Nattie EE, Li A (2004) Brainstem catecholaminergic neurons participate in central chemoreception in NREM sleep and wakefulness. Neuroscience 2004 Abstracts 145.9. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.
Summary: In the locus ceruleus (LC), noradrenergic neurons are CO2 sensitive in vitro and focal acidification stimulates breathing in vivo. Do catecholaminergic (CA) neurons in general have a like role? To kill brainstem CA neurons we administered a conjugate of the cell toxin saporin with an antibody to dopamine-β-hydroxylase via the fourth ventricle in rats (N=7) using IgG-saporin conjugate injections as a control (N=6). We studied breathing in air, 3 and 7% CO2 during NREM sleep and wakefulness before and 7, 14, and 21 days after the injections. TH-ir noradrenergic neurons were significantly reduced in LC (-84%) and the A5 region (-78%) but not the A9 region. PNMT-ir adrenergic neurons were significantly reduced in C3 (-56%) and C1 (-60%) regions. Neither treatment affected room air breathing. In 3 and 7% CO2, IgG-SAP injections had no effect. In the lesion group, during 3% CO2 frequency (f) was significantly decreased (two-way ANOVA) and Δ ventilation (VE) (VE in 5% CO2 – VE in air) was significantly decreased in sleep. During 7% CO2, both absolute and Δ VE and f were significantly decreased in sleep and wakefulness, Δ VE by 25% in wakefulness and 28% in sleep at 21 days. Brainstem CA neurons participate in central chemoreception in vivo during both NREM sleep and wakefulness.
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