title: Ventilatory long-term facilitation in unanesthetized rats.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that unanesthetized rats exhibit ventilatory long-term facilitation (LTF) after intermittent, but not continuous, hypoxia. Minute ventilation (VE) and carbon dioxide production (VCO(2)) were measured in unanesthetized, unrestrained male Sprague-Dawley rats via barometric plethysmography before, during, and after exposure to continuous or intermittent hypoxia. Hypoxia was either isocapnic [inspired O(2) fraction (FI(O(2))) = 0.08--0.09 and inspired CO(2) fraction (FI(CO(2))) = 0.04] or poikilocapnic (FI(O(2)) = 0.11 and FI(CO(2)) = 0.00). Sixty minutes after intermittent hypoxia, VE or VE/VCO(2) was significantly greater than baseline in both isocapnic and poikilocapnic conditions. In contrast, 60 min after continuous hypoxia, VE and VE/VCO(2) were not significantly different from baseline values. These data demonstrate ventilatory LTF after intermittent hypoxia in unanesthetized rats. Ventilatory LTF appeared similar in its magnitude (after accounting for CO(2) feedback), time course, and dependence on intermittent hypoxia to phrenic LTF previously observed in anesthetized, vagotomized, paralyzed rats.
authors.affiliation: The John Rankin Laboratory of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, 53705-2368, USA. ebolson@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bohne
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dwinell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Podolsky
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Vidruk
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mitchel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010313:Partial Pressure; D010991:Plethysmography; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D013990:Tidal Volume; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide