Yoshimi Nakazono

Analysis of entrainment of respiratory rhythm by somatic afferent stimulation in cats using phase response curves

To elucidate how peripheral somatic afferents synchronize the respiratory rhythm to the exercise rhythm, the phrenic nerve activity in the vagotomized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated cats anesthetized with chloralose-urethane was recorded during electrical stimulation of the superficial radial nerve afferents. At first, a single pulse train was given at various times of the respiratory cycle to obtain a phase-response curve (PRC). The stimulation given at mid to late expiration produced a phase advance, but the stimulation during inspiration produced no measurable phase shifts in most animals (8/10). The maximum phase advance changed depending on the stimulus intensity. The stronger the stimulus intensity, the greater became the maximum phase advance. Repetitive somatic afferent stimulation produced 1:1 entrainment of the respiratory frequency to the repetitive stimulation. Theoretical predictions on the stable entrainment phase and on the entrainment frequency range from the obtained PRC were close to the experimental results. The present study demonstrated the presence of a neuronal circuit synchronizing the respiratory rhythm to the periodic somatic afferents and the manner of how such entrainment occurs.

Effect of air flow and flow transducer on tracheal breath sounds.

Tracheal breath sounds (TBSs) were analysed in 12 normal adult subjects at the air flow levels of 1·6, 2·1 and 2·6 litre s−1, using a low-resistance flow transducer, and at an estimated flow of 2·1 litre s−1 without the flow transducer. The major findings were that the TBSs were significantly distorted by the flow transducer, but were independent of air flow. We therefore conclude that true TBSs can only really be recorded when an oral flow transducer is not used. The within-subject reproducibility of TBS was relatively good, while the cross-subject comparison of TBS showed that each subject produced their own unique spectral pattern, although the TBSs of normal subjects fall in a common frequency range. Also, inspiratory sounds were significantly lower in peak frequency than expiratory TBSs.

Coupling between respiratory and locomotor rhythms during fictive locomotion in decerebrate cats

Fictive locomotion of the hindlimb was evoked by stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) in immobilized, decerebrate cats. Fictive respiration can also be obtained in such a preparation after bilateral vagotomy. A cross-correlation technique was used to evaluate the strength of the coupling between the locomotor and respiratory rhythms. This study demonstrated that there was a locomotor-respiratory coupling of central origin and the strength of the coupling varied depending on the level of end-tidal pCO2, reflecting the arterial CO2 tension.

Parallel suppression of extensor muscle tone and respiration by stimulation of pontine dorsal tegmentum in decerebrate cat

This paper describes the pontine brainstem area responsible for the suppression of postural muscle tone as well as of respiration in acute precollicular-postmammillary decerebrate (mesencephalic) cats. Stimulation of the dorsal part of the pontine tegmentum (DTF) along the midline (P4-P7, H-5 to H-6) decreased the bilateral tone of the hindlimb extensor muscles and the diaphragmatic activity. Tonic discharges of the extensor muscles were suppressed by DTF stimulation and the suppression of muscle activity continued for more than 5 min after termination of the stimulation. In contrast, the suppression of the diaphragmatic activity, which resulted in apnea in some of the animals tested, resumed in spite of the continuation of the stimulation. However, the rebound augmentation of the diaphragmatic activity appeared immediately after the termination of the stimulation. The existence of such a rebound phenomenon suggested that the suppressive effects on the diaphragmatic activity persisted during the entire period of the stimulation. The recovery of respiratory movements during the stimulation led us to suggest that the strong respiratory drives emerge to overcome the exerted DTF-elicited suppressive effects on respiration. In the paralyzed and vagotomized animal, the DTF-elicited suppressive effects on phrenic neural discharges were minimal when the end-tidal pCO2 was set at a higher level than during spontaneous breathing.

Inhibitory influences on hypoglossal neural activity by stimulation of midpontine dorsal tegmentum in decerebrate cat

In the spontaneously breathing decerebrate cat, the properties of the suppressive effects on hypoglossal nerve activity and on diaphragmatic activity elicited by stimulation of the midpontine dorsal tegmentum (DTF area) were analyzed. Stimulation simultaneously decreased the activities of the hypoglossal nerve as well as that of the diaphragm. However, the inhibitory influences on the above two kinds of activities were different in nature. Diaphragmatic activity, once suppressed by stimulation, recovered and gradually became greater in amplitude in spite of the continuation of stimulation. In contrast, DTF stimulation depressed tonic discharges of the hypoglossal nerve, and the decreased tonic nerve activity persisted after stimulation ended. Rhythmic hypoglossal activity, once suppressed by stimulation, reappeared during DTF stimulation. Such a rhythmic activity, however, vanished after the termination of stimulation, although the rhythmic diaphragmatic activity did not.

Neuronal origin of parallel suppression of postural tone and respiration elicited by stimulation of midpontine dorsal tegmentum in the decerebrate cat

This paper describes the possibility that rostal pontine neuronal structures cause the parallel suppression of postural tone and respiration evoked by stimulation of the dorsal tegmental field (DTF) of the pons in decerebrate cats. Stimulation of the DTF along the midline decreased both diaphragmatic activity and the bilateral tone of the hind-limb extensor muscles. Pontine neuronal structures located rostrally to the DTF, from which antidromically activated units could be recorded on stimulation of the DTF, were studied. Antidromic spikes were recorded in and near the nucleus reticularis pontis oralis. Tonic electrical stimulation of these sites caused parallel suppression of postural tone and respiration. These suppressive effects were almost similar to those elicited by the DTF stimulation.

Spectral analysis on low frequency fluctuation in respiratory rhythm in the decerebrate cat

Spectral analysis was performed on the fluctuation in respiratory intervals in vagotomized, paralyzed, and unanesthetized decerebrate cats. The respiratory interval was measured as the time interval between the onset of phrenic neural activity. When endtidal PCo2 was set at the same level as that before immobilization, the power spectral densities of the fluctuation in respiratory intervals were found to be inversely proportional to the frequency in the low frequency range of 0.001–0.1 Hz. All the tested animals showed this type of fluctuation (1/f fluctuation). In contrast, such characteristic 1/f fluctuation disappeared when the end-tidal PCo2 was raised to 50 or 60 mmHg. The spectral profile was almost flat in the frequency range of 0.001–0.1 Hz, i.e. similar to that of “white noise”. This study demonstrated that the respiratory rhythm evaluated by phrenic neural discharges exhibited 1/f fluctuation and that the spectral characteristic of the fluctuation in respiratory intervals varied depending on the end-tidal PCo2.

Raphe Magnus-Induced Inhibition of Medullary and Spinal Respiratory Activities in the Cat

Electrical stimulation of the medullary raphe complex results in significant changes in the discharge patterns of respiratory neurons and phrenic motoneurons. Recent studies by us1, 2 and others3, 4 have demonstrated that stimulation in the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) produced marked inhibitory effects on respiratory activities in cats and other animals. Previous studies5–7 have also provided evidence for the involvement of several putative transmitter substances such as serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) and other transmitters in raphe induced responses.

Kinetics of cardiorespiratory response to dynamic and rhythmic — static exercise in men

SummaryKinetics of cardiorespiratory response to dynamic (DE) and then to rhythmic-static exercise (RSE) was compared in nine male subjects exercising in an upright position on a cycle ergometer at an intensity of about 50 %