Respiratory stimulant effects by TRH into the mesencephalic region in the rat

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has previously been found to have a potent respiratory stimulant effect following intracerebroventricular administration. One part of the respiratory response, the shortening of inspiratory time, seems to be elicited from the raphe obscurus in the medulla. The prominent tachypnoea however is not elicited after local injections in the medullary region. In the present paper a micro-injection technique was employed to study respiratory actions of TRH in lightly anaesthetized rats kept in a whole body plethysmograph. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone in a dose of 100 ng per 0.5 microliter was found to induce an immediate tachypnoea after injections into the region of the interpeduncular nucleus of the midbrain. No effects on systemic circulation were seen. More rostral or dorsal sites of injection were without effect. The localization of the sites responsible for respiratory stimulation corresponds to the reticular activating system where electrical stimulation induces hyperventilation in cats. The tachypnoea might be closely related to the well known arousal effects of TRH.