Cholinoceptive pontine reticular mechanisms cause state-dependent respiratory changes in the cat.
This study tested the hypothesis that cholinoceptive regions of the medial pontine reticular formation (mPRF), long known to play a role in regulating the sleep cycle, can also causally alter the respiratory cycle. In 4 cats, sleep and wakefulness were polygraphically recorded while simultaneous measures were taken of rate of breathing, tidal volume, minute ventilation, respiratory cycle timing, and end-tidal CO2 concentration. Respiration during naturally occurring rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was compared to breathing during wakefulness and during the REM sleep-like state (D Carb) caused by mPRF microinjections of the cholinergic agonist carbachol. The results demonstrate for the first time that non-respiratory regions of the cholinoceptive mPRF can cause statistically significant state-dependent alterations in respiration.
Lydic
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Department of Medicine and Physiology, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey 17033.
Baghdoyan
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HA
D000818:Animals; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002415:Cats; D004569:Electroencephalography; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D012895:Sleep, REM
D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D002217:Carbachol