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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 93/7/803    most recent expphysiol.2007.041400v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Baekey, D. M. Articles by Paton, J. F. R. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baekey, D. M. Articles by Paton, J. F. R. Related Collections Cardiovascular control

¹ Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA² Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

Previous studies have indicated a major role for the pons in the genesis of the respiratory pattern. The respiratory rhythm is coupled to the cardiovascular system to ensure optimal matching of minute ventilation and cardiac output. Since much of this coupling results from cross-talk between brainstem circuits, we have assessed the role of the pons in both the co-ordination of respiratory and cardiovascular efferent activities and the baroreceptor reflex efficacy. Using the arterially perfused in situ rat preparation, we recorded neural activities from the left phrenic nerve, central end of the vagus nerve, thoracic sympathetic chain (T8–T10) and heart rate. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respiratory modulation of sympathetic nerve activity (and Traube–Hering waves in arterial pressure) and postinspiratory discharges recorded from vagal efferents were eliminated after pontine transection. We also found that although the sympathetic arterial baroreflex remained intact, respiratory gating of the baroreceptor reflex (i.e. both bradycardia and sympathoinhibition) was abolished after pontine removal. We propose that neural activity of the pons is essential for physiological coupling of centrally generated respiratory and cardiovascular efferent activities.

(Received 16 November 2007; accepted after revision 10 March 2008; first published online 14 March 2008)
Corresponding author D. M. Baekey: Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Room 622 – Mailstop 5067, Cleveland, OH 44106-5067, USA. Email: david.baekey{at}case.edu