Cough, expiration and aspiration reflexes following kainic acid lesions to the pontine respiratory group in anesthetized cats.
The importance of neurons in the pontine respiratory group for the generation of cough, expiration, and aspiration reflexes was studied on non-decerebrate spontaneously breathing cats under pentobarbitone anesthesia. The dysfunction of neurons in the pontine respiratory group produced by bilateral microinjection of kainic acid (neurotoxin) regularly abolished the cough reflexes evoked by mechanical stimulation of both the tracheobronchial and the laryngopharyngeal mucous membranes and the expiration reflex mechanically induced from the glottis. The aspiration reflex elicited by similar stimulation of the nasopharyngeal region persisted in 73% of tests, however, with a reduced intensity compared to the pre-lesion conditions. The pontine respiratory group seems to be an important source of the facilitatory inputs to the brainstem circuitries that mediate cough, expiration, and aspiration reflexes. Our results indicate the significant role of pons in the multilevel organization of brainstem networks in central integration of the aforementioned reflexes.
Poliacek
I
I
Department of Biophysics, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Malá Hora 4, 037 54 Martin, Slovak Republic. poliacek@jfmed.uniba.sk
Jakus
J
J
Stránsky
A
A
Baráni
H
H
Halasová
E
E
Tomori
Z
Z
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002415:Cats; D003371:Cough / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D045853:Exhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D005931:Glottis / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011149:Pons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000294:innervation; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014132:Trachea / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007608:Kainic Acid