Axonal projections from respiratory centres towards the rostral ventrolateral medulla in the rat

1. Efferent pathways from brainstem respiratory centres towards bulbospinal tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons were identified in the rat using a combination of electrophysiology, retrograde and anterograde tract-tracing, and immunohistochemistry. 2. Varicose axons originating from respiratory centres were found in close apposition to bulbospinal tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the ventrolateral medulla. 3. These findings support the idea that respiratory rhythms in sympathetic nerves may be due to a synaptic connection between brainstem respiratory neurons and bulbospinal tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons of the C1 cell group.