title: Post-natal hypoxic activity of the central respiratory command is improved in transgenic mice overexpressing Epo in the brain.
abstract: Previous studies indicated that erythropoietin modulates central respiratory command in mice. Specifically, a one-hour incubation of the brainstems with erythropoietin attenuates hypoxia-induced central respiratory depression. Here, using transgenic mice constitutively overexpressing erythropoietin specifically in the brain (Tg21), we investigated the effect of chronic erythropoietin stimulation on central respiratory command activity during post-natal development. In vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparations from mice at 0 (P0) or 3 days of age (P3) were used to record the fictive inspiratory activity from the C4 ventral root. Our results show that erythropoietin already stimulates the hypoxic burst frequency at P0, and at P3, erythropoietin effectively stimulates the hypoxic burst frequency and amplitude. Because the maturation of the central respiratory command in mice is characterized by a decrease in the burst frequency with age, our results also suggest that erythropoietin accelerates the maturation of the newborn respiratory network and its response to hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Laval University, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, 10 Rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: celine.caravagna.1@ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caravagna
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Laval University, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, 10 Rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: Richard.Kinkead@crsfa.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kinkead
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Laval University, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, 10 Rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: Jorge.soliz@crchuq.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soliz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008839:Microelectrodes; D012119:Respiration; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin
keywords: Brainstem; Erythropoietin; Hypoxia; Newborn mice; Respiration