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Location and properties of respiratory neurones with putative intrinsic bursting properties in the rat in situ
Author(s) -
St.John Walter M.,
Stornetta Ruth L.,
Guyenet Patrice G.,
Paton Julian F.R.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.170308
Subject(s) - bursting , population , ionotropic effect , biology , sodium cyanide , respiratory system , neuroscience , blockade , electrophysiology , glutamatergic , hypoxia (environmental) , anesthesia , glutamate receptor , anatomy , chemistry , receptor , medicine , cyanide , oxygen , biochemistry , inorganic chemistry , environmental health , organic chemistry
Using the in situ arterially perfused preparations of both neonatal and juvenile rats, we provide the first description of the location, morphology and transmitter content of a population of respiratory neurones that retains a bursting behaviour after ionotropic receptor blockade. All burster neurones exhibited an inspiratory discharge during eupnoeic respiration. These neurones were predominantly glutamatergic, and were located within a region of the ventral respiratory column that encompasses the pre‐Bötzinger complex and the more caudally located ventral respiratory group. Bursting behaviour was both voltage and persistent sodium current dependent and could be stimulated by sodium cyanide to activate this persistent sodium current. The population of burster neurones may overlap with that previously described in the neonatal slice in vitro . Based upon the present and previous findings, we hypothesize that this burster discharge may be released when the brain is subject to severe hypoxia or ischaemia, and that this burster discharge could underlie gasping.