Behavioral inspiratory inhibition: inactivated and activated respiratory cells

1. Eleven adult cats were trained to stop inspiration in response to a conditioning stimulus. The conditioning stimuli were presented at the onset of inspiration at intervals of approximately 20-30 s. Intratracheal pressures, diaphragmatic activity, and the extracellular activity of single medullary respiratory neurons were recorded while the animals performed this response. 2. Inactivation of the diaphragm to the conditioning stimuli occurred at latencies that varied from 40 to 110 ms and averaged 74 +/- 32 (SD) ms. 3. The subjects of this report are 38 inspiratory neurons that were inactivated and 19 cells that were activated when inspiration was stopped behaviorally. These cells were located in the region of n. ambiguus and the ventrolateral n. of tractus solitarius. 4. The inspiratory cells that were inactivated behaviorally had the following characteristics: 1) Most had an augmenting inspiratory profile with (n = 14) or without (n = 9) postinspiratory activity. Other types were inspiratory throughout (n = 5), decrementing inspiratory (n = 3), tonic inspiratory (n = 4), early inspiratory (n = 2), and expiratory-inspiratory (n = 1). 2) Their mean discharge rate was 39 +/- 2.7 (SE) Hz. 3) The latency of their inactivation in response to the task averaged 81 +/- 4.9 (SE) ms, and 4) Their activity corresponded closely to breathing not only during the behavioral response but also during eupnea (eta 2 = 0.62 +/- 0.04, mean +/- SE) and respiratory acts such as sneezing, sniffing, meowing, and purring. 5. The cells that were activated when inspiration was stopped behaviorally had the following characteristics. 1) As a group, they had discharge profiles related to every phase of the respiratory cycle. 2) They were recorded in the same region as, and often simultaneously with, respiratory cells that were inactivated. 3) Their activity patterns were highly variable such that the signal strength and consistency of the respiratory component of that activity were weak (eta 2 = 0.27 +/- 0.03, mean +/- SE). 4) The latency of their activation in response to the task averaged 58 +/- 2.7 (SE) ms and was significantly shorter than the latency of inactivation of the high eta 2-valued inspiratory cells. 5) This activation was intense and prolonged. 6. It is hypothesized that the activated cells integrate nonrespiratory and respiratory inputs and act to inhibit other respiratory cells during the behavioral inhibition of inspiration.