Optical analysis of circuitry for respiratory rhythm in isolated brainstem of foetal mice.
Respiratory rhythms arise from neurons situated in the ventral medulla. We are investigating their spatial and functional relationships optically by measuring changes in intracellular calcium using the fluorescent, calcium-sensitive dye Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-1 AM while simultaneously recording the regular firing of motoneurons in the phrenic nerve in isolated brainstem/spinal cord preparations of E17 to E19 mice. Responses of identified cells are associated breath by breath with inspiratory and expiratory phases of respiration and depend on CO(2) and pH levels. Optical methods including two-photon microscopy are being developed together with computational analyses. Analysis of the spatial pattern of neuronal activity associated with respiratory rhythm, including cross-correlation analysis, reveals a network distributed in the ventral medulla with intermingling of neurons that are active during separate phases of the rhythm. Our experiments, aimed at testing whether initiation of the respiratory rhythm depends on pacemaker neurons, on networks or a combination of both, suggest an important role for networks.
Muller
Kenneth J
KJ
Department of Physiology and Biophysics and Neuroscience Program, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33134, USA. kmuller@miami.edu
Tsechpenakis
Gavriil
G
Homma
Ryota
R
Nicholls
John G
JG
Cohen
Lawrence B
LB
Eugenin
Jaime
J
D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C403124:Oregon Green BAPTA-dextran; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002118:Calcium