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Functional and Morphological Assessment of Diaphragm Innervation by Phrenic Motor Neurons
Published on: May 25, 2015
Neural circuits controlling diaphragm function in the cat revealed by transneuronal tracing
James H Lois1, Cory D Rice, Bill J Yates
1Department of Neuroscience, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Eye and Ear Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|November 1, 2008
Summary
Researchers mapped neural pathways controlling diaphragm activity in cats. This study reveals complex, parallel circuits involving the brainstem, cerebellum, and cortex, highlighting the diaphragm
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Neural control of diaphragm activity is not fully understood, especially in species like cats.
- Diaphragm muscles are crucial for various behaviors and movements beyond respiration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the extended neural pathways regulating diaphragm function in felines.
- To elucidate the complex circuitry controlling diaphragm activity using viral tracing.
Main Methods:
- Employed retrograde transneuronal transport of rabies virus.
- Injected rabies virus into the diaphragm of felines.
- Analyzed infected motoneurons and interneurons across spinal cord and brainstem at different survival times.
Main Results:
- Infected motoneurons identified in C(4)-C(6) spinal segments.
- Interneurons labeled throughout cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord, with expansive distribution in later survival cases.
- Brainstem, midbrain, cerebellum, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex showed significant neuronal labeling, indicating widespread neural control.
Conclusions:
- Multiple parallel pathways likely regulate feline diaphragm activity.
- Findings underscore the multifunctional role of respiratory muscles in felines.
- This study provides a comprehensive map of the neural control of the diaphragm.
