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Li K, Abbott SBG, Guyenet PG, Bayliss DA. JP-RL-2023-285396: Reply to 'Letter to the Editor' (JP-LE-2023-285385). J Physiol 2023; 601:4173-4175. [PMID: 37610165 DOI: 10.1113/jp285396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Keyong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Stephen B G Abbott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Patrice G Guyenet
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Douglas A Bayliss
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Li K, Gonye EC, Stornetta RL, Bayliss CB, Yi G, Stornetta DS, Baca SM, Abbott SB, Guyenet PG, Bayliss DA. The astrocytic Na + -HCO 3 - cotransporter, NBCe1, is dispensable for respiratory chemosensitivity. J Physiol 2023; 601:3667-3686. [PMID: 37384821 PMCID: PMC10528273 DOI: 10.1113/jp284960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The interoceptive homeostatic mechanism that controls breathing, blood gases and acid-base balance in response to changes in CO2 /H+ is exquisitely sensitive, with convergent roles proposed for chemosensory brainstem neurons in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and their supporting glial cells. For astrocytes, a central role for NBCe1, a Na+ -HCO3 - cotransporter encoded by Slc4a4, has been envisaged in multiple mechanistic models (i.e. underlying enhanced CO2 -induced local extracellular acidification or purinergic signalling). We tested these NBCe1-centric models by using conditional knockout mice in which Slc4a4 was deleted from astrocytes. In GFAP-Cre;Slc4a4fl/fl mice we found diminished expression of Slc4a4 in RTN astrocytes by comparison to control littermates, and a concomitant reduction in NBCe1-mediated current. Despite disrupted NBCe1 function in RTN-adjacent astrocytes from these conditional knockout mice, CO2 -induced activation of RTN neurons or astrocytes in vitro and in vivo, and CO2 -stimulated breathing, were indistinguishable from NBCe1-intact littermates; hypoxia-stimulated breathing and sighs were likewise unaffected. We obtained a more widespread deletion of NBCe1 in brainstem astrocytes by using tamoxifen-treated Aldh1l1-Cre/ERT2;Slc4a4fl/fl mice. Again, there was no difference in effects of CO2 or hypoxia on breathing or on neuron/astrocyte activation in NBCe1-deleted mice. These data indicate that astrocytic NBCe1 is not required for the respiratory responses to these chemoreceptor stimuli in mice, and that any physiologically relevant astrocytic contributions must involve NBCe1-independent mechanisms. KEY POINTS: The electrogenic NBCe1 transporter is proposed to mediate local astrocytic CO2 /H+ sensing that enables excitatory modulation of nearby retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) neurons to support chemosensory control of breathing. We used two different Cre mouse lines for cell-specific and/or temporally regulated deletion of the NBCe1 gene (Slc4a4) in astrocytes to test this hypothesis. In both mouse lines, Slc4a4 was depleted from RTN-associated astrocytes but CO2 -induced Fos expression (i.e. cell activation) in RTN neurons and local astrocytes was intact. Likewise, respiratory chemoreflexes evoked by changes in CO2 or O2 were unaffected by loss of astrocytic Slc4a4. These data do not support the previously proposed role for NBCe1 in respiratory chemosensitivity mediated by astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Elizabeth C. Gonye
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Ruth L. Stornetta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | | | - Grace Yi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Daniel S. Stornetta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Serapio M. Baca
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Stephen B.G. Abbott
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Patrice G. Guyenet
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
| | - Douglas A. Bayliss
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA, 22908
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Shi Y, Sobrinho CR, Soto-Perez J, Milla BM, Stornetta DS, Stornetta RL, Takakura AC, Mulkey DK, Moreira TS, Bayliss DA. 5-HT7 receptors expressed in the mouse parafacial region are not required for respiratory chemosensitivity. J Physiol 2022; 600:2789-2811. [PMID: 35385139 PMCID: PMC9167793 DOI: 10.1113/jp282279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract A brainstem homeostatic system senses CO2/H+ to regulate ventilation, blood gases and acid–base balance. Neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and medullary raphe are both implicated in this mechanism as respiratory chemosensors, but recent pharmacological work suggested that the CO2/H+ sensitivity of RTN neurons is mediated indirectly, by raphe‐derived serotonin acting on 5‐HT7 receptors. To investigate this further, we characterized Htr7 transcript expression in phenotypically identified RTN neurons using multiplex single cell qRT‐PCR and RNAscope. Although present in multiple neurons in the parafacial region of the ventrolateral medulla, Htr7 expression was undetectable in most RTN neurons (Nmb+/Phox2b+) concentrated in the densely packed cell group ventrolateral to the facial nucleus. Where detected, Htr7 expression was modest and often associated with RTN neurons that extend dorsolaterally to partially encircle the facial nucleus. These dorsolateral Nmb+/Htr7+ neurons tended to express Nmb at high levels and the intrinsic RTN proton detectors Gpr4 and Kcnk5 at low levels. In mouse brainstem slices, CO2‐stimulated firing in RTN neurons was mostly unaffected by a 5‐HT7 receptor antagonist, SB269970 (n = 11/13). At the whole animal level, microinjection of SB269970 into the RTN of conscious mice blocked respiratory stimulation by co‐injected LP‐44, a 5‐HT7 receptor agonist, but had no effect on CO2‐stimulated breathing in those same mice. We conclude that Htr7 is expressed by a minor subset of RTN neurons with a molecular profile distinct from the established chemoreceptors and that 5‐HT7 receptors have negligible effects on CO2‐evoked firing activity in RTN neurons or on CO2‐stimulated breathing in mice. Key points Neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) are intrinsic CO2/H+ chemosensors and serve as an integrative excitatory hub for control of breathing. Serotonin can activate RTN neurons, in part via 5‐HT7 receptors, and those effects have been implicated in conferring an indirect CO2 sensitivity. Multiple single cell molecular approaches revealed low levels of 5‐HT7 receptor transcript expression restricted to a limited population of RTN neurons. Pharmacological experiments showed that 5‐HT7 receptors in RTN are not required for CO2/H+‐stimulation of RTN neuronal activity or CO2‐stimulated breathing. These data do not support a role for 5‐HT7 receptors in respiratory chemosensitivity mediated by RTN neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingtang Shi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Cleyton R Sobrinho
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaseph Soto-Perez
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Brenda M Milla
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Daniel S Stornetta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ruth L Stornetta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ana C Takakura
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel K Mulkey
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Thiago S Moreira
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Douglas A Bayliss
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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