title: [Effects of medullary ischemia on respiratory and blood pressure induced by ligating basilar artery in cat].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Observations on medullary ischemia region, the morphology of neurons and changes of respiration and blood pressure were made, in order to give evidences on how medullary ischemia affects respiration and circulation and give some advices on how to protect from it.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using cats as the experimental animals, the different parts of the basilar artery trunk were ligated. The changes in the density of blood vessels, the morphology of neurons in the brainstem, the electromyogram (EMG) of the diaphragm and the blood pressure of the femoral artery were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The density of blood vessels notably decreased in the medulla after ligating the basilar artery trunk. The ischemic range induced by ligation of the different parts of the basilar artery trunk overlapped, mainly locating in the medulla rostral to the obex. The soma were swelled and the Nissl bodies decreased in some of neurons in the ischemic region of medulla. The duration of inspiration (T1) and expiration (TE) shortened, respiratory frequency (RF) increased, and mean blood pressure (MBP) decreased in the experimental groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an obvious overlap of the areas in which blood supplied by different parts of the basilar artery trunk. Medullary ischemia can involve in changes of respiration and blood pressure. The ischemic damage of neurons in the medulla might be the structural basis of the changes in the respiratory and circulatory functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Jun-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Cheng-Wu
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001488:Basilar Artery; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D012119:Respiration; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*