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Serotonin inputs to inspiratory laryngeal motoneurons in the rat
Author(s) -
Sun QiJian,
Berkowitz Robert G.,
Goodchild Ann K.,
Pilowsky Paul M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.10329
Subject(s) - biology , neuroscience , serotonergic , tonic (physiology) , anatomy , nucleus ambiguus , serotonin , raphe nuclei , nucleus , central nervous system , medulla oblongata , biochemistry , receptor
Serotonergic neurons are distributed widely throughout the central nervous system and exert a tonic influence on a range of activities in relation to the sleep–wake cycle. Previous morphologic and functional studies have indicated a role for serotonin in control of laryngeal motoneurons. In the present study, we used a combination of intracellular recording, dye‐filling, and immunocytochemistry in rats to demonstrate close appositions between serotonin immunoreactive boutons and posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) and cricothyroid (CT) motoneurons, both of which are located in the nucleus ambiguus and exhibit phasic inspiratory activity. PCA motoneurons received 29 ± 5 close appositions/neuron (mean ± SD, n = 6), with the close appositions distributed more frequently on the distal dendrites, less frequently on the proximal dendrites, and sparsely on the axons and somata. CT motoneurons received 56 ± 15 (n = 6), with close appositions found on both the somata and dendrites, especially proximal dendrites. Close appositions on the axons were only seen on one CT motoneuron. These results demonstrate a significant serotonin input to inspiratory laryngeal motoneurons, which is more prominent on CT compared with PCA motoneurons, and may reflect the different functional role of the muscles that they innervate during the sleep–wake cycle. J. Comp. Neurol. 451:91–98, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.