Patrone LA, Biancardi V, Bicego KC, Gargaglioni LH (2014) Medullary catecholaminergic (CA) neurons modulate hypoxic ventilatory response in neonatal rats (P7-8). Neuroscience 2014 Abstracts 643.10. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC.
Summary: It is known that catecholaminergic (CA) neurons are involved in autonomic and respiratory regulation during low O2 conditions in adult mammals. We evaluated the participation of medullary CA neurons of male and female neonatal rats (P7-8) in mediating the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) by specifically lesioning them with antidopamine beta-hydroxylase-saporin (DBH-SAP, 42ng / 100nL) injected into the 4th ventricle. We also quantified rates of O2 consumption (VO2) of control and lesioned neonates (P7-8) exposed to hypoxia. Minute ventilation (VE) of neonates was recorded by pressure-plethysmography from the body chamber during normoxia and hypoxia (10% O2), and the VO2 measurement by open flow respirometry. The mammalian HVR typically results in increased VE upon exposure to acute hypoxia. HVR was significantly reduced in male and female lesioned neonatal rats by about 23 and 15%, respectively, (male- control group: 137.3±7.9 (% of baseline) vs. lesioned group: 105.3±2.4 (% of baseline), p<0.01; female- control group: 127.0±3.0 (% of baseline) vs. lesioned group: 108.6±1.7 (% of baseline) p<0.02). The VO2 was decreased in the lesioned newborns, but only the lesioned male group was significantly lower (control group: 76.8±12.14 (% of baseline) vs. lesioned group: 45.3±13.3 (% of baseline) p<0.03). These results suggest that catecholaminergic neurons, specifically from medullary nuclei, exert an excitatory modulation of O2 chemosensitivity in neonatal rats.
Related Products: Anti-DBH-SAP (Cat. #IT-03)