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

Carotid body interoception in health and disease

Interoception entails perceiving or being aware of the internal state of the body, playing a pivotal role in regulating processes such as heartbeat, digestion, glucose metabolism, and respiration. The carotid body (CB) serves as an interoceptive organ, transmitting information to the brain via its sensitive nerve, the carotid sinus nerve, to maintain homeostasis. While traditionally known for sensing oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels, the CB is now recognized to possess additional interoceptive properties, detecting various mediators involved in blood pressure regulation, inflammation, and glucose homeostasis, among other physiological functions. Furthermore, in the last decades CB dysfunction has been linked to diseases like sleep apnea, essential hypertension, and diabetes. In this review manuscript, we make a concise overview of the traditional interoceptive functions of the CB, acting as a sensor for oxygen levels, carbon dioxide levels, and pH, and introduce the novel interoceptive properties of the CB related to vascular, glucose and energy regulation. Additionally, we revise the contribution of the CB to the onset and progression of metabolic diseases, delving into the potential dysfunction of its interoceptive metabolic functions as a contributing factor to pathophysiology. Finally, we postulate the use of therapeutic interventions targeting the metabolic interoceptive properties of the CB as a potential avenue for addressing metabolic diseases.

Sex differences in the purinergic 2 receptor-mediated blood pressure response to treadmill exercise in rats with simulated peripheral artery disease

We investigated the role played by ATP-sensitive purinergic 2 (P2) receptors in evoking the pressor response to treadmill exercise in male and female rats with and without femoral arteries that were ligated for ∼72 h to induce simulated peripheral artery disease (PAD). We hypothesized that PPADS (P2 receptor antagonist, 10 mg iv) would reduce the pressor response to 4 min of treadmill exercise (15 m·min-1, 1° incline) and steady-state exercise plasma norepinephrine (NE) values in male and female rats, and that the magnitude of effect of PPADS would be greater in rats with simulated PAD ("ligated") than in sham-operated rats. In males, PPADS significantly reduced the difference between steady-state exercise and baseline mean arterial pressure (ΔMAP) response to treadmill exercise in sham (n = 8; pre-PPADS: 12 ± 2, post-PPADS: 1 ± 5 mmHg; P = 0.037) and ligated (n = 4; pre-PPADS: 20 ± 2, post-PPADS: 11 ± 3 mmHg; P = 0.028) rats with a similar magnitude of effect observed between groups (P = 0.720). In females, PPADS had no effect on the ΔMAP response to treadmill exercise in sham (n = 6; pre-PPADS: 9 ± 2, post-PPADS: 7 ± 2 mmHg; P = 0.448) or ligated (n = 6; pre-PPADS: 15 ± 2, post-PPADS: 16 ± 3 mmHg; P = 0.684) rats. When NE values were grouped by sex independent of ligation/sham status, PPADS significantly reduced plasma NE in male (P = 0.016) and female (P = 0.027) rats. The data indicate that P2 receptors contribute to the sympathetic response to exercise in both male and female rats but that the sympathoexcitatory role for P2 receptors translates into an obligatory role in the blood pressure response to exercise in male but not in female rats.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we demonstrate that purinergic 2 (P2) receptors contribute significantly to the blood pressure response to treadmill exercise in male rats both with and without simulated PAD induced by femoral artery ligation. We found no role for P2 receptors in the blood pressure response to treadmill exercise in female rats, thus revealing clear sex differences in P2 receptor-mediated blood pressure control during exercise.

Immunohistochemical distribution of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II subunits in the rat carotid body

Carotid body (CB) activity stimulated by a lower partial oxygen pressure in rats is enhanced by exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia. However, the mechanisms that modulate CB activity remain unclear. In the present study, the expression and distribution of one of the candidate molecules to modulate reactivity, Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) were examined in the rat CB using reverse transcriptional polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence with isoform-specific antibodies. CaMKIIγ and CaMKIIδ were distributed in CB chemoreceptor cells, and exhibited intense immunoreactivity in dopamine β-hydroxylase-positive chemoreceptor cells. CaMKIIβ and CaMKIIγ were distributed in sensory nerve endings attached to chemoreceptor cells of the CB. In the petrosal ganglion, immunoreactivities for CaMKIIα, CaMKIIβ, CaMKIIγ, and CaMKIIδ were detected in the perinuclear region of ganglion cells. The present results indicate that CaMKIIγ and CaMKIIδ in chemoreceptor cells and CaMKIIβ and CaMKIIγ in sensory nerve endings enhanced reciprocal synaptic transmission, i.e., noradrenaline and ATP for cells to neurons and glutamate for neurons to cells.

Mechanisms of Chemosensory Transduction in the Carotid Body

The mammalian carotid body (CB) is a polymodal chemoreceptor, which is activated by blood-borne stimuli, most notably hypoxia, hypercapnia and acidosis, thus ensuring an appropriate cellular response to changes in physical and chemical parameters of the blood. The glomus cells are considered the CB chemosensory cells and the initial site of chemoreceptor transduction. However, the molecular mechanisms by which they detect changes in blood chemical levels and how these changes lead to transmitter release are not yet well understood. Chemotransduction mechanisms are by far best described for oxygen and acid/carbon dioxide sensing. A few testable hypotheses have been postulated including a direct interaction of oxygen with ion channels in the glomus cells (membrane hypothesis), an indirect interface by a reversible ligand like a heme (metabolic hypothesis), or even a functional interaction between putative oxygen sensors (chemosome hypothesis) or the interaction of lactate with a highly expressed in the CB atypical olfactory receptor, Olfr78, (endocrine model). It is also suggested that sensory transduction in the CB is uniquely dependent on the actions and interactions of gaseous transmitters. Apparently, oxygen sensing does not utilize a single mechanism, and later observations have given strong support to a unified membrane model of chemotransduction.

Neurochemical Anatomy of the Mammalian Carotid Body

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

Of Mice and Men and Plethysmography Systems: Does LKB1 Determine the Set Point of Carotid Body Chemosensitivity and the Hypoxic Ventilatory Response?

Our recent studies suggest that the level of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) expression in some way determines carotid body afferent discharge during hypoxia and to a lesser extent during hypercapnia. In short, phosphorylation by LKB1 of an as yet unidentified target(s) determines a set point for carotid body chemosensitivity. LKB1 is the principal kinase that activates the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) during metabolic stresses, but conditional deletion of AMPK in catecholaminergic cells, including therein carotid body type I cells, has little or no effect on carotid body responses to hypoxia or hypercapnia. With AMPK excluded, the most likely target of LKB1 is one or other of the 12 AMPK-related kinases, which are constitutively phosphorylated by LKB1 and, in general, regulate gene expression. By contrast, the hypoxic ventilatory response is attenuated by either LKB1 or AMPK deletion in catecholaminergic cells, precipitating hypoventilation and apnea during hypoxia rather than hyperventilation. Moreover, LKB1, but not AMPK, deficiency causes Cheyne-Stokes-like breathing. This chapter will explore further the possible mechanisms that determine these outcomes.

Neurobiology of the carotid body

The carotid body (CB) is a bilateral arterial chemoreceptor located in the carotid artery bifurcation with an essential role in cardiorespiratory homeostasis. It is composed of highly perfused cell clusters, or glomeruli, innervated by sensory fibers. Glomus cells, the most abundant in each glomerulus, are neuron-like multimodal sensory elements able to detect and integrate changes in several physical and chemical parameters of the blood, in particular O₂ tension, CO₂ and pH, as well as glucose, lactate, or blood flow. Activation of glomus cells (e.g., during hypoxia or hypercapnia) stimulates the afferent fibers which impinge on brainstem neurons to elicit rapid compensatory responses (hyperventilation and sympathetic activation). This chapter presents an updated view of the structural organization of the CB and the mechanisms underlying the chemosensory responses of glomus cells, with special emphasis on the molecular processes responsible for acute O₂ sensing. The properties of the glomus cell-sensory fiber synapse as well as the organization of CB output are discussed. The chapter includes the description of recently discovered CB stem cells and progenitor cells, and their role in CB growth during acclimatization to hypoxemia. Finally, the participation of the CB in the mechanisms of disease is briefly discussed.

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

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

The Carotid Body a Common Denominator for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Dysfunction?

The carotid body is a highly vascularized organ designed to monitor oxygen levels. Reducing oxygen levels in blood results in increased activity of the carotid body cells and reflex increases in sympathetic nerve activity. A key contributor to elevated sympathetic nerve activity in neurogenic forms of hypertension is enhanced peripheral chemoreceptor activity. Hypertension commonly occurs in metabolic disorders, like obesity. Such metabolic diseases are serious global health problems. Yet, the mechanisms contributing to increased sympathetic nerve activity and hypertension in obesity are not fully understood and a better understanding is urgently required. In this review, we examine the literature that suggests that overactivity of the carotid body may also contribute to metabolic disturbances. The purine ATP is an important chemical mediator influencing the activity of the carotid body and the role of purines in the overactivity of the carotid body is explored. We will conclude with the suggestion that tonic overactivity of the carotid body may be a common denominator that contributes to the hypertension and metabolic dysfunction seen in conditions in which metabolic disease exists such as obesity or insulin resistance induced by high caloric intake. Therapeutic treatment targeting the carotid bodies may be a viable treatment since translation to the clinic could be more easily performed than expected via repurposing antagonists of purinergic receptors currently in clinical practice, and the use of other minimally invasive techniques that reduce the overactivity of the carotid bodies which may be developed for such clinical use.

G-Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Signaling in the Carotid Body: Roles in Hypoxia and Cardiovascular and Respiratory Disease

The carotid body (CB) is an important organ located at the carotid bifurcation that constantly monitors the blood supplying the brain. During hypoxia, the CB immediately triggers an alarm in the form of nerve impulses sent to the brain. This activates protective reflexes including hyperventilation, tachycardia and vasoconstriction, to ensure blood and oxygen delivery to the brain and vital organs. However, in certain conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure and essential/spontaneous hypertension, the CB becomes hyperactive, promoting neurogenic hypertension and arrhythmia. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are very highly expressed in the CB and have key roles in mediating baseline CB activity and hypoxic sensitivity. Here, we provide a brief overview of the numerous GPCRs that are expressed in the CB, their mechanism of action and downstream effects. Furthermore, we will address how these GPCRs and signaling pathways may contribute to CB hyperactivity and cardiovascular and respiratory disease. GPCRs are a major target for drug discovery development. This information highlights specific GPCRs that could be targeted by novel or existing drugs to enable more personalized treatment of CB-mediated cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

Expanding Role of Dopaminergic Inhibition in Hypercapnic Responses of Cultured Rat Carotid Body Cells: Involvement of Type II Glial Cells

Dopamine (DA) is a well-studied neurochemical in the mammalian carotid body (CB), a chemosensory organ involved in O₂ and CO₂/H⁺ homeostasis. DA released from receptor (type I) cells during chemostimulation is predominantly inhibitory, acting via pre- and post-synaptic dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) on type I cells and afferent (petrosal) terminals respectively. By contrast, co-released ATP is excitatory at postsynaptic P2X2/3R, though paracrine P2Y2R activation of neighboring glial-like type II cells may boost further ATP release. Here, we tested the hypothesis that DA may also inhibit type II cell function. When applied alone, DA (10 μM) had negligible effects on basal [Ca²⁺]_i in isolated rat type II cells. However, DA strongly inhibited [Ca²⁺]_i elevations (Δ[Ca^2+]_i) evoked by the P2Y2R agonist UTP (100 μM), an effect opposed by the D2/3R antagonist, sulpiride (1-10 μM). As expected, acute hypercapnia (10% CO₂; pH 7.4), or high K⁺ (30 mM) caused Δ[Ca²⁺]_i in type I cells. However, these stimuli sometimes triggered a secondary, delayed Δ[Ca²⁺]_i in nearby type II cells, attributable to crosstalk involving ATP-P2Y2R interactions. Interestingly sulpiride, or DA store-depletion using reserpine, potentiated both the frequency and magnitude of the secondary Δ[Ca²⁺]_i in type II cells. In functional CB-petrosal neuron cocultures, sulpiride potentiated hypercapnia-induced Δ[Ca²⁺]_i in type I cells, type II cells, and petrosal neurons. Moreover, stimulation of type II cells with UTP could directly evoke Δ[Ca²⁺]_i in nearby petrosal neurons. Thus, dopaminergic inhibition of purinergic signalling in type II cells may help control the integrated sensory output of the CB during hypercapnia.

Lethal physiological effects of carbon dioxide exposure at high concentration in rats

The acute toxicity of high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) was investigated in anesthetized rats using physiological parameters. At an oxygen concentration of 21%, the survival time decreased in a concentration-dependent manner from ≥7.3 h at 20% CO₂ to 1.0 h at 50% CO₂. The animals were divided into groups that were exposed to 40% CO₂ and 21% O₂ balanced with nitrogen (CO₂ group), 40% CO₂ and 12.6% O₂ (CO₂-Hypoxia group), 0% CO₂ and 12.6% O₂ (Hypoxia group), and 0% CO₂ and 21% O₂ (Control group) for 3 h. In the CO₂ group, mean blood pressure (MBP) increased temporarily in the first 60 min followed by a gradual decrease, while breathing rate (BR) decreased immediately up to 3 h and the concentration of serum indicators reflecting organ damage increased. Most of these effects progressed in the CO₂-Hypoxia group. The Hypoxia group showed a contrasting response to the CO₂ groups in MBP and BR, and a slight partial increase in the serum indicators. Histological changes were not observed in any primary organs of any group, except for eosinophilic or necrosis of pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region of the CO₂ group. These results indicate that high concentrations of CO₂ inhalation are toxic, likely due to BR suppression, and that hypoxia produced under a high CO₂ environment, while showing little effect on its own, enhances the toxic effects of CO₂.

Physiology of the Carotid Body: From Molecules to Disease

The carotid body (CB) is an arterial chemoreceptor organ located in the carotid bifurcation and has a well-recognized role in cardiorespiratory regulation. The CB contains neurosecretory sensory cells (glomus cells), which release transmitters in response to hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidemia to activate afferent sensory fibers terminating in the respiratory and autonomic brainstem centers. Knowledge of the physiology of the CB has progressed enormously in recent years. Herein we review advances concerning the organization and function of the cellular elements of the CB, with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of acute oxygen sensing by glomus cells. We introduce the modern view of the CB as a multimodal integrated metabolic sensor and describe the properties of the CB stem cell niche, which support CB growth during acclimatization to chronic hypoxia. Finally, we discuss the increasing medical relevance of CB dysfunction and its potential impact on the mechanisms of disease.

Vesicular nucleotide transporter-immunoreactive type I cells associated with P2X3-immunoreactive nerve endings in the rat carotid body

ATP is the major excitatory transmitter from chemoreceptor type I cells to sensory nerve endings in the carotid body, and has been suggested to be released by exocytosis from these cells. We investigated the mRNA expression and immunohistochemical localization of vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT) in the rat carotid body. RT-PCR detected mRNA expression of VNUT in extracts of the tissue. Immunoreactivity for VNUT was localized in a part of type I cells immunoreactive for synaptophysin (SYN), but not in glial-like type II cells immunoreactive for S100 and S100B. Among SYN-immunoreactive type I cells, VNUT immunoreactivity was selectively localized in the sub-population of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunorective type I cells associated with nerve endings immunoreactive for the P2X3 purinoceptor; however, it was not detected in the sub-population of type I cells immunoreactive for dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Multi-immunolabeling for VNUT, P2X3, and Bassoon revealed that Bassoon-immunoreactive products were localized in type I cells with VNUT immunoreactivity, and accumulated on the contact side of P2X3-immunoreactive nerve endings. These results revealed the selective localization of VNUT in the subpopulation of TH-immunoreactive type I cells attached to sensory nerve endings and suggested that these cells release ATP by exocytosis for chemosensory transmission in the carotid body.

Influence of propofol on isolated neonatal rat carotid body glomus cell response to hypoxia and hypercapnia

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The intravenous anaesthetic propofol acts directly on carotid body glomus cells to inhibit their response to hypoxia.

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Propofol acts via novel mechanisms, as we excluded action via its known target receptors (nicotinic, GABA-ergic, or K+ channel).

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Inhibition of the hypoxic response is clinically relevant in anaesthesia.

In humans the intravenous anaesthetic propofol depresses ventilatory responses to hypoxia and CO₂. Animal studies suggest that this may in part be due to inhibition of synaptic transmission between chemoreceptor glomus cells of the carotid body and the afferent carotid sinus nerve. It is however unknown if propofol can also act directly on the glomus cell. Here we report that propofol can indeed inhibit intracellular Ca²⁺ responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in isolated rat glomus cells. Neither this propofol effect, nor the glomus cell response to hypoxia in the absence of propofol, were influenced by GABA receptor activation (using GABA, muscimol and baclofen) or inhibition (using bicuculline and 5-aminovaleric acid). Suggesting that these effects of propofol are not mediated through GABA receptors. Propofol inhibited calcium responses to nicotine in glomus cells but the nicotinic antagonists vecuronium and methyllycaconitine did not inhibit calcium responses to hypoxia. TASK channel activity was not altered by propofol. The glomus cell Ca²⁺ response to depolarisation with 30 mM K⁺ was however modestly inhibited by propofol. In summary we conclude that propofol does have a direct effect upon hypoxia signalling in isolated type-1 cells and that this may be partially due to its ability to inhibit voltage gated Ca²⁺_v channels. We also note that propofol has the capacity to supress glomus cell excitation via nicotinic receptors and may therefore also interfere with paracrine/autocrine cholinergic signalling in the intact organ. The effects of propofol on chemoreceptor function are however clearly complex and require further investigation.

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) regulates peripheral chemoreceptor activity and cardiorespiratory responses to hypoxia

KEY POINTS

Carotid body dysfunction is recognized as a cause of hypertension in a number of cardiorespiratory diseases states and has therefore been identified as a potential therapeutic target. Purinergic transmission is an important element of the carotid body chemotransduction pathway. We show that inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73) in vitro reduces carotid body basal discharge and responses to hypoxia and mitochondrial inhibition. Additionally, inhibition of CD73 in vivo decreased the hypoxic ventilatory response, reduced the hypoxia-induced heart rate elevation and exaggerated the blood pressure decrease in response to hypoxia. Our data show CD73 to be a novel regulator of carotid body sensory function and therefore suggest that this enzyme may offer a new target for reducing carotid body activity in selected cardiovascular diseases.

ABSTRACT

Augmented sensory neuronal activity from the carotid body (CB) has emerged as a principal cause of hypertension in a number of cardiovascular related pathologies, including obstructive sleep apnoea, heart failure and diabetes. Development of new targets and pharmacological treatment strategies aiming to reduce CB sensory activity may thus improve outcomes in these key patient cohorts. The present study investigated whether ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73), an enzyme that generates adenosine, is functionally important in modifying CB sensory activity and cardiovascular respiratory responses to hypoxia. Inhibition of CD73 by α,β-methylene ADP (AOPCP) in the whole CB preparation in vitro reduced basal discharge frequency by 76 ± 5% and reduced sensory activity throughout graded hypoxia. AOPCP also significantly attenuated elevations in sensory activity evoked by mitochondrial inhibition. These effects were mimicked by antagonism of adenosine receptors with 8-(p-sulfophenyl) theophylline. Infusion of AOPCP in vivo significantly decreased the hypoxic ventilatory response (Δ V ̇ E control 74 ± 6%, Δ V ̇ E AOPCP 64 ± 5%, P < 0.05). AOPCP also modified cardiovascular responses to hypoxia, as indicated by reduced elevations in heart rate and exaggerated changes in femoral vascular conductance and mean arterial blood pressure. Thus we identify CD73 as a novel regulator of CB sensory activity. Future investigations are warranted to clarify whether inhibition of CD73 can effectively reduce CB activity in CB-mediated cardiovascular pathology.

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

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

Adenosine and dopamine oppositely modulate a hyperpolarization-activated current Ih in chemosensory neurons of the rat carotid body in co-culture

KEY POINTS

Adenosine and dopamine (DA) are neuromodulators in the carotid body (CB) chemoafferent pathway, but their mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. Using functional co-cultures of rat CB chemoreceptor (type I) cells and sensory petrosal neurons (PNs), we show that adenosine enhanced a hyperpolarization-activated cation current I_h in chemosensory PNs via A2a receptors, whereas DA had the opposite effect via D2 receptors. Adenosine caused a depolarizing shift in the I_h activation curve and increased firing frequency, whereas DA caused a hyperpolarizing shift in the curve and decreased firing frequency. Acute hypoxia and isohydric hypercapnia depolarized type I cells concomitant with increased excitation of adjacent PNs; the A2a receptor blocker SCH58261 inhibited both type I and PN responses during hypoxia, but only the PN response during isohydric hypercapnia. We propose that adenosine and DA control firing frequency in chemosensory PNs via their opposing actions on I_h .

ABSTRACT

Adenosine and dopamine (DA) act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators at the carotid body (CB) chemosensory synapse, but their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Using a functional co-culture model of rat CB chemoreceptor (type I) cell clusters and juxtaposed afferent petrosal neurons (PNs), we tested the hypothesis that adenosine and DA act postsynaptically to modulate a hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) cation current (I_h ). In whole-cell recordings from hypoxia-responsive PNs, cAMP mimetics enhanced I_h whereas the HCN blocker ZD7288 (2 μm) reversibly inhibited I_h . Adenosine caused a potentiation of I_h (EC₅₀ ∼ 35 nm) that was sensitive to the A2a blocker SCH58261 (5 nm), and an ∼16 mV depolarizing shift in V_½ for voltage dependence of I_h activation. By contrast, DA (10 μm) caused an inhibition of I_h that was sensitive to the D2 blocker sulpiride (1-10 μm), and an ∼11 mV hyperpolarizing shift in V_½ . Sulpiride potentiated I_h in neurons adjacent to, but not distant from, type I cell clusters. DA also decreased PN action potential frequency whereas adenosine had the opposite effect. During simultaneous paired recordings, SCH58261 inhibited both the presynaptic hypoxia-induced receptor potential in type I cells and the postsynaptic PN response. By contrast, SCH58261 inhibited only the postsynaptic PN response induced by isohydric hypercapnia. Confocal immunofluorescence confirmed the localization of HCN4 subunits in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive chemoafferent neurons in tissue sections of rat petrosal ganglia. These data suggest that adenosine and DA, acting through A2a and D2 receptors respectively, regulate PN excitability via their opposing actions on I_h .

Integration of Central and Peripheral Respiratory Chemoreflexes

A debate has raged since the discovery of central and peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors as to whether the reflexes they mediate combine in an additive (i.e., no interaction), hypoadditive or hyperadditive manner. Here we critically review pertinent literature related to O2 and CO2 sensing from the perspective of system integration and summarize many of the studies on which these seemingly opposing views are based. Despite the intensity and quality of this debate, we have yet to reach consensus, either within or between species. In reviewing this literature, we are struck by the merits of the approaches and preparations that have been brought to bear on this question. This suggests that either the nature of combination is not important to system responses, contrary to what has long been supposed, or that the nature of the combination is more malleable than previously assumed, changing depending on physiological state and/or respiratory requirement.

Ecto-5'-Nucleotidase, Adenosine and Transmembrane Adenylyl Cyclase Signalling Regulate Basal Carotid Body Chemoafferent Outflow and Establish the Sensitivity to Hypercapnia

Carotid body (CB) stimulation by hypercapnia causes a reflex increase in ventilation and, along with the central chemoreceptors, this prevents a potentially lethal systemic acidosis. Control over the CB chemoafferent output during normocapnia and hypercapnia most likely involves multiple neurotransmitters and neuromodulators including ATP, acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and adenosine, but the precise role of each is yet to be fully established. In the present study, recordings of chemoafferent discharge frequency were made from the isolated in vitro CB in order to determine the contribution of adenosine, derived specifically from extracellular catabolism of ATP, in mediating basal chemoafferent activity and responses to hypercapnia. Pharmacological inhibition of ecto-5'-nucleotidase (CD73), a key enzyme required for extracellular generation of adenosine from ATP, using α,β-methylene ADP, virtually abolished the basal normocapnic single fibre discharge frequency (superfusate PO(2) ~ 300 mmHg, PCO(2) ~ 40 mmHg) and diminished the chemoafferent response to hypercapnia (PCO(2) ~ 80 mmHg). These effects were mimicked by the blockade of adenosine receptors with 8-(p-sulfophenyl) theophylline. The excitatory impact of adenosinergic signalling on CB hypercapnic sensitivity is most likely to be conferred through changes in cAMP. Here, inhibition of transmembrane, but not soluble adenylate cyclases, reduced normocapnic single fibre activity and inhibited the elevation evoked by hypercapnia by approximately 50 %. These data therefore identify a functional role for CD73 derived adenosine and transmembrane adenylate cyclases, in modulating the basal chemoafferent discharge frequency and in priming the CB to hypercapnic stimulation.

Immunohistochemical localization of dopamine D2 receptor in the rat carotid body

Dopamine modulates the chemosensitivity of arterial chemoreceptors, and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is expected to localize in the glomus cells and/or sensory nerve endings of the carotid body. In the present study, the localization of D2R in the rat carotid body was examined using double immunofluorescence for D2R with various cell markers. D2R immunoreactivity was mainly localized in glomus cells immunoreactive to tyrosine hydroxylase or dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), but not in S100B-immunoreactive sustentacular cells. Furthermore, D2R immunoreactivity was observed in petrosal ganglion cells and nerve bundles in the carotid body, but not in the nerve endings with P2X2 immunoreactivity. In the carotid ganglion, a few punctate D2R-immunoreactive products were detected in DBH-immunoreactive nerve cell bodies. These results showed that D2R was mainly distributed in glomus cells, and suggested that D2R plays a role in the inhibitory modulation of chemosensory activity in a paracrine and/or autocrine manner.

TASK channels in arterial chemoreceptors and their role in oxygen and acid sensing

Arterial chemoreceptors play a vital role in cardiorespiratory control by providing the brain with information regarding blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH. The main chemoreceptor, the carotid body, is composed of sensory (type 1) cells which respond to hypoxia or acidosis with a depolarising receptor potential which in turn activates voltage-gated calcium entry, neurosecretion and excitation of adjacent afferent nerves. The receptor potential is generated by inhibition of Twik-related acid-sensitive K(+) channel 1 and 3 (TASK1/TASK3) heterodimeric channels which normally maintain the cells' resting membrane potential. These channels are thought to be directly inhibited by acidosis. Oxygen sensitivity, however, probably derives from a metabolic signalling pathway. The carotid body, isolated type 1 cells, and all forms of TASK channel found in the type 1 cell, are highly sensitive to inhibitors of mitochondrial metabolism. Moreover, type1 cell TASK channels are activated by millimolar levels of MgATP. In addition to their role in the transduction of chemostimuli, type 1 cell TASK channels have also been implicated in the modulation of chemoreceptor function by a number of neurocrine/paracrine signalling molecules including adenosine, GABA, and serotonin. They may also be instrumental in mediating the depression of the acute hypoxic ventilatory response that occurs with some general anaesthetics. Modulation of TASK channel activity is therefore a key mechanism by which the excitability of chemoreceptors can be controlled. This is not only of physiological importance but may also offer a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cardiorespiratory disorders that are associated with chemoreceptor dysfunction.

Petrosal ganglion: a more complex role than originally imagined

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

Rh protein expression in branchial neuroepithelial cells, and the role of ammonia in ventilatory control in fish

Bill Milsom has made seminal contributions to our understanding of ventilatory control in a wide range of vertebrates. Teleosts are particularly interesting, because they produce a 3rd, potentially toxic respiratory gas (ammonia) in large amounts. Fish are well known to hyperventilate under high environmental ammonia (HEA), but only recently has the potential role of ammonia in normal ventilatory control been investigated. It is now clear that ammonia can act directly as a ventilatory stimulant in trout, independent of its effects on acid-base balance. Even in ureotelic dogfish sharks, acute elevations in ammonia cause increases in ventilation. Peripherally, the detection of elevated ammonia resides in gill arches I and II in trout, and in vitro, neuroepithelial cells (NECs) from these arches are sensitive to ammonia, responding with elevations in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i). Centrally, hyperventilatory responses to ammonia correlate more closely with concentrations of ammonia in the brain than in plasma or CSF. After chronic HEA exposure, ventilatory responsiveness to ammonia is lost, associated with both an attenuation of the [Ca(2+)]i response in NECs, and the absence of elevation in brain ammonia concentration. Chronic exposure to HEA also causes increases in the mRNA expression of several Rh proteins (ammonia-conductive channels) in both brain and gills. "Single cell" PCR techniques have been used to isolate the individual responses of NECs versus other gill cell types. We suggest several circumstances (post-feeding, post-exercise) where the role of ammonia as a ventilatory stimulant may have adaptive benefits for O2 uptake in fish.

Synaptic and paracrine mechanisms at carotid body arterial chemoreceptors

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

Evidence for a carotid body homolog in the lizard Tupinambis merianae

The homolog to the mammalian carotid body has not yet been identified in lizards. Observational studies and evolutionary history provide indirect evidence for the existence of a chemoreceptor population at the first major bifurcation of the common carotid artery in lizards, but a chemoreceptive role for this area has not yet been definitively demonstrated. We explored this possibility by measuring changes in cardiorespiratory variables in response to focal arterial injections of the hypoxia mimic sodium cyanide (NaCN) into the carotid artery of 12 unanesthetized specimens of Tupinambis merianae. These injections elicited increases in heart rate (fH; 101±35% increase) and respiratory rate (fR; 620±119% increase), but not mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). These responses were eliminated by vagal denervation. Similar responses were elicited by injections of the neurotransmitters acetylcholine (ACh) and serotonin (5-HT) but not norepinephrine. Heart rate and respiratory rate increases in response to NaCN could be blocked or reduced by either the antagonist to ACh (atropine) and/or 5-HT (methysergide). Finally, using immunohistochemistry we demonstrated the presence of putative chemoreceptive cells immuno-positive for the cholinergic cell marker vesicular ACh transporter (VAChT) and 5-HT on internal lattice-like structures at the carotid bifurcation. These results provide evidence for the existence of dispersed chemoreceptor cells at the first carotid bifurcation in the central cardiovascular area in lizards with similar properties to known carotid body homologs, adding to the picture of chemoreceptor evolution in vertebrates.

Effects of anesthetics, sedatives, and opioids on ventilatory control

This article provides a comprehensive, up to date summary of the effects of volatile, gaseous, and intravenous anesthetics and opioid agonists on ventilatory control. Emphasis is placed on data from human studies. Further mechanistic insights are provided by in vivo and in vitro data from other mammalian species. The focus is on the effects of clinically relevant agonist concentrations and studies using pharmacological, that is, supraclinical agonist concentrations are de-emphasized or excluded.

Bicarbonate-sensitive soluble and transmembrane adenylyl cyclases in peripheral chemoreceptors

Stimulation of the carotid body (CB) chemoreceptors by hypercapnia triggers a reflex ventilatory response via a cascade of cellular events, which includes generation of cAMP. However, it is not known if molecular CO2/HCO3(-) and/or H(+) mediate this effect and how these molecules contribute to cAMP production. We previously reported that the CB highly expresses HCO3(-)-sensitive soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). In the present study we systematically characterize the role of sAC in the CB, comparing the effect of isohydric hypercapnia (IH) in cAMP generation through activation of sAC or transmembrane-adenylyl cyclase (tmAC). Pharmacological deactivation of sAC and tmAC decreased the CB cAMP content in normocapnia and IH with no differences between these two conditions. Changes from normocapnia to IH did not effect the degree of PKA activation and the carotid sinus nerve discharge frequency. sAC and tmAC are functional in CB but intracellular elevations in CO2/HCO3(-) in IH conditions on their own are insufficient to further activate these enzymes, suggesting that the hypercapnic response is dependent on secondary acidosis.

Serotonergic and cholinergic elements of the hypoxic ventilatory response in developing zebrafish

The chemosensory roles of gill neuroepithelial cells (NECs) in mediating the hyperventilatory response to hypoxia are not clearly defined in fish. While serotonin (5-HT) is the predominant neurotransmitter in O(2)-sensitive gill NECs, acetylcholine (ACh) plays a more prominent role in O(2) sensing in terrestrial vertebrates. The present study characterized the developmental chronology of potential serotonergic and cholinergic chemosensory pathways of the gill in the model vertebrate, the zebrafish (Danio rerio). In immunolabelled whole gills from larvae, serotonergic NECs were observed in epithelia of the gill filaments and gill arches, while non-serotonergic NECs were found primarily in the gill arches. Acclimation of developing zebrafish to hypoxia (P(O2)=75 mmHg) reduced the number of serotonergic NECs observed at 7 days post-fertilization (d.p.f.), and this effect was absent at 10 d.p.f. In vivo administration of 5-HT mimicked hypoxia by increasing ventilation frequency (f(V)) in early stage (7-10 d.p.f.) and late stage larvae (14-21 d.p.f.), while ACh increased f(V) only in late stage larvae. In time course experiments, application of ketanserin inhibited the hyperventilatory response to acute hypoxia (P(O2)=25 mmHg) at 10 d.p.f., while hexamethonium did not have this effect until 12 d.p.f. Cells immunoreactive for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) began to appear in the gill filaments by 14 d.p.f. Characterization in adult gills revealed that VAChT-positive cells were a separate population of neurosecretory cells of the gill filaments. These studies suggest that serotonergic and cholinergic pathways in the zebrafish gill develop at different times and contribute to the hyperventilatory response to hypoxia.

Chronic exposure of neonatal rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells to opioids in vitro blunts both hypoxia and hypercapnia chemosensitivity

At birth, rat adrenomedullary chromaffin cells (AMCs) respond directly to asphyxial stressors such as hypoxia and hypercapnia by triggering catecholamine secretion, which is critical for proper transition to extrauterine life. These non-neurogenic responses are suppressed postnatally in parallel with the development of splanchnic innervation, and reappear following denervation of the adult adrenal gland. To test whether neural factors released from the splanchnic nerve may regulate AMC chemosensitivity, we previously showed that nicotinic agonists in utero and in vitro suppressed hypoxia, but not hypercapnia, sensitivity. Here, we considered the potential role of opiate peptides which are also released from the splanchnic nerve and act via postsynaptic μ-, δ- and -opioid receptors. Treatment of neonatal rat AMC cultures for ∼1 week with μ- and/or δ- (but not ) opioid agonists (2 μm) led to a marked suppression of both hypoxia and hypercapnia sensitivity, as measured by K(+) current inhibition and membrane depolarization; co-incubation with naloxone prevented the effects of combined opioids. The suppression of hypoxia sensitivity was attributable to upregulation of K(ATP) current density and the K(ATP) channel subunit Kir6.2, and was reversed by the K(ATP) channel blocker, glibenclamide. By contrast, suppression of hypercapnia sensitivity was associated with down-regulation of two key mediators of CO(2) sensing, i.e. carbonic anhydrase I and II. Collectively, these studies point to a novel role for opioid receptor signalling in the developmental regulation of chromaffin cell chemosensitivity, and suggest that prenatal exposure to opioid drugs could lead to impaired arousal responses in the neonate.

Signal processing at mammalian carotid body chemoreceptors

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

P2Y2 receptor activation opens pannexin-1 channels in rat carotid body type II cells: potential role in amplifying the neurotransmitter ATP

Signal processing in the carotid body (CB) is initiated at receptor glomus (or type I) cells which depolarize and release the excitatory neurotransmitter ATP during chemoexcitation by hypoxia and acid hypercapnia. Glomus cell clusters (GCs) occur in intimate association with glia-like type II cells which express purinergic P2Y2 receptors (P2Y2Rs) but their function is unclear. Here we immunolocalize the gap junction-like protein channel pannexin-1 (Panx-1) in type II cells and show Panx-1 mRNA expression in the rat CB. As expected, type II cell activation within or near isolated GCs by P2Y2R agonists, ATP and UTP (100 μm), induced a rise in intracellular [Ca(2+)]. Moreover in perforated-patch whole cell recordings from type II cells, these agonists caused a prolonged depolarization and a concentration-dependent, delayed opening of non-selective ion channels that was prevented by Panx-1 blockers, carbenoxolone (5 μm) and 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid (DIDS; 10 μm). Because Panx-1 channels serve as conduits for ATP release, we hypothesized that paracrine, type II cell P2Y2R activation leads to ATP-induced ATP release. In proof-of-principle experiments we used co-cultured chemoafferent petrosal neurones (PNs), which express P2X2/3 purinoceptors, as sensitive biosensors of ATP released from type II cells. In several cases, UTP activation of type II cells within or near GCs led to depolarization or increased firing in nearby PNs, and the effect was reversibly abolished by the selective P2X2/3 receptor blocker, pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS; 10 μm). We propose that CB type II cells may function as ATP amplifiers during chemotransduction via paracrine activation of P2Y2Rs and Panx-1 channels.

Effects of chemostimuli on [Ca2+]i responses of rat aortic body type I cells and endogenous local neurons: comparison with carotid body cells

Mammalian aortic bodies (ABs) are putative peripheral arterial chemoreceptors whose function remains controversial, partly because information on their cellular physiology is lacking. In this study, we used ratiometric Ca2+ imaging to investigate for the first time chemosensitivity in short-term cultures of dissociated cells of juvenile rat ABs, located near the junction of the left vagus and recurrent laryngeal nerves. Among the surviving cell population were glomus or type I cell clusters, endogenous local neurons and glia-like cells. A variety of chemostimuli, including hypoxia, isohydric or acidic hypercapnia, and isocapnic acidosis, caused a rise in intracellular [Ca2+] in AB type I cells. The [Ca2+]i responses were indistinguishable from those in carotid body (CB) type I cells grown in parallel cultures from the same animals, and responses to acidic hypercapnia were prevented by the non-specific voltage-gated Ca2+ channel antagonist, 2mM Ni2+. Furthermore, we identified a subpopulation (∼40%) of glia-like cells in AB cultures that resembled CB type II cells based on their approximately equal sensitivity to ATP and UTP, consistent with the expression of purinergic P2Y2 receptors. Finally, we showed that some local neurons, known to be uniquely associated with these AB paraganglia in situ, generated robust [Ca2+]i responses to these chemostimuli. Thus, these AB type I cells and associated putative type II cells resemble those from the well-studied CB. Unlike the CB, however, they also associate with a special group of endogenous neurons which we propose may subserve a sensory function in local cardiovascular reflexes.

Peripheral chemoreceptors: function and plasticity of the carotid body

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

Ammonia sensing by neuroepithelial cells and ventilatory responses to ammonia in rainbow trout

Ammonia, the third respiratory gas in teleost fish, acts as an acute stimulant to ventilation in ammoniotelic rainbow trout. We investigated whether this sensitivity is maintained in trout chronically exposed (1+ months) to high environmental ammonia [HEA, 250 μmol l–1 (NH4)2SO4] in the water, and whether gill neuroepithelial cells (NECs) are involved in ammonia sensing. Hyperventilation was induced both by acute external (NH4)2SO4 exposure [250 or 500 μmol l–1 (NH4)2SO4] and by intra-arterial (NH4)2SO4 injection (580 μmol kg–1 of ammonia) in control trout, but these responses were abolished in chronic HEA animals. Hyperventilation in response to acute ammonia exposure persisted after bilateral removal of each of the four gill arch pairs separately or after combined removal of arches III and IV, but was delayed by removal of gill arch I, and eliminated by combined removal of arches I and II. NECs, identified by immunolabeling against 5-HT, were mainly organized in two lines along the filament epithelium in all four gill arches. In control trout, NECs were slightly smaller but more abundant on arches I and II than on arches III and IV. Chronic HEA exposure reduced the density of the NECs on all four arches, and their size on arches I and II only. Fura-2 fluorescence imaging was used to measure intracellular free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) responses in single NECs in short-term (24–48 h) culture in vitro. [Ca2+]i was elevated to a comparable extent by perfusion of 30 mmol l–1 KCl and 1 mmol l–1 NH4Cl, and these [Ca2+]i responses presented in two different forms, suggesting that ammonia may be sensed by multiple mechanisms. The [Ca2+]i responses to high ammonia were attenuated in NECs isolated from trout chronically exposed to HEA, especially in ones from gill arch I, but responses to high K+ were unchanged. We conclude that the hyperventilatory response to ammonia is lost after chronic waterborne HEA exposure, and that NECs, especially the ones located in gill arches I and II, are probably ammonia chemoreceptors that participate in ventilatory modulation in trout.

Ventilatory and carotid body chemoreceptor responses to purinergic P2X receptor antagonists in newborn rats

Adenosine triphosphate, acting through purinergic P2X receptors, has been shown to stimulate ventilation and increase carotid body chemoreceptor activity in adult rats. However, its role during postnatal development of the ventilatory response to hypoxia is yet unknown. Using whole body plethysmography, we measured ventilation in normoxia and in moderate hypoxia (12% fraction of inspired O₂, 20 min) before and after intraperitoneal injection of suramin (P2X₂ and P2X₃ receptor antagonist, 40 mg/kg) in 4-, 7-, 12-, and 21-day-old rats. Suramin reduced baseline breathing (∼20%) and the response to hypoxia (∼30%) in all rats, with a relatively constant effect across ages. We then tested the effect of the specific P2X₃ antagonist, A-317491 (150 mg/kg), in rats aged 4, 7, and 21 days. As with suramin, A-317491 reduced baseline ventilation (∼55%) and the hypoxic response (∼40%) at all ages studied. Single-unit carotid body chemoreceptor activity was recorded in vitro in 4-, 7-, and 21-day-old rats. Suramin (100 μM) and A-317491 (10 μM) significantly depressed the sinus nerve chemosensory discharge rate (∼80%) in normoxia (Po₂ ∼150 Torr) and hypoxia (Po₂ ∼60 Torr), and this decrease was constant across ages. We conclude that, in newborn rats, P2X purinergic receptors are involved in the regulation of breathing under basal and hypoxic condition, and P2X₃-containing receptors play a major role in carotid body function. However, these effects are not age dependent within the age range studied.

Differences in tyrosine hydroxylase expression after short-term hypoxia, hypercapnia or hypercapnic hypoxia in rat carotid body

In the carotid body (CB), it has been reported that the expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA and TH protein are enhanced by exposure to hypoxia. However, it is not known whether CO(2) affects the expression of TH in the CB. We examined the expression of TH mRNA and the immunoreactivity for TH in the CB of rats exposed to hypoxia (10% O(2)), hypercapnia (10% CO(2)) and hypercapnic hypoxia (10% O(2) and 10% CO(2)) for 2-24 h. The expression of TH mRNA in the CB was markedly enhanced in rats exposed to hypoxia for 4 h (6.6-fold), 6 h (6.0-fold) and 8 h (7.8-fold), and in rats exposed to hypercapnic hypoxia for 12 h (4.8-fold). The most intense TH immunoreactivity was observed in the CB from rats exposed to hypoxia for 12 and 24 h and to hypercapnic hypoxia for 24 h. The expressions of TH mRNA and the immunoreactivity for TH were not altered in the CB of rats exposed to hypercapnia. It is suggested that CO(2) does not affect TH expression in the CB, and that it inhibits hypoxia-enhanced TH expression.

Neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory mechanisms at peripheral arterial chemoreceptors

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

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) gill neuroepithelial cells are sensitive chemoreceptors for environmental CO2

Adult zebrafish exhibit hyperventilatory responses to absolute environmental CO(2) levels as low as 0.13% ( mmHg), more than an order of magnitude lower than the typical arterial levels (40 mmHg) monitored by the mammalian carotid body. The sensory basis underlying the ability of fish to detect and respond to low ambient CO(2) levels is not clear. Here, we show that the neuroepithelial cells (NECs) of the zebrafish gill, known to sense O(2) levels, also respond to low levels of CO(2). An electrophysiological characterization of this response using both current and voltage clamp protocols revealed that for increasing CO(2) levels, a background K(+) channel was inhibited, resulting in a partial pressure-dependent depolarization of the NEC. To elucidate the signalling pathway underlying K(+) channel inhibition, we used immunocytochemistry to show that these NECs express carbonic anhydrase (CA), an enzyme involved in CO(2) sensing in the mammalian carotid body. Further, the NEC response to CO(2) (magnitude of membrane depolarization and time required to achieve maximal response), under conditions of constant pH, was reduced by 50% by the CA-inhibitor acetazolamide. This suggests that the CO(2) detection mechanism involves an intracellular sensor that is responsive to the rate of acidification associated with the hydration of CO(2) and which does not require a change of extracellular pH. Because some cells that were responsive to increasing also responded to hypoxia with membrane depolarization, the present results demonstrate that a subset of the NECs in the zebrafish gill are bimodal sensors of CO(2) and O(2).

Functional interactions between nicotinic and P2X receptors in celiac ganglia neurons

Here we characterized the cross-inhibitory interactions between nicotinic and P2X receptors of celiac neurons from the guinea pig by recording whole-cell currents induced by 1mM ACh (I(ACh)), 1mM ATP (I(ATP)) and by the simultaneous application of both agonists (I(ACh)(+ATP)). I(ACh) and I(ATP) were inhibited by hexamethonium (nicotinic channel blocker) and PPADS (P2X receptor antagonist), respectively. The amplitude of I(ACh)(+ATP) was equal to the current induced by the most effective agonist, indicating a current occlusion. Various observations indicate that I(ACh)(+ATP) is carried out through both nicotinic (nACh) and P2X channels: i) I(ACh)(+ATP) desensitisation kinetics were in between that of I(ACh) and I(ATP); ii) application of ATP+ACh, decreased I(ACh) and I(ATP), whereas no cross-desensitisation was observed between nACh and P2X receptors; iii) ATP did not affect I(ACh) in the presence of PPADS or after P2X receptor desensitisation; and iv) ACh did not affect I(ATP) when nACh channels were blocked with hexamethonium or after nACh receptor desensitisation. Current occlusion is not mediated by activation of metabotropic receptors as it is: i) voltage dependent (was not observed at + 5 mV); ii) present at low temperature (10 degrees C) and after inhibition of protein kinase activity (with staurosporine); and iii) absent at 30 microM ATP and 30 microM ACh (concentrations that should activate metabotropic receptors). In conclusion, current occlusion described here is similar to the previously reported myenteric neurons. This occlusion is likely the result of allosteric interactions between these receptors.

Purines and sensory nerves

P2X and P2Y nucleotide receptors are described on sensory neurons and their peripheral and central terminals in dorsal root, nodose, trigeminal, petrosal, retinal and enteric ganglia. Peripheral terminals are activated by ATP released from local cells by mechanical deformation, hypoxia or various local agents in the carotid body, lung, gut, bladder, inner ear, eye, nasal organ, taste buds, skin, muscle and joints mediating reflex responses and nociception. Purinergic receptors on fibres in the dorsal spinal cord and brain stem are involved in reflex control of visceral and cardiovascular activity, as well as relaying nociceptive impulses to pain centres. Purinergic mechanisms are enhanced in inflammatory conditions and may be involved in migraine, pain, diseases of the special senses, bladder and gut, and the possibility that they are also implicated in arthritis, respiratory disorders and some central nervous system disorders is discussed. Finally, the development and evolution of purinergic sensory mechanisms are considered.

Acid-sensitive ion channels and receptors

Acidosis is a noxious condition associated with inflammation, ischaemia or defective acid containment. As a consequence, acid sensing has evolved as an important property of afferent neurons with unmyelinated and thinly myelinated nerve fibres. Protons evoke multiple currents in primary afferent neurons, which are carried by several acid-sensitive ion channels. Among these, acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) ion channels have been most thoroughly studied. ASICs survey moderate decreases in extracellular pH, whereas TRPV1 is activated only by severe acidosis resulting in pH values below 6. Two-pore-domain K(+) (K(2P)) channels are differentially regulated by small deviations of extra- or intracellular pH from physiological levels. Other acid-sensitive channels include TRPV4, TRPC4, TRPC5, TRPP2 (PKD2L1), ionotropic purinoceptors (P2X), inward rectifier K(+) channels, voltage-activated K(+) channels, L-type Ca(2+) channels, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide gated channels, gap junction channels, and Cl(-) channels. In addition, acid-sensitive G protein coupled receptors have also been identified. Most of these molecular acid sensors are expressed by primary sensory neurons, although to different degrees and in various combinations. Emerging evidence indicates that many of the acid-sensitive ion channels and receptors play a role in acid sensing, acid-induced pain and acid-evoked feedback regulation of homeostatic reactions. The existence and apparent redundancy of multiple pH surveillance systems attests to the concept that acid-base regulation is a vital issue for cell and tissue homeostasis. Since upregulation and overactivity of acid sensors appear to contribute to various forms of chronic pain, acid-sensitive ion channels and receptors are considered as targets for novel analgesic drugs. This approach will only be successful if the pathological implications of acid sensors can be differentiated pharmacologically from their physiological function.