title: Respiration related neurons in the region of the nucleus tractus solitarius of the rabbit.
abstract: Systematic mapping of respiration-related units (RRUs) in the region of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) was performed on rabbits anesthetized with urethane. Of 523 RRUs 295 (56%) were inspiratory (I), 130 (25%) expiratory (E) and 98 (19%) phase-spanning (PS). Such a large number of E and PS RRUs in NTS have not been reported in the cat. Six out of 16 I RRUs 6 of 13 E RRUs, and 1 of 3 PS RRUs had projections to contralateral cervical spinal cord. The 'no I inflation' test was conducted on 76 I and 38 E RRUs, of which 29 I RRUs were identified as I alpha and 31 as I beta. Thirteen E RRUs were inhibited and 6 facilitated by preceding lung inflation. Almost all types of respiratory neurons so far reported from different nuclei of cat's brainstem have been located in the NTS region of the rabbit.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012119:Respiration; D013045:Species Specificity; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology