title: Multiphoton/confocal Ca2+-imaging of inspiratory pre-Bötzinger complex neurons at the rostral or caudal surface of newborn rat brainstem slices.
abstract: Breathing is controled by neural networks of the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC). We have previously established that multiphoton/confocal Ca(2+) imaging is a potent tool for studying preBötC functions in transversal newborn rat brainstem slices. Here, we used such imaging to show that only 3 often dispersedly located preBötC neurons are typically inspiratory active per transversal imaging plane in slices with rostrally-exposed preBötC contrary to rhythmic optical activity in 11 densely aggregated neurons in slices with the preBötC at the caudal margin. In both slice types, glutamate raises Ca(2+) in >30 cells (both neurons and glia). Factors are discussed that may be involved in the spatial inhomogeneity of superficially located active inspiratory preBötC neurons in both slice types.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicoleta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bobocea
authors.forename: Araya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruangkittisakul
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ballanyi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D001239:Inhalation; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D017785:Photons; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium