title: Anatomical and functional pathways of rhythmogenic inspiratory premotor information flow originating in the pre-Bötzinger complex in the rat medulla.
abstract: The pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) of the ventrolateral medulla is the kernel for inspiratory rhythm generation. However, it is not fully understood how inspiratory neural activity is generated in the preBötC and propagates to other medullary regions. We analyzed the detailed anatomical connectivity to and from the preBötC and functional aspects of the inspiratory information propagation from the preBötC on the transverse plane of the medulla oblongata. Tract-tracing with immunohistochemistry in young adult rats demonstrated that neurokinin-1 receptor- and somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons in the preBötC, which could be involved in respiratory rhythmogenesis, are embedded in the plexus of axons originating in the contralateral preBötC. By voltage-imaging in rhythmically active slices of neonatal rats, we analyzed origination and propagation of inspiratory neural activity as depolarizing wave dynamics on the entire transverse plane as well as within the preBötC. Novel combination of pharmacological blockade of glutamatergic transmission and mathematical subtraction of the video images under blockade from the control images enabled to extract glutamatergic signal propagations. By ultra-high-speed voltage-imaging we first demonstrated the inter-preBötC conduction process of inspiratory action potentials. Intra-preBötC imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution during a single spontaneous inspiratory cycle unveiled deterministic nonlinearities, i.e., chaos, in the population recruitment. Collectively, we comprehensively elucidated the anatomical pathways to and from the preBötC and dynamics of inspiratory neural information propagation: (1) From the preBötC in one side to the contralateral preBötC, which would synchronize the bilateral rhythmogenic kernels, (2) from the preBötC directly to the bilateral hypoglossal premotor and motor areas as well as to the nuclei tractus solitarius, and (3) from the hypoglossal premotor areas toward the hypoglossal motor nuclei. The coincidence of identified anatomical and functional connectivity between the preBötC and other regions in adult and neonatal rats, respectively, indicates that this fundamental connectivity is already well developed at the time of birth.
authors.affiliation: Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koshiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Morphological Neuroscience, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oyamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Morphological Neuroscience, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo 693-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Clinical Research Center, Murayama Medical Center, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan. Electronic address: yasumasaokada@1979.jukuin.keio.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D056347:Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012125:Respiratory Center / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014741:Video Recording; D056969:Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging
chemical_list: D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D013004:Somatostatin
keywords: medulla oblongata; pre-Bötzinger complex; respiratory rhythm; rhythmically active slice; tract tracing; voltage-sensitive dye