Descending pathway from the central pattern generator of vomiting.
The central pattern generator (CPG) for vomiting has been postulated to consist of non-respiratory neurons in the reticular area dorsomedial to the retrofacial nucleus. CPG neurons are known to produce vomiting activity patterns similar to respiratory spinal motoneurons and premotoneurons in the caudal part of the ventral respiratory group (cVRG). This study was performed to reveal direct connections between CPG neurons and cVRG neurons in dogs. Twenty-seven non-respiratory neurons were identified as CPG neurons based on their responses to vagal stimulation and their firing patterns of vomiting. Nine of these 27 neurons antidromically responded to cVRG stimulation. These results suggest that the CPG directly drives respiratory premotor neurons in the cVRG to produce vomiting motions.
Koga
T
T
Department of Physiology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan.
Fukuda
H
H
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004285:Dogs; D004525:Efferent Pathways; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012119:Respiration; D013997:Time Factors; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000503:physiopathology*