Skip to main content

Volume 2 Supplement 1

Neural Control of Breathing

  • ORAL PRESENTATIONS - SESSION 2
  • Published:

PreBötzinger complex (preBötC) neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) expressing neurons are required for eupnea in adult awake rats

Normal respiratory rhythm in mammals is hypothesized to be generated by NK1R neurons in the preBötC. Ablation of these neurons in adult rats was predicted to severely perturb normal breathing rhythm. We directly injected substance P conjugated saporin (SP-SAP) into the preBötC to selectively kill NK1R neurons [1]. Four to five days postinjection in rats with greater than 75% bilateral loss of preBötC NK1R neurons, spontaneous breathing rhythm transformed from normal, ie, eupnea, to ataxia, with greatly reduced ventilation and consequent disturbances in blood gases and pH. Hypoxic or hyperoxic challenges produced prolonged, often fatal, apnea. PreBötC NK1R neurons are therefore necessary for generation of the eupneic breathing rhythm.

References

  1. Gray PA, Janczewski WA, Mellen N, McCrimmon DR, Feldman JL: Normal breathing requires preBötzinger Complex neurokinin-1 receptor expressing neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2001,

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

Funding was provided by a Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship for Minorities and a predoctoral fellowship from the Porter Physiology Development Program of the American Physiological Society to PAG, and by the NIH Grants HL40959 and HL37941.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gray, P., Janczewski, W., Mellen, N. et al. PreBötzinger complex (preBötC) neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) expressing neurons are required for eupnea in adult awake rats. Respir Res 2 (Suppl 1), 2.6 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1186/rr100

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/rr100

Keywords