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Nitric oxide is involved in the modulation of central respiratory rhythm

Li Ziqiang, Wu Zhonghai, Shi Yue, Wang Ningqian

Department of Physiology, The First Military Medical University. Guangzhou 510515, China

Abstract

This experiment was expected to test whether nitric oxide (NO) exerted significant effect onthe central respiratory rhythm. Experiments were performed on in vitro brainstem slice preparations fromneonatal rats. These preparations include the medial region of the nucleus retrofacialis (mNRF); a part ofpre-Botinger complex, ventral respiratory group (VRG) and dorsal respiratory group (DRG). Respiratory-related burst activities were recorded from hypoglossal nerve rootlets before and during superfusion of theslice preparation with L-Arginine (L-Arg), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or 7-nitro indazole (7-NI, an in-hibitor of NO synthase). After perfusion with L-Arg and SNP, there was no significant change in respiratoryrhythmical discharge activity (RRDA), but 7-NI decreased the integral amplitude of burst and inspiratorytime. These results indicate that NO may take part in the inspiratory off-switching mechanism and that it al-so modulates the amplitude of respiratory-related bursts.

Key words: Nitric oxide the medial region of the nucleus retrofacialis;Pre-Botinger complex;Respiratory rhythm;Nitric oxide synthase ;

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Citing This Article：

Li Ziqiang, Wu Zhonghai, Shi Yue, Wang Ningqian. Nitric oxide is involved in the modulation of central respiratory rhythm. Acta Physiol Sin 2003; 55 (5): (in Chinese with English abstract).