Central respiratory effects of substance P in neonatal mice: an in vitro study

Experiments were performed on neonatal mice to know whether substance P (SP) modified the rhythm and the amplitude of the phrenic bursts generated in vitro in brainstem-cervical cord preparations. In OF1 and C3H neonatal preparations, SP or the tachykinin NK1 receptor agonist [Sar9,Met(O2)11] substance P both increased significantly phrenic burst amplitude (10(-7) M) but had no significant effect on respiratory rhythm unless used at concentrations 10 times larger. In neonates from the monoamine oxidase-A deficient transgenic Tg8 line, SP increased phrenic burst amplitude but had no effect on the respiratory rhythm at the tested concentrations. The role of SP in regulating neonatal respiratory activity is discussed on the basis of rat and mouse results.