title: Sex-specific response to hypoxia in a reduced brainstem preparation from Xenopus laevis.
abstract: Respiratory reflexes and tolerance to hypoxia show significant sexual dimorphism. However, the data supporting this notion originates exclusively from mammals. To determine whether this concept is limited to this group of vertebrates, we examined the sex-specific response to acute hypoxia in an adult reduced brainstem preparation from Xenopus laevis. Within the first 5min of exposure to hypoxic aCSF (98% N2/2% CO2), recordings of respiratory-related activity show a stronger increase in fictive breathing frequency in males than females. This initial response was followed by a decrease in respiratory-related activity; this depression occurred 6min sooner in males than females. These results represent new evidences of sexual dimorphism in respiratory control in amphibians and provide potential insight in understanding the homology with other groups of vertebrates, including mammals.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: jean-philippe.rousseau.3@ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.affiliation: Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Hôpital St-François d'Assise, Québec, QC G1L 3L5, Canada.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kinkead
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Amphibian; Brainstem; Control of breathing; Hypoxic chemoreflex; Sexual dimorphism; Xenopus laevis