Modulation of respiratory motor output by cerebellar deep nuclei in the rat

The present study was undertaken to determine what roles the various cerebellar deep nuclei (CDN) play in modulation of respiration, especially during chemical challenges. Experiments were carried out in 12 anesthetized, tracheotomized, paralyzed, and ventilated rats. The integrated phrenic nerve activity (integralPN) was recorded as an index of respiratory motor output. A stimulating electrode was sequentially placed into the fastigial nucleus (FN), the interposed nucleus, and the lateral nucleus. Only stimulation of the FN significantly altered respiration, primarily via increasing respiratory frequency associated with a pressor response. The evoked respiratory responses persisted after blocking the pressor response via pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine or use of transient stimulation (<2 s) but were abolished by microinjection of kainic acid into the FN. To test the involvement of FN neurons in respiratory chemoreflexes, ventilation with hypercapnic gases mixture and intravenous injection of sodium cyanide were applied before and after CDN lesions induced by kainic acid. CDN lesions did not significantly alter eupneic breathing, but FN lesions attenuated the respiratory response to hypercapnia and sodium cyanide. We conclude that, with respect to the CDN in the rat, FN neurons uniquely modulate respiration independent of cardiovascular effects and facilitate respiratory responses mediated by activation of CO(2) and O(2) receptors.