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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Electrophysiology on Isolated Brainstem-spinal Cord Preparations from Newborn Rodents Allows Neural Respiratory Network Output Recording
Published on: November 19, 2015
Paraventricular vasopressin-containing neurons project to brain stem and spinal cord respiratory-related sites
Prabha Kc1, Musa A Haxhiu, Fatima P Tolentino-Silva
1Specialized Neuroscience Research Program, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W St. N.W., Washington, DC 20059, USA.
Abstract:
We studied in the rat projections of vasopressin-containing neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to phrenic nuclei and to the pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC). In addition, we determined vasopressin receptor expression within the pre-BotC and the physiological effects of vasopressin on respiratory drive and arterial blood pressure when injected into the pre-BotC. Retrograde tracing with cholera toxin B subunit (CT-b) showed that a subpopulation of vasopressin-containing PVN neurons project to phrenic nuclei and the pre-BotC. The latter region, identified by expression of neurokinin-1 receptors, contained a subpopulation of neurons that were immunoreactive for the vasopressin type 1 receptor (V(1)R). Microinjection of vasopressin in the pre-BotC (0.2 nmol/200 nl) significantly increased diaphragm electromyographic activity and frequency discharge (P<0.05). In addition, vasopressin increased blood pressure and heart rate (P<0.05). These data indicate that PVN vasopressin-containing neurons innervate respiratory-related regions of the medulla oblongata and spinal cord and when vasopressin is released at these sites, it may increase respiratory drive via activation of the distinct V(1)R.
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