c-Fos expression in the central nervous system elicited by phrenic nerve stimulation

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) Vol. 90; no. 4; pp. 1291 - 1298
• Main Authors: Malakhova, O. E, Davenport, P. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Physiological Soc 01.04.2001; American Physiological Society
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Brain Stem - metabolism; Central Nervous System - metabolism; Electric Stimulation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, fos; Immunohistochemistry; Motor control and motor pathways. Reflexes. Control centers of vegetative functions. Vestibular system and equilibration; Nervous system; Neurons; Neurons - metabolism; Phrenic Nerve - physiology; Prosencephalon - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans; Respiratory system; Spinal Cord - metabolism; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Peripheral nervous system; Rat; Brain stem; Electrical stimulus; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Electrophysiology; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Phrenic nerve; Afferent projection; Sensorimotor nerve; Respiratory control; Respiration; Brain (vertebrata); Response stimulus relation
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/jappl.2001.90.4.1291

Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610 Phrenic nerve afferents (PNa) have been shown to activate neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and forebrain regions. The c-Fos technique has been widely used as a method to identify neuronal regions activated by afferent stimulation. This technique was used to identify central neural areas activated by PNa. The right phrenic nerve of urethane-anesthetized rats was stimulated in the thorax. The spinal cord and brain were sectioned and stained for c-Fos expression. Labeled neurons were found in the dorsal horn laminae I and II of the C 3 -C 5 spinal cord ipsilateral to the site of PNa stimulation. c-Fos-labeled neurons were found bilaterally in the medial subnuclei of the nucleus of the solitary tract, rostral ventral respiratory group, and ventrolateral medullary reticular formation. c-Fos-labeled neurons were found bilaterally in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei, in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, and in the central nucleus of the amygdala. The presence of c-Fos suggests that these neurons are involved in PNa information processing and a component of the central mechanisms regulating respiratory function. afferents; control of breathing; cerebral cortex