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Lung and buccal ventilation in the frog: uncoupling coupled oscillators
Konstantinon Vasilakos1, Naofumi Kimura, Richard J A Wilson
1Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology : PBZ
|October 17, 2006
Summary
Frog respiratory rhythm involves two oscillators: buccal and lung. Opioids uncoupled lung from buccal, while reduced chloride altered both, suggesting chloride’s role in coupling these respiratory oscillators.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Physiology
- Respiratory Control
Background:
- The frog respiratory system exhibits two distinct ventilatory acts: buccal and lung.
- Evidence suggests separate neural oscillators generate these buccal and lung ventilation rhythms.
- Understanding the interaction between these oscillators is key to deciphering respiratory rhythm generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prospective interaction of two oscillators in generating the respiratory rhythm in frogs.
- To attempt to uncouple the buccal and lung ventilation rhythms in an isolated brain stem preparation.
- To elucidate the mechanisms coupling the buccal and lung oscillators.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an isolated frog brain stem preparation.
- Applied opioid to preferentially inhibit the lung rhythm.
- Reduced superfusate chloride concentration to alter rhythmicity.
- Joint application of opioid and reduced chloride superfusate.
Main Results:
- Opioid application preferentially inhibited the lung rhythm, suggesting uncoupling from the buccal oscillator.
- Reduced superfusate chloride concentration altered both buccal and lung rhythms.
- Joint application of opioid and reduced chloride increased variability in buccal-to-lung burst intervals, indicating chloride-mediated coupling.
Conclusions:
- The study proposes a schematic model of the frog respiratory rhythm generator.
- Chloride-mediated mechanisms are implicated in coupling the buccal oscillator to the lung oscillator.
- The findings provide insights into the neural control of respiratory rhythm in vertebrates.
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