Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Respiratory rhythm: an emergent network property?

Christopher A Del Negro1, Consuelo Morgado-Valle, Jack L Feldman

  • 1Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology, University of California-Los Angeles, Box 95-1763, 90095, USA. delnegro@ucla.edu

Neuron
|June 14, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Pacemaker neurons do not generate mammalian breathing rhythm. Blocking their bursting activity did not alter respiratory motor output, suggesting breathing rhythm is an emergent network property.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Changes in Cerebellar Multiunit Activity Associated with Ventrolateral Striatal Injury During Spontaneous Motor Behavior.

Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Sex-Dependent Effects of Prenatal Stress on Seizure Susceptibility and Neurodegeneration in Neonatal Rats.

Brain sciences·2025
Same author

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Exacerbates Brain Injury After <i>Status Epilepticus</i> in Rats.

Brain sciences·2025
Same author

Exploratory Gene Expression Profiling of Cisplatin-Induced Neurotoxicity in Rat Brain.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

Proof of concept for high-dose Cannabidiol pretreatment to antagonize opioid induced persistent apnea in mice.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025
Same author

Ion channels in respiratory rhythm generation and sensorimotor integration.

Neuron·2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Respiratory Physiology

Background:

  • The generation of respiratory rhythm in mammals is crucial for survival.
  • Pacemaker neurons have been hypothesized to be central to respiratory rhythmogenesis.
  • Voltage-dependent bursting, mediated by the persistent sodium current (I(NaP)), was proposed as the mechanism for pacemaker neuron activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that pacemaker neurons generate mammalian respiratory rhythm.
  • To investigate the role of voltage-dependent bursting in respiratory pacemaker neurons in rhythm generation.

Main Methods:

  • Experiments were conducted on neonatal rodent slice preparations.
  • Respiratory-related motor nerve rhythm was monitored.
  • The persistent sodium current (I(NaP)) in pacemaker neurons was blocked using riluzole.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Riluzole did not alter the frequency of respiratory-related motor output, even at high concentrations (<= 200 microM).
  • Bursting in all recorded pacemaker neurons (50/50) was abolished at lower riluzole concentrations (<= 20 microM).
  • Elimination of the pacemaker population (>= 94% reduction) did not affect respiratory rhythm.

Conclusions:

  • Voltage-dependent bursting in pacemaker neurons is not essential for respiratory rhythmogenesis.
  • Respiratory rhythm may be an emergent property of the neural network, rather than solely dependent on pacemaker neurons.