Location and axonal projection of early-onset decrementing expiratory neurons in the cat.
The location and axonal projection of early-onset decrementing expiratory (eE-DEC) neurons were studied in Nembutal-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated cats. The eE-DEC neurons started firing around the peak of phrenic activity and attained maximum firing at the transition from inspiration to expiration. The eE-DEC neurons were distributed in the dorsomedial border of the dense assembly of respiratory neurons of the ventral respiratory group and the Bötzinger complex. Antidromic microstimulation showed that the eE-DEC neurons projected mainly to the ipsilateral reticular formation medial and dorsal to the nucleus ambiguus at the level of the obex but rarely to the medullary respiration-related areas. Participation of these eE-DEC neurons in the inspiratory off-switch may not be possible.
Ezure
K
K
Department of Neurobiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, Japan.
Tanaka
I
I
Oku
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology