and neonatal abstinence syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo J Garcia
- Institute for Integrative Physiology, Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, IL, United States
| | - Jean Charles Viemari
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, P3M team, UMR7289 CNRS & AMU, Faculté de Médecine de la Timone, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, Marseille, 13005, France
| | - Maggie A Khuu
- Institute for Integrative Physiology, Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, IL, United States
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12
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Phillips RS, John TT, Koizumi H, Molkov YI, Smith JC. Biophysical mechanisms in the mammalian respiratory oscillator re-examined with a new data-driven computational model. eLife 2019; 8:41555. [PMID: 30907727 PMCID: PMC6433470 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An autorhythmic population of excitatory neurons in the brainstem pre-Bötzinger complex is a critical component of the mammalian respiratory oscillator. Two intrinsic neuronal biophysical mechanisms—a persistent sodium current (INaP) and a calcium-activated non-selective cationic current (ICAN)—were proposed to individually or in combination generate cellular- and circuit-level oscillations, but their roles are debated without resolution. We re-examined these roles in a model of a synaptically connected population of excitatory neurons with ICAN and INaP. This model robustly reproduces experimental data showing that rhythm generation can be independent of ICAN activation, which determines population activity amplitude. This occurs when ICAN is primarily activated by neuronal calcium fluxes driven by synaptic mechanisms. Rhythm depends critically on INaP in a subpopulation forming the rhythmogenic kernel. The model explains how the rhythm and amplitude of respiratory oscillations involve distinct biophysical mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Phillips
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, United States
| | - Tibin T John
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Hidehiko Koizumi
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Yaroslav I Molkov
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States.,Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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13
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Thoby-Brisson M. Neural mechanisms for sigh generation during prenatal development. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:1162-1172. [PMID: 29897860 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00314.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The respiratory network of the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), which controls inspiratory behavior, can in normal conditions simultaneously produce two types of inspiration-related rhythmic activities: the eupneic rhythm composed of monophasic, low-amplitude, and relatively high-frequency bursts, interspersed with sigh rhythmic activity, composed of biphasic, high-amplitude, and lower frequency bursts. By combining electrophysiological recordings from transverse brainstem slices with computational modeling, new advances in the mechanisms underlying sigh production have been obtained during prenatal development. The present review summarizes recent findings that establish when sigh rhythmogenesis starts to be produced during embryonic development as well as the cellular, membrane, and synaptic properties required for its expression. Together, the results demonstrate that although generated by the same network, the eupnea and sigh rhythms have different developmental onset times and rely on distinct network properties. Because sighs (also known as augmented breaths) are important in maintaining lung function (by reopening collapsed alveoli), gaining insight into their underlying neural mechanisms at early developmental stages is likely to help in the treatment of prematurely born babies often suffering from breathing deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Thoby-Brisson
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux , Bordeaux , France
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14
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Harris KD, Dashevskiy T, Mendoza J, Garcia AJ, Ramirez JM, Shea-Brown E. Different roles for inhibition in the rhythm-generating respiratory network. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:2070-2088. [PMID: 28615332 PMCID: PMC5626906 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00174.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Unraveling the interplay of excitation and inhibition within rhythm-generating networks remains a fundamental issue in neuroscience. We use a biophysical model to investigate the different roles of local and long-range inhibition in the respiratory network, a key component of which is the pre-Bötzinger complex inspiratory microcircuit. Increasing inhibition within the microcircuit results in a limited number of out-of-phase neurons before rhythmicity and synchrony degenerate. Thus unstructured local inhibition is destabilizing and cannot support the generation of more than one rhythm. A two-phase rhythm requires restructuring the network into two microcircuits coupled by long-range inhibition in the manner of a half-center. In this context, inhibition leads to greater stability of the two out-of-phase rhythms. We support our computational results with in vitro recordings from mouse pre-Bötzinger complex. Partial excitation block leads to increased rhythmic variability, but this recovers after blockade of inhibition. Our results support the idea that local inhibition in the pre-Bötzinger complex is present to allow for descending control of synchrony or robustness to adverse conditions like hypoxia. We conclude that the balance of inhibition and excitation determines the stability of rhythmogenesis, but with opposite roles within and between areas. These different inhibitory roles may apply to a variety of rhythmic behaviors that emerge in widespread pattern-generating circuits of the nervous system.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The roles of inhibition within the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) are a matter of debate. Using a combination of modeling and experiment, we demonstrate that inhibition affects synchrony, period variability, and overall frequency of the preBötC and coupled rhythmogenic networks. This work expands our understanding of ubiquitous motor and cognitive oscillatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatiana Dashevskiy
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Joshua Mendoza
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Alfredo J Garcia
- Institute for Integrative Physiology and Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; and
| | - Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Eric Shea-Brown
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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15
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Garcia AJ, Dashevskiy T, Khuu MA, Ramirez JM. Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Differentially Impacts Different States of Inspiratory Activity at the Level of the preBötzinger Complex. Front Physiol 2017; 8:571. [PMID: 28936176 PMCID: PMC5603985 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The preBötzinger complex (preBötC) is a medullary brainstem network crucially involved in the generation of different inspiratory rhythms. In the isolated brainstem slice, the preBötC reconfigures to produce different rhythms that we refer to as "fictive eupnea" under baseline conditions (i.e., carbogen), and "fictive gasping" in hypoxia. We recently demonstrated that fictive eupnea is irregular following exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). However, it is unknown how CIH impacts fictive gasping. To address this, brain slices containing the preBötC were prepared from control and CIH exposed mice. Electrophysiological recordings of rhythmogenesis were obtained during the perihypoxic interval. We examined how CIH affects various dynamic aspects of the rhythm characterized by: (1) the irregularity score (IrS), to assess burst-to-variability; (2) the fluctuation value (χ), to quantify the gain of oscillations throughout the time series; and (3) Sample Entropy (sENT), to characterize the pattern/structure of oscillations in the time series. In baseline conditions, CIH increased IrS of amplitude (0.21 ± 0.2) and χ of amplitude (0.34 ± 0.02) but did not affect sENT of amplitude. This indicated that CIH increased burst-to-burst irregularity and the gain of amplitude fluctuations but did not affect the overall pattern/structure of amplitude oscillations. During the transition to hypoxia, 33% of control rhythms whereas 64% of CIH-exposed rhythms showed no doubling of period, suggesting that the probability for stable rhythmogenesis during the transition to hypoxia was greater following CIH. While 29% of control rhythms maintained rhythmicity throughout hypoxia, all slices from CIH exposed mice exhibited rhythms throughout the hypoxic interval. During hypoxia, differences in χ for amplitude were no longer observed between groups. To test the contribution of the persistent sodium current, we examined how riluzole influenced rhythmogenesis following CIH. In networks exposed to CIH, riluzole reduced the IrS of amplitude (-24 ± 14%) yet increased IrS of period (+49 ± 17%). Our data indicate that CIH affects the preBötC, in a manner dependent on the state of the oxygenation. Along with known changes that CIH has on peripheral sensory organs, the effects of CIH on the preBötC may have important implications for sleep apnea, a condition characterized by rapid transitions between normoxia and hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo J. Garcia
- Institute for Integrative Physiology, The University of ChicagoChicago, IL, United States
- Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of ChicagoChicago, IL, United States
| | - Tatiana Dashevskiy
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattle, WA, United States
| | - Maggie A. Khuu
- Institute for Integrative Physiology, The University of ChicagoChicago, IL, United States
- Department of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine, The University of ChicagoChicago, IL, United States
| | - Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research InstituteSeattle, WA, United States
- Departments of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics, University of WashingtonSeattle, WA, United States
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16
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Ebel DL, Torkilsen CG, Ostrowski TD. Blunted Respiratory Responses in the Streptozotocin-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Rat Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 56:1197-1211. [PMID: 28106557 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known for the progressive decline of cognition and memory. In addition to these disease-defining symptoms, impairment of respiratory function is frequently observed and often expressed by sleep-disordered breathing or reduced ability to adjust respiration when oxygen demand is elevated. The mechanisms for this are widely unknown. Postmortem analysis from the brainstem of AD patients reveals pathological alterations, including in nuclei responsible for respiratory control. In this study, we analyzed respiratory responses and morphological changes in brainstem nuclei following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of streptozotocin (STZ), a rat model commonly used to mimic sporadic AD. ICV-STZ induced significant astrogliosis in the commissural part of the nucleus tractus solitarii, an area highly involved in respiration control. The astrogliosis was identified by a significant increase in S100B-immunofluorescence that is similar to the astrogliosis found in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Using plethysmography, the control group displayed a typical age-dependent decrease of ventilation that was absent in the STZ rat group. This is indicative of elevated minute ventilation at rest after STZ treatment. Peripheral chemoreflex responses were significantly blunted in STZ rats as seen by a reduced respiratory rate and minute ventilation to hypoxia. Central chemoreflex responses to hypercapnia, on the other hand, only decreased in respiratory rate following STZ treatment. Overall, our results show that ICV-STZ induces respiratory dysfunction at rest and in response to hypoxia. This provides a new tool to study the underlying mechanisms of breathing disorders in clinical AD.
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17
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Microcircuits in respiratory rhythm generation: commonalities with other rhythm generating networks and evolutionary perspectives. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 41:53-61. [PMID: 27589601 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Rhythmicity is critical for the generation of rhythmic behaviors and higher brain functions. This review discusses common mechanisms of rhythm generation, including the role of synaptic inhibition and excitation, with a focus on the mammalian respiratory network. This network generates three phases of breathing and is highly integrated with brain regions associated with numerous non-ventilatory behaviors. We hypothesize that during evolution multiple rhythmogenic microcircuits were recruited to accommodate the generation of each breathing phase. While these microcircuits relied primarily on excitatory mechanisms, synaptic inhibition became increasingly important to coordinate the different microcircuits and to integrate breathing into a rich behavioral repertoire that links breathing to sensory processing, arousal, and emotions as well as learning and memory.
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Rajani V, Zhang Y, Revill A, Funk G. The role of P2Y1 receptor signaling in central respiratory control. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2016; 226:3-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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19
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Toporikova N, Thoby-Brisson M. Role of Na+ and Ca2+ currents in computational model of in-vitro sigh generation. BMC Neurosci 2015. [PMCID: PMC4699004 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-16-s1-p257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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20
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Sigh and Eupnea Rhythmogenesis Involve Distinct Interconnected Subpopulations: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study. eNeuro 2015; 2:eN-NWR-0074-14. [PMID: 26464980 PMCID: PMC4596094 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0074-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
How a single neural network can generate several rhythmic activities at different time scales remains an open question. Here, in addition to the already described reconfiguring process, we propose a new mechanism by which the respiratory network can generate simultaneously two distinct inspiration-related activities (eupnea and sigh) at different frequencies. Neural networks control complex motor outputs by generating several rhythmic neuronal activities, often with different time scales. One example of such a network is the pre-Bötzinger complex respiratory network (preBötC) that can simultaneously generate fast, small-amplitude, monophasic eupneic breaths together with slow, high-amplitude, biphasic augmented breaths (sighs). However, the underlying rhythmogenic mechanisms for this bimodal discharge pattern remain unclear, leaving two possible explanations: the existence of either reconfiguring processes within the same network or two distinct subnetworks. Based on recent in vitro data obtained in the mouse embryo, we have built a computational model consisting of two compartments, interconnected through appropriate synapses. One compartment generates sighs and the other produces eupneic bursts. The model reproduces basic features of simultaneous sigh and eupnea generation (two types of bursts differing in terms of shape, amplitude, and frequency of occurrence) and mimics the effect of blocking glycinergic synapses. Furthermore, we used this model to make predictions that were subsequently tested on the isolated preBötC in mouse brainstem slice preparations. Through a combination of in vitro and in silico approaches we find that (1) sigh events are less sensitive to network excitability than eupneic activity, (2) calcium-dependent mechanisms and the Ih current play a prominent role in sigh generation, and (3) specific parameters of Ih activation set the low sensitivity to excitability in the sigh neuronal subset. Altogether, our results strongly support the hypothesis that distinct subpopulations within the preBötC network are responsible for sigh and eupnea rhythmogenesis.
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21
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Koch H, Caughie C, Elsen FP, Doi A, Garcia AJ, Zanella S, Ramirez JM. Prostaglandin E2 differentially modulates the central control of eupnoea, sighs and gasping in mice. J Physiol 2014; 593:305-19. [PMID: 25556802 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.279794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) augments distinct inspiratory motor patterns, generated within the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), in a dose-dependent way. The frequency of sighs and gasping are stimulated at low concentrations, while the frequency of eupnoea increases only at high concentrations. We used in vivo microinjections into the preBötC and in vitro isolated brainstem slice preparations to investigate the dose-dependent effects of PGE2 on the preBötC activity. Synaptic measurements in whole cell voltage clamp recordings of inspiratory neurons revealed no changes in inhibitory or excitatory synaptic transmission in response to PGE2 exposure. In current clamp recordings obtained from inspiratory neurons of the preBötC, we found an increase in the frequency and amplitude of bursting activity in neurons with intrinsic bursting properties after exposure to PGE2. Riluzole, a blocker of the persistent sodium current, abolished the effect of PGE2 on sigh activity, while flufenamic acid, a blocker of the calcium-activated non-selective cation conductance, abolished the effect on eupnoeic activity caused by PGE2. Prostaglandins are important regulators of autonomic functions in the mammalian organism. Here we demonstrate in vivo that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can differentially increase the frequency of eupnoea (normal breathing) and sighs (augmented breaths) when injected into the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), a medullary area that is critical for breathing. Low concentrations of PGE2 (100-300 nm) increased the sigh frequency, while higher concentrations (1-2 μm) were required to increase the eupnoeic frequency. The concentration-dependent effects were similarly observed in the isolated preBötC. This in vitro preparation also revealed that riluzole, a blocker of the persistent sodium current (INap), abolished the modulatory effect on sighs, while flufenamic acid, an antagonist for the calcium-activated non-selective cation conductance (ICAN ) abolished the effect of PGE2 on fictive eupnoea at higher concentrations. At the cellular level PGE2 significantly increased the amplitude and frequency of intrinsic bursting in inspiratory neurons. By contrast PGE2 affected neither excitatory nor inhibitory synaptic transmission. We conclude that PGE2 differentially modulates sigh, gasping and eupnoeic activity by differentially increasing INap and ICAN currents in preBötC neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henner Koch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
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22
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Warren PM, Awad BI, Alilain WJ. Reprint of "Drawing breath without the command of effectors: the control of respiration following spinal cord injury". Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2014; 204:120-30. [PMID: 25266395 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2014.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of blood gas and pH homeostasis is essential to life. As such breathing, and the mechanisms which control ventilation, must be tightly regulated yet highly plastic and dynamic. However, injury to the spinal cord prevents the medullary areas which control respiration from connecting to respiratory effectors and feedback mechanisms below the level of the lesion. This trauma typically leads to severe and permanent functional deficits in the respiratory motor system. However, endogenous mechanisms of plasticity occur following spinal cord injury to facilitate respiration and help recover pulmonary ventilation. These mechanisms include the activation of spared or latent pathways, endogenous sprouting or synaptogenesis, and the possible formation of new respiratory control centres. Acting in combination, these processes provide a means to facilitate respiratory support following spinal cord trauma. However, they are by no means sufficient to return pulmonary function to pre-injury levels. A major challenge in the study of spinal cord injury is to understand and enhance the systems of endogenous plasticity which arise to facilitate respiration to mediate effective treatments for pulmonary dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa M Warren
- Department of Neurosciences, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
| | - Basem I Awad
- Department of Neurosciences, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Mansoura University School of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Warren J Alilain
- Department of Neurosciences, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
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23
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Tupal S, Rieger MA, Ling GY, Park TJ, Dougherty JD, Goodchild AK, Gray PA. Testing the role of preBötzinger Complex somatostatin neurons in respiratory and vocal behaviors. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3067-77. [PMID: 25040660 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Identifying neurons essential for the generation of breathing and related behaviors such as vocalisation is an important question for human health. The targeted loss of preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) glutamatergic neurons, including those that express high levels of somatostatin protein (SST neurons), eliminates normal breathing in adult rats. Whether preBötC SST neurons represent a functionally specialised population is unknown. We tested the effects on respiratory and vocal behaviors of eliminating SST neuron glutamate release by Cre-Lox-mediated genetic ablation of the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGlut2). We found the targeted loss of VGlut2 in SST neurons had no effect on viability in vivo, or on respiratory period or responses to neurokinin 1 or μ-opioid receptor agonists in vitro. We then compared medullary SST peptide expression in mice with that of two species that share extreme respiratory environments but produce either high or low frequency vocalisations. In the Mexican free-tailed bat, SST peptide-expressing neurons extended beyond the preBötC to the caudal pole of the VII motor nucleus. In the naked mole-rat, however, SST-positive neurons were absent from the ventrolateral medulla. We then analysed isolation vocalisations from SST-Cre;VGlut2(F/F) mice and found a significant prolongation of the pauses between syllables during vocalisation but no change in vocalisation number. These data suggest that glutamate release from preBötC SST neurons is not essential for breathing but play a species- and behavior-dependent role in modulating respiratory networks. They further suggest that the neural network generating respiration is capable of extensive plasticity given sufficient time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasan Tupal
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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24
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Cropper EC, Friedman AK, Jing J, Perkins MH, Weiss KR. Neuromodulation as a mechanism for the induction of repetition priming. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 29:33-8. [PMID: 25261622 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
It is becoming apparent that the activity of many neural networks is shaped by effects of endogenous neuromodulators. Modulators exert second messenger-mediated actions that persist. We consider how this may impact network function and its potential role in the induction of repetition priming (increased performance when behavior is repeated). When effects of modulators persist and modulatory substances are repeatedly released, their effects will accumulate (summate) and become more pronounced. If this enhances the ability of a network to generate a particular output, performance will improve. We review data that support this model, and consider its implications for task switching. This model predicts that priming of one type of network activity will negatively impact the rapid transition to an incompatible type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Cropper
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States.
| | - Allyson K Friedman
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Jian Jing
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Matthew H Perkins
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Klaudiusz R Weiss
- Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, United States
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25
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Koshiya N, Oku Y, Yokota S, Oyamada Y, Yasui Y, Okada Y. Anatomical and functional pathways of rhythmogenic inspiratory premotor information flow originating in the pre-Bötzinger complex in the rat medulla. Neuroscience 2014; 268:194-211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Revised: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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26
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Chapuis C, Autran S, Fortin G, Simmers J, Thoby-Brisson M. Emergence of sigh rhythmogenesis in the embryonic mouse. J Physiol 2014; 592:2169-81. [PMID: 24591570 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.268730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, eupnoeic breathing is periodically interrupted by spontaneous augmented breaths (sighs) that include a larger-amplitude inspiratory effort, typically followed by a post-sigh apnoea. Previous in vitro studies in newborn rodents have demonstrated that the respiratory oscillator of the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) can generate the distinct inspiratory motor patterns for both eupnoea- and sigh-related behaviour. During mouse embryonic development, the preBötC begins to generate eupnoeic rhythmicity at embryonic day (E) 15.5, but the network's ability to also generate sigh-like activity remains unexplored at prenatal stages. Using transverse brainstem slice preparations we monitored the neuronal population activity of the preBötC at different embryonic ages. Spontaneous sigh-like rhythmicity was found to emerge progressively, being expressed in 0/32 slices at E15.5, 7/30 at E16.5, 9/22 at E17.5 and 23/26 at E18.5. Calcium imaging showed that the preBötC cell population that participates in eupnoeic-like discharge was also active during fictive sighs. However, patch-clamp recordings revealed the existence of an additional small subset of neurons that fired exclusively during sigh activity. Changes in glycinergic inhibitory synaptic signalling, either by pharmacological blockade, functional perturbation or natural maturation of the chloride co-transporters KCC2 or NKCC1 selectively, and in an age-dependent manner, altered the bi-phasic nature of sigh bursts and their coordination with eupnoeic bursting, leading to the generation of an atypical monophasic sigh-related event. Together our results demonstrate that the developmental emergence of a sigh-generating capability occurs after the onset of eupnoeic rhythmogenesis and requires the proper maturation of chloride-mediated glycinergic synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Chapuis
- University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Sandra Autran
- Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard, Neurobiology and Development, CNRS UPR 3294, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Gilles Fortin
- Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard, Neurobiology and Development, CNRS UPR 3294, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - John Simmers
- University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Muriel Thoby-Brisson
- University of Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, CNRS UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France
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Ramirez JM. The integrative role of the sigh in psychology, physiology, pathology, and neurobiology. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 209:91-129. [PMID: 24746045 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63274-6.00006-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
"Sighs, tears, grief, distress" expresses Johann Sebastian Bach in a musical example for the relationship between sighs and deep emotions. This review explores the neurobiological basis of the sigh and its relationship with psychology, physiology, and pathology. Sighs monitor changes in brain states, induce arousal, and reset breathing variability. These behavioral roles homeostatically regulate breathing stability under physiological and pathological conditions. Sighs evoked in hypoxia evoke arousal and thereby become critical for survival. Hypoarousal and failure to sigh have been associated with sudden infant death syndrome. Increased breathing irregularity may provoke excessive sighing and hyperarousal, a behavioral sequence that may play a role in panic disorders. Essential for generating sighs and breathing is the pre-Bötzinger complex. Modulatory and synaptic interactions within this local network and between networks located in the brainstem, cerebellum, cortex, hypothalamus, amygdala, and the periaqueductal gray may govern the relationships between physiology, psychology, and pathology. Unraveling these circuits will lead to a better understanding of how we balance emotions and how emotions become pathological.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Ramirez JM, Doi A, Garcia AJ, Elsen FP, Koch H, Wei AD. The cellular building blocks of breathing. Compr Physiol 2013; 2:2683-731. [PMID: 23720262 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c110033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory brainstem neurons fulfill critical roles in controlling breathing: they generate the activity patterns for breathing and contribute to various sensory responses including changes in O2 and CO2. These complex sensorimotor tasks depend on the dynamic interplay between numerous cellular building blocks that consist of voltage-, calcium-, and ATP-dependent ionic conductances, various ionotropic and metabotropic synaptic mechanisms, as well as neuromodulators acting on G-protein coupled receptors and second messenger systems. As described in this review, the sensorimotor responses of the respiratory network emerge through the state-dependent integration of all these building blocks. There is no known respiratory function that involves only a small number of intrinsic, synaptic, or modulatory properties. Because of the complex integration of numerous intrinsic, synaptic, and modulatory mechanisms, the respiratory network is capable of continuously adapting to changes in the external and internal environment, which makes breathing one of the most integrated behaviors. Not surprisingly, inspiration is critical not only in the control of ventilation, but also in the context of "inspiring behaviors" such as arousal of the mind and even creativity. Far-reaching implications apply also to the underlying network mechanisms, as lessons learned from the respiratory network apply to network functions in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institut, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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29
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Viemari JC, Garcia AJ, Doi A, Elsen G, Ramirez JM. β-Noradrenergic receptor activation specifically modulates the generation of sighs in vivo and in vitro. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:179. [PMID: 24273495 PMCID: PMC3824105 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC), an area that is critical for generating breathing (eupnea), gasps and sighs is continuously modulated by catecholamines. These amines and the generation of sighs have also been implicated in the regulation of arousal. Here we studied the catecholaminergic modulation of sighs not only in anesthetized freely breathing mice (in vivo), but also in medullary slice preparations that contain the preBötC and that generate fictive eupneic and sigh rhythms in vitro. We demonstrate that activating β-noradrenergic receptors (β-NR) specifically increases the frequency of sighs, while eupnea remains unaffected both in vitro and in vivo. β-NR activation specifically increased the frequency of intrinsically bursting pacemaker neurons that rely on persistent sodium current (I(Nap)). By contrast, all parameters of bursting pacemakers that rely on the non-specific cation current (I(CAN)) remained unaffected. Moreover, riluzole, which blocks bursting in I(Nap) pacemakers abolished sighs altogether, while flufenamic acid (FFA) which blocks the I(CAN) current did not alter the sigh-increasing effect caused by β-NR. Our results suggest that the selective β-NR action of sighs may result from the modulation of I(Nap) pacemaker activity and that disturbances in noradrenergic system may contribute to abnormal arousal response. The β-NR action on the preBötC may be an important mechanism in modulating behaviors that are specifically associated with sighs, such as the regulation of the early events leading to the arousal response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Charles Viemari
- Team P3M, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS, Aix Marseille Univesité , Marseille, France
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Ramirez JM, Garcia AJ, Anderson TM, Koschnitzky JE, Peng YJ, Kumar GK, Prabhakar NR. Central and peripheral factors contributing to obstructive sleep apneas. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2013; 189:344-53. [PMID: 23770311 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2013.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Apnea, the cessation of breathing, is a common physiological and pathophysiological phenomenon. Among the different forms of apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is clinically the most prominent manifestation. OSA is characterized by repetitive airway occlusions that are typically associated with peripheral airway obstructions. However, it would be an oversimplification to conclude that OSA is caused by peripheral obstructions. OSA is the result of a dynamic interplay between chemo- and mechanosensory reflexes, neuromodulation, behavioral state and the differential activation of the central respiratory network and its motor outputs. This interplay has numerous neuronal and cardiovascular consequences that are initially adaptive but in the long-term become major contributors to morbidity and mortality. Not only OSA, but also central apneas (CA) have multiple, and partly overlapping mechanisms. In OSA and CA the underlying mechanisms are neither "exclusively peripheral" nor "exclusively central" in origin. This review discusses the complex interplay of peripheral and central nervous components that characterizes the cessation of breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Department of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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31
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The physiological determinants of sudden infant death syndrome. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2013; 189:288-300. [PMID: 23735486 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2013.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
It is well-established that environmental and biological risk factors contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). There is also growing consensus that SIDS requires the intersection of multiple risk factors that result in the failure of an infant to overcome cardio-respiratory challenges. Thus, the critical next steps in understanding SIDS are to unravel the physiological determinants that actually cause the sudden death, to synthesize how these determinants are affected by the known risk factors, and to develop novel ideas for SIDS prevention. In this review, we will examine current and emerging perspectives related to cardio-respiratory dysfunctions in SIDS. Specifically, we will review: (1) the role of the preBötzinger complex (preBötC) as a multi-functional network that is critically involved in the failure to adequately respond to hypoxic and hypercapnic challenges; (2) the potential involvement of the preBötC in the gender and age distributions that are characteristic for SIDS; (3) the link between SIDS and prematurity; and (4) the potential relationship between SIDS, auditory function, and central chemosensitivity. Each section underscores the importance of marrying the epidemiological and pathological data to experimental data in order to understand the physiological determinants of this syndrome. We hope that a better understanding will lead to novel ways to reduce the risk to succumb to SIDS.
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Stable respiratory activity requires both P/Q-type and N-type voltage-gated calcium channels. J Neurosci 2013; 33:3633-45. [PMID: 23426690 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.6390-11.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels (Ca(v)2.1) play critical presynaptic and postsynaptic roles throughout the nervous system and have been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Here we report that mice with a genetic ablation of the Ca(v)2.1 pore-forming α(1A) subunit (α(1A)⁻/⁻) encoded by CACNA1a (Jun et al., 1999) suffer during postnatal development from increasing breathing disturbances that lead ultimately to death. Breathing abnormalities include decreased minute ventilation and a specific loss of sighs, which was associated with lung atelectasis. Similar respiratory alterations were preserved in the isolated in vitro brainstem slice preparation containing the pre-Bötzinger complex. The loss of Ca(v)2.1 was associated with an alteration in the functional dependency on N-type calcium channels (Ca(v)2.2). Blocking N-type calcium channels with conotoxin GVIA had only minor effects on respiratory activity in slices from control (CT) littermates, but abolished respiratory activity in all slices from α(1A)⁻/⁻ mice. The amplitude of evoked EPSPs was smaller in inspiratory neurons from α(1A)⁻/⁻ mice compared with CTs. Conotoxin GVIA abolished all EPSPs in inspiratory neurons from α(1A)⁻/⁻ mice, while the EPSP amplitude was reduced by only 30% in CT mice. Moreover, neuromodulation was significantly altered as muscarine abolished respiratory network activity in α(1A)⁻/⁻ mice but not in CT mice. We conclude that excitatory synaptic transmission dependent on N-type and P/Q-type calcium channels is required for stable breathing and sighing. In the absence of P/Q-type calcium channels, breathing, sighing, and neuromodulation are severely compromised, leading to early mortality.
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Jasinski PE, Molkov YI, Shevtsova NA, Smith JC, Rybak IA. Sodium and calcium mechanisms of rhythmic bursting in excitatory neural networks of the pre-Bötzinger complex: a computational modelling study. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 37:212-30. [PMID: 23121313 PMCID: PMC3659238 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The neural mechanisms generating rhythmic bursting activity in the mammalian brainstem, particularly in the pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC), which is involved in respiratory rhythm generation, and in the spinal cord (e.g. locomotor rhythmic activity) that persist after blockade of synaptic inhibition remain poorly understood. Experimental studies in rodent medullary slices containing the pre-BötC identified two mechanisms that could potentially contribute to the generation of rhythmic bursting: one based on the persistent Na(+) current (I(NaP)), and the other involving the voltage-gated Ca(2+) current (I(Ca)) and the Ca(2+) -activated nonspecific cation current (I(CAN)), activated by intracellular Ca(2+) accumulated from extracellular and intracellular sources. However, the involvement and relative roles of these mechanisms in rhythmic bursting are still under debate. In this theoretical/modelling study, we investigated Na(+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-dependent bursting generated in single cells and heterogeneous populations of synaptically interconnected excitatory neurons with I(NaP) and I(Ca) randomly distributed within populations. We analysed the possible roles of network connections, ionotropic and metabotropic synaptic mechanisms, intracellular Ca(2+) release, and the Na(+)/K(+) pump in rhythmic bursting generated under different conditions. We show that a heterogeneous population of excitatory neurons can operate in different oscillatory regimes with bursting dependent on I(NaP) and/or I(CAN), or independent of both. We demonstrate that the operating bursting mechanism may depend on neuronal excitation, synaptic interactions within the network, and the relative expression of particular ionic currents. The existence of multiple oscillatory regimes and their state dependence demonstrated in our models may explain different rhythmic activities observed in the pre-BötC and other brainstem/spinal cord circuits under different experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E. Jasinski
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yaroslav I. Molkov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University – Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Natalia A. Shevtsova
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ilya A. Rybak
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Ramírez-Jarquín JO, Lara-Hernández S, López-Guerrero JJ, Aguileta MA, Rivera-Angulo AJ, Sampieri A, Vaca L, Ordaz B, Peña-Ortega F. Somatostatin modulates generation of inspiratory rhythms and determines asphyxia survival. Peptides 2012; 34:360-72. [PMID: 22386651 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Revised: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Breathing and the activity of its generator (the pre-Bötzinger complex; pre-BötC) are highly regulated functions. Among neuromodulators of breathing, somatostatin (SST) is unique: it is synthesized by a subset of glutamatergic pre-BötC neurons, but acts as an inhibitory neuromodulator. Moreover, SST regulates breathing both in normoxic and in hypoxic conditions. Although it has been implicated in the neuromodulation of breathing, neither the locus of SST modulation, nor the receptor subtypes involved have been identified. In this study, we aimed to fill in these blanks by characterizing the SST-induced regulation of inspiratory rhythm generation in vitro and in vivo. We found that both endogenous and exogenous SST depress all preBötC-generated rhythms. While SST abolishes sighs, it also decreases the frequency and increases the regularity of eupnea and gasping. Pharmacological experiments showed that SST modulates inspiratory rhythm generation by activating SST receptor type-2, whose mRNA is abundantly expressed in the pre-Bötzinger complex. In vivo, blockade of SST receptor type-2 reduces gasping amplitude and consequently, it precludes auto-resuscitation after asphyxia. Based on our findings, we suggest that SST functions as an inhibitory neuromodulator released by excitatory respiratory neurons when they become overactivated in order to stabilize breathing rhythmicity in normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué O Ramírez-Jarquín
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM-Campus Juriquilla, Mexico.
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35
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Bell HJ, Azubike E, Haouzi P. The "other" respiratory effect of opioids: suppression of spontaneous augmented ("sigh") breaths. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2011; 111:1296-303. [PMID: 21868678 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00335.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a clinically relevant opioid on the production of augmented breaths (ABs) in unanesthetized animals breathing normal room air, using a dosage which does not depress breathing. To do this we monitored breathing noninvasively, in unrestrained animals before and after subcutaneous injection of either morphine, or a saline control. The effect of ketamine/xylazine was also studied to determine the potential effect of an alternative sedative agent. Last, the effect of naloxone was studied to determine the potential influence of endogenous opioids in regulating the normal incidence of ABs. Morphine (5 mg/kg) had no depressive effect on breathing, but completely eliminated ABs in all animals in room air (P = 0.027). However, when animals breathed hypoxic air (10% O(2)), animals did express ABs, although their incidence was still reduced by morphine (P < 0.001). This was not a result of sedation per se, as ABs continued at their normal rate in room air during sedation with ketamine. Naloxone had no effect on breathing or AB production, and so endogenous opioids are not likely involved in regulating their rate of production under normal conditions. Our results show that in unanesthetized animals breathing normal room air, a clinically relevant opioid eliminates ABs, even at a dose that does not cause respiratory depression. Despite this, hypoxia-induced stimulation of breathing can facilitate the production of ABs even with the systemic opioid present, indicating that peripheral chemoreceptor stimulation provides a potential means of overcoming the opioid-induced suppression of these respiratory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold J Bell
- Div. of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA.
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36
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Koch H, Garcia AJ, Ramirez JM. Network reconfiguration and neuronal plasticity in rhythm-generating networks. Integr Comp Biol 2011; 51:856-68. [PMID: 21856733 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icr099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal networks are highly plastic and reconfigure in a state-dependent manner. The plasticity at the network level emerges through multiple intrinsic and synaptic membrane properties that imbue neurons and their interactions with numerous nonlinear properties. These properties are continuously regulated by neuromodulators and homeostatic mechanisms that are critical to maintain not only network stability and also adapt networks in a short- and long-term manner to changes in behavioral, developmental, metabolic, and environmental conditions. This review provides concrete examples from neuronal networks in invertebrates and vertebrates, and illustrates that the concepts and rules that govern neuronal networks and behaviors are universal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henner Koch
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Street, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
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37
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Harris-Warrick RM. Neuromodulation and flexibility in Central Pattern Generator networks. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 21:685-92. [PMID: 21646013 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Central Pattern Generator (CPG) networks, which organize rhythmic movements, have long served as models for neural network organization. Modulatory inputs are essential components of CPG function: neuromodulators set the parameters of CPG neurons and synapses to render the networks functional. Each modulator acts on the network by many effects which may oppose one another; this may serve to stabilize the modulated state. Neuromodulators also determine the active neuronal composition in the CPG, which varies with state changes such as locomotor speed. The pattern of gene expression which determines the electrophysiological personality of each CPG neuron is also under modulatory control. It is not possible to model the function of neural networks without including the actions of neuromodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Harris-Warrick
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Viemari JC, Garcia AJ, Doi A, Ramirez JM. Activation of alpha-2 noradrenergic receptors is critical for the generation of fictive eupnea and fictive gasping inspiratory activities in mammals in vitro. Eur J Neurosci 2011; 33:2228-37. [PMID: 21615559 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07706.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biogenic amines are not just 'modulators', they are often essential for the execution of behaviors. Here, we explored the role of biogenic amines acting on the pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC), an area located in the ventrolateral medulla which is critical for the generation of different forms of breathing. Isolated in transverse slices from mice, this region continues to spontaneously generate rhythmic activities that resemble normal (eupneic) inspiratory activity in normoxia and gasping in hypoxia. We refer to these as 'fictive eupneic' and 'fictive gasping' activity. When exposed to hypoxia, the pre-BötC transitions from a network state relying on calcium-activated nonspecific cation currents (I(CAN)) and persistent sodium currents (I(Nap)) to one that primarily depends on the I(Nap) current. Here we show that in inspiratory neurons I(Nap)-dependent bursting, blocked by riluzole, but not I(CAN) -dependent bursting, required endogenously released norepinephrine acting on alpha2-noradrenergic receptors (α2-NR). At the network level, fictive eupneic activity persisted while fictive gasping ceased following the blockade of α2-NR. Blockade of α2-NR eliminated fictive gasping even in slice preparations as well as in inspiratory island preparations. Blockade of fictive gasping by α2-NR antagonists was prevented by activation of 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2A receptors (5-HT2A). Our data suggest that gasping depends on the converging aminergic activation of 5-HT2AR and α2-NR acting on riluzole-sensitive mechanisms that have been shown to be crucial for gasping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Charles Viemari
- Laboratoire Plasticité et Physio-Pathologie de la motricité, CNRS UMR 6196, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
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The role of spiking and bursting pacemakers in the neuronal control of breathing. J Biol Phys 2011; 37:241-61. [PMID: 22654176 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-011-9214-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 01/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breathing is controlled by a distributed network involving areas in the neocortex, cerebellum, pons, medulla, spinal cord, and various other subcortical regions. However, only one area seems to be essential and sufficient for generating the respiratory rhythm: the preBötzinger complex (preBötC). Lesioning this area abolishes breathing and following isolation in a brain slice the preBötC continues to generate different forms of respiratory activities. The use of slice preparations led to a thorough understanding of the cellular mechanisms that underlie the generation of inspiratory activity within this network. Two types of inward currents, the persistent sodium current (I(NaP)) and the calcium-activated non-specific cation current (I(CAN)), play important roles in respiratory rhythm generation. These currents give rise to autonomous pacemaker activity within respiratory neurons, leading to the generation of intrinsic spiking and bursting activity. These membrane properties amplify as well as activate synaptic mechanisms that are critical for the initiation and maintenance of inspiratory activity. In this review, we describe the dynamic interplay between synaptic and intrinsic membrane properties in the generation of the respiratory rhythm and we relate these mechanisms to rhythm generating networks involved in other behaviors.
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40
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Garcia AJ, Zanella S, Koch H, Doi A, Ramirez JM. Chapter 3--networks within networks: the neuronal control of breathing. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2011; 188:31-50. [PMID: 21333801 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-53825-3.00008-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Breathing emerges through complex network interactions involving neurons distributed throughout the nervous system. The respiratory rhythm generating network is composed of micro networks functioning within larger networks to generate distinct rhythms and patterns that characterize breathing. The pre-Bötzinger complex, a rhythm generating network located within the ventrolateral medulla assumes a core function without which respiratory rhythm generation and breathing cease altogether. It contains subnetworks with distinct synaptic and intrinsic membrane properties that give rise to different types of respiratory rhythmic activities including eupneic, sigh, and gasping activities. While critical aspects of these rhythmic activities are preserved when isolated in in vitro preparations, the pre-Bötzinger complex functions in the behaving animal as part of a larger network that receives important inputs from areas such as the pons and parafacial nucleus. The respiratory network is also an integrator of modulatory and sensory inputs that imbue the network with the important ability to adapt to changes in the behavioral, metabolic, and developmental conditions of the organism. This review summarizes our current understanding of these interactions and relates the emerging concepts to insights gained in other rhythm generating networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo J Garcia
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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The hypoxia-induced facilitation of augmented breaths is suppressed by the common effect of carbonic anhydrase inhibition. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2010; 171:201-11. [PMID: 20382275 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2010.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Revised: 04/01/2010] [Accepted: 04/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The typical respiratory response to hypoxia includes a dramatic facilitation of augmented breaths (ABs) or 'sighs' in the breathing rhythm. We recently found that when acetazolamide treatment is used to promote CO(2) retention and counteract alkalosis during exposure to hypoxia, then the hypoxia-induced facilitation of ABs is effectively prevented. These results indicate that hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia/alkalosis is an essential factor involved in the hypoxia-induced facilitation of augmented breaths. However, acetazolamide is also known to decrease the sensitivity of the arterial chemoreceptors. Therefore, the question remains as to whether acetazolamide prevents the facilitation of ABs during hypoxia by offsetting the effects of respiratory alkalosis, or alternatively by suppressing carotid body afferent activity. In the present study, we addressed this question by studying the effects of treatment with an alternative carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, methazolamide, which has been reported to leave carotid body responsiveness to hypoxia intact. Respiratory variables were monitored before, during and after 2 days of methazolamide treatment (10 mg kg(-1) IP, bid) in unsedated and unrestrained adult male rats. Pre-treatment, the number of ABs observed in a 5 min observation window was 1.2 + or - 0.8 and 17.4 + or - 3.8 in room air and hypoxia, respectively. During methazolamide treatment, the facilitation of ABs in hypoxia was rapidly and reversibly suppressed such that ABs we no longer significantly more frequent than they were in room air. The present results demonstrate that the hypoxia-induced facilitation of ABs can be suppressed via the general effects of carbonic anhydrase inhibition, which are common to both acetazolamide and methazolamide. We discuss these results as they pertain to the mechanisms regulating augmented breath production, and the possible association between hypocapnia/alkalosis and sleep disordered breathing.
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42
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Voituron N, Zanella S, Menuet C, Lajard AM, Dutschmann M, Hilaire G. Early abnormalities of post-sigh breathing in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2009; 170:173-82. [PMID: 20040383 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2009.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2009] [Revised: 12/18/2009] [Accepted: 12/21/2009] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disease accompanied by complex, disabling symptoms, including breathing symptoms. Because Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the transcriptional repressor methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), Mecp2-deficient mice have been generated as experimental model. Males of Mecp2-deficient mice (Mecp2(-/y)) breathe normally at birth but show abnormal respiratory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia from postnatal day 25 (P25). After P30, Mecp2(-/y) mice develop breathing symptoms reminiscent of Rett syndrome, aggravating until premature death at around P60. Using plethysmography, we analyzed the sighs and the post-sigh breathing pattern of unrestrained wild type male mice (WT) and Mecp2(-/y) mice from P15 to P60. Sighs are spontaneous large inspirations known to prevent lung atelectasis and to improve alveolar oxygenation. However, Mecp2(-/y) mice show early abnormalities of post-sigh breathing, with long-lasting post-sigh apnoeas, reduced tidal volume when eupnoea resumes and lack of post-sigh bradypnoea which develop from P15, aggravate with age and possibly contribute to breathing symptoms to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Voituron
- Maturation, Plasticity, Physiology and Pathology of Respiration (mp3-resp team), Unité Mixte de Recherche 6231 CNRS, Faculté Saint-Jérôme, Service 362, 13397 Marseilles Cedex 20, France
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43
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Pace RW, Del Negro CA. AMPA and metabotropic glutamate receptors cooperatively generate inspiratory-like depolarization in mouse respiratory neurons in vitro. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 28:2434-42. [PMID: 19032588 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06540.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Excitatory transmission mediated by AMPA receptors is critical for respiratory rhythm generation. However, the role of AMPA receptors has not been fully explored. Here we tested the functional role of AMPA receptors in inspiratory neurons of the neonatal mouse preBötzinger complex (preBötC) using an in vitro slice model that retains active respiratory function. Immediately before and during inspiration, preBötC neurons displayed envelopes of depolarization, dubbed inspiratory drive potentials, that required AMPA receptors but largely depended on the Ca(2+)-activated non-specific cation current (I(CAN)). We showed that AMPA receptor-mediated depolarization opened voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels to directly evoke I(CAN). Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-mediated intracellular Ca(2+) release also evoked I(CAN). Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors acted downstream of group I metabotropic glutamate receptor activity but, here too, AMPA receptor-mediated Ca(2+) influx was essential to trigger the metabotropic glutamate receptor contribution to inspiratory drive potential generation. This study helps to elucidate the role of excitatory transmission in respiratory rhythm generation in vitro. AMPA receptors in preBötC neurons initiate convergent signaling pathways that evoke post-synaptic I(CAN), which underlies inspiratory drive potentials. The coupling of AMPA receptors with I(CAN) suggests that latent burst-generating intrinsic conductances are recruited by excitatory synaptic interactions among preBötC neurons in the context of respiratory network activity in vitro, exemplifying a rhythmogenic mechanism based on emergent properties of the network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryland W Pace
- Department of Applied Science, McGlothlin Street Hall, Room 318, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA
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Zornik E, Yamaguchi A. Sexually differentiated central pattern generators in Xenopus laevis. Trends Neurosci 2008; 31:296-302. [PMID: 18471902 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2008.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2007] [Revised: 03/10/2008] [Accepted: 03/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie the function of central pattern generators (CPGs) presents a formidable challenge requiring sophisticated tools and well-chosen model systems. In this article, we describe recent work on vocalizations of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. These behaviors are driven by sexually differentiated CPGs and are exceptionally well suited to this objective. In particular, a simplified mechanism of vocal production (independent of respiratory musculature) allows straightforward interpretations of nerve activity with respect to behavior. Furthermore, the development of a fictively vocalizing isolated brain, together with the finding of rapid androgen-induced masculinization of female vocalizations, provides an invaluable tool for determining how new behaviors arise from existing circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Zornik
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Tryba AK, Peña F, Lieske SP, Viemari JC, Thoby-Brisson M, Ramirez JM. Differential modulation of neural network and pacemaker activity underlying eupnea and sigh-breathing activities. J Neurophysiol 2008; 99:2114-25. [PMID: 18287547 PMCID: PMC3860370 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01192.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many networks generate distinct rhythms with multiple frequency and amplitude characteristics. The respiratory network in the pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-Böt) generates both the low-frequency, large-amplitude sigh rhythm and a faster, smaller-amplitude eupneic rhythm. Could the same set of pacemakers generate both rhythms? Here we used an in vitro respiratory brainslice preparation. We describe a subset of synaptically isolated pacemakers that spontaneously generate two distinct bursting patterns. These two patterns resemble network activity including sigh-like bursts that occur at low frequencies and have large amplitudes and eupneic-like bursts with higher frequency and smaller amplitudes. Cholinergic neuromodulation altered the network and pacemaker bursting: fictive sigh frequency is increased dramatically, whereas fictive eupneic frequency is drastically lowered. The data suggest that timing and amplitude characteristics of fictive eupneic and sigh rhythms are set by the same set of pacemakers that are tuned by changes in the neuromodulatory state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew K Tryba
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Physiology, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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Zavala-Tecuapetla C, Aguileta MA, Lopez-Guerrero JJ, González-Marín MC, Peña F. Calcium-activated potassium currents differentially modulate respiratory rhythm generation. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 27:2871-84. [PMID: 18445052 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06214.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The pre-Bötzinger complex (PBC) generates eupnea and sighs in normoxia and gasping during hypoxia through particular mixtures of intrinsic and synaptic properties. Among intrinsic properties, little is known about the role of Ca(2+)-activated potassium channels in respiratory rhythms generation. To examine this role, we tested the effects of openers and blockers of the large-conductance (BK) and small-conductance (SK) Ca(2+)-activated potassium channels on the respiratory rhythms recorded both in vitro and in vivo, as well as on the discharge pattern of respiratory neurons in the PBC. Activation of SK channels with 1-ethyl-2-benzimidazolinone (1-EBIO) abolished sigh-like activity and inhibited eupneic-like activity, whereas blockade of SK channels with apamine (APA) increased frequency in both rhythms. In hypoxia, APA did not affect the transition to gasping-like activity. At the cellular level, activation of SK channels abolished pacemaker activity and decreased non-pacemaker neurons discharge; opposite effects were observed with SK blockade. In contrast to SK channel modulation, either activation or blockade of BK channels with NS 1619 or iberiotoxin and paxilline, respectively, produced mild effects on eupneic-like and sigh-like bursts during normoxia in vitro. However, BK blockers prevented the changes associated with the transition to gasping-like activity in vitro and perturbed gasping generation and autoresuscitation in vivo. At the cellular level BK channel modulation did not affect respiratory neurons discharge. We conclude that K(Ca) participate in rhythm generation in a state-dependent manner; SK channels are preferentially involved in rhythm generation in normoxia whereas BK channels participate in the transition to gasping generation in hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Zavala-Tecuapetla
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., México, DF, México
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Abstract
The discovery of the rhythmogenic pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) inspiratory network, which remains active in a transverse brainstem slice, greatly increased the understanding of neural respiratory control. However, basic questions remain unanswered such as (1) What are the necessary and sufficient slice boundaries for a functional preBötC? (2) Is the minimal preBötC capable of reconfiguring between inspiratory-related patterns (e.g., fictive eupnea and sighs)? (3) How is preBötC activity affected by surrounding structures? Using newborn rat slices with systematically varied dimensions in physiological [K(+)] (3 mM), we found that a 175 microm thickness is sufficient for generating inspiratory-related rhythms. In 700-microm-thick slices with unilaterally exposed preBötC, a kernel <100 microm thick, centered 0.5 mm caudal to the facial nucleus, is necessary for rhythm generation. Slices containing this kernel plus caudal structures produced eupneic bursts of regular amplitude, whereas this kernel plus rostral tissue generated sighs, intermingled with eupneic bursts of variable amplitude ("eupnea-sigh pattern"). After spontaneous arrest of rhythm, substance-P or neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor agonist induced the eupnea-sigh burst pattern in > or = 250-microm-thick slices, whereas thyrotropin-releasing hormone or phosphodiesterase-4 blockers evoked the eupnea burst pattern. Endogenous rhythm was depressed by NK1 receptor antagonism. Multineuronal Ca(2+) imaging revealed that preBötC neurons reconfigure between eupnea and eupnea-sigh burst patterns. We hypothesize a (gradient-like) spatiochemical organization of regions adjacent to the preBötC, such that a small preBötC inspiratory-related oscillator generates eupnea under the dominant influence of caudal structures or thyrotropin-releasing hormone-like transmitters but eupnea-sigh activity when the influence of rostral structures or substance-P-like transmitters predominates.
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Zimmer MB, Nantwi K, Goshgarian HG. Effect of spinal cord injury on the respiratory system: basic research and current clinical treatment options. J Spinal Cord Med 2007; 203:98-108. [PMID: 17853653 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to an impairment of the respiratory system. The more rostral the level of injury, the more likely the injury will affect ventilation. In fact, respiratory insufficiency is the number one cause of mortality and morbidity after SCI. This review highlights the progress that has been made in basic and clinical research, while noting the gaps in our knowledge. Basic research has focused on a hemisection injury model to examine methods aimed at improving respiratory function after SCI, but contusion injury models have also been used. Increasing synaptic plasticity, strengthening spared axonal pathways, and the disinhibition of phrenic motor neurons all result in the activation of a latent respiratory motor pathway that restores function to a previously paralyzed hemidiaphragm in animal models. Human clinical studies have revealed that respiratory function is negatively impacted by SCI. Respiratory muscle training regimens may improve inspiratory function after SCI, but more thorough and carefully designed studies are needed to adequately address this issue. Phrenic nerve and diaphragm pacing are options available to wean patients from standard mechanical ventilation. The techniques aimed at improving respiratory function in humans with SCI have both pros and cons, but having more options available to the clinician allows for more individualized treatment, resulting in better patient care. Despite significant progress in both basic and clinical research, there is still a significant gap in our understanding of the effect of SCI on the respiratory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Beth Zimmer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
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Abstract
All mammals and birds must develop effective strategies to cope with reduced oxygen availability. These animals achieve tolerance to acute and chronic hypoxia by (a) reductions in metabolism, (b) the prevention of cellular injury, and (c) the maintenance of functional integrity. Failure to meet any one of these tasks is detrimental. Birds and mammals accomplish this triple task through a highly coordinated, systems-level reconfiguration involving the partial shutdown of some but not all organs. This reconfiguration is achieved through a similarly complex reconfiguration at the cellular and molecular levels. Reconfiguration at these various levels depends on numerous factors that include the environment, the degree of hypoxic stress, and developmental, behavioral, and ecological conditions. Although common molecular strategies exist, the cellular and molecular changes in any given cell are very diverse. Some cells remain metabolically active, whereas others shut down or rely on anaerobic metabolism. This cellular shutdown is temporarily regulated, and during hypoxic exposure, active cellular networks must continue to control vital functions. The challenge for future research is to explore the cellular mechanisms and conditions that transform an organ or a cellular network into a hypometabolic state, without loss of functional integrity. Much can be learned in this respect from nature: Diving, burrowing, and hibernating animals living in diverse environments are masters of adaptation and can teach us how to deal with hypoxia, an issue of great clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Marino Ramirez
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Lieske SP, Ramirez JM. Pattern-specific synaptic mechanisms in a multifunctional network. II. Intrinsic modulation by metabotropic glutamate receptors. J Neurophysiol 2006; 95:1334-44. [PMID: 16492945 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00506.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The in vitro respiratory network contained in the transverse brain stem slice of mice simultaneously generates fast (approximately 15 min(-1)) and slow ( approximately 0.5 min(-1)) rhythmic activities corresponding to fictive eupnea ("normal" breathing) and fictive sighs. We show that these two activity patterns are differentially controlled through the modulatory actions of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Sighs were selectively inhibited by agonists of the group III mGluRs according to a pharmacological profile most consistent with activation of mGluR8. Sighs were also blocked by the supposedly inactive L-isomer of the widely used N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (L-AP5, 5 microM), an effect that was abolished in the presence of group III mGluR antagonists. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were recorded in pre-Bötzinger Complex neurons after stimulation of the contralateral ventral respiratory group (VRG); evoked EPSP amplitude was variably reduced after bath application of the group III agonist L-serine-O-phosphate (L-SOP), with an average reduction of 15%. Therefore although group III mGluRs do play a role in regulating synapse strength, this seems to be only a minor factor in the regulation of synapses made by midline-crossing axons. Intrinsic modulation of the respiratory central pattern generator by mGluRs appears to be an essential component of the multifunctionality that characterizes this network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Lieske
- Committee on Neurobiology, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637-1508, USA
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