title: Spontaneous central apneas occur in the C57BL/6J mouse strain.
abstract: Despite the clinical significance of central apneas in a wide range of disorders little is known about their pathogenesis. Research in this field has been hindered by the lack of appropriate animal models. Our goal was to determine whether the C57BL/6J mouse strain, which has an inherited predisposition for dysrhythmic breathing, exhibits spontaneous apneas. In vivo plethysmography of unanesthetized, unrestrained adult C57BL/6J mice revealed a regular occurrence of spontaneous apneas. In situ recordings from respiratory outputs (phrenic, vagal, hypoglossal nerves) in the working heart-brainstem preparation (WHBP) also showed spontaneous central apneas accompanied by laryngeal closure as indicated by tonic vagal postinspiratory activity and increase in subglottal pressure. The apneas were further characterized by a hypoglossal discharge with delayed onset compared to the tonic vagal postinspiratory activity. We conclude that spontaneous central apneas with active laryngeal closure occur in C57BL/6J mice. This mouse strain is a useful animal model to study neuronal mechanisms that underlie the generation of spontaneous central apneas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg August University, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. georg.stettner@med.uni-goettingen.de
authors.forename: Georg M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Stettner
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huppke
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hilaire
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dutschmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001049:Apnea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005931:Glottis / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D007830:Larynx / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D010991:Plethysmography; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology