A ventral pontine pathway promotes rhythmic activity in the medulla of neonate mice.
We have developed in new-born mice a ventral tilted-horizontal slice preparation for pontine stimulation and recording of spontaneous respiratory-like rhythmic trains of glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in medullary neurons. Electrical stimulations (10-50 Hz for 100-500 ms) of the caudal pontine reticular formation triggered a burst of EPSPs, recycling of the rhythmic activity and persistent increase of the rhythmic behaviour. These results identify a ventral pontine pathway that promotes rhythm generating mechanisms in the medulla and probably derives from a population of lateral reticular neurons identified in the embryonic hindbrain and eliminated after inactivation of the early developmental gene Krox-20.
Borday
V
V
Biologie Fonctionnelle du Neurone, Institut Alfred Fessard, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Kato
F
F
Champagnat
J
J
D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004597:Electroshock; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011149:Pons / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology; D012249:Rhombencephalon / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione