Mechanisms contributing to the genesis of hypoglossal preinspiratory discharge

Preinspiratory discharge manifests in the neuronal recordings of the pre-Bötzinger complex, parafacial respiratory group, retrotrapezoid nucleus, and Kölliker-Fuse nucleus, as well as the efferent neural discharge of respiratory-related nerves innervating upper airway musculature. This neural component of triphasic eupnea contemporaneously contributes to the genesis of native and originate respiratory rhythmic activity, as well as the preinspiratory component of efferent neural respiratory discharges. In the course of our investigations evaluating hypoglossal discharge in response to asphyxia, we noted a curious pattern of neural respiratory recovery following postasphyxia resuscitation in hypoglossal, vagal, and phrenic neurograms in unanesthetized decerebrate rats. Specifically, we observed a gradual return of a pseudobiphasic eupnea characterized by initial transition bursts followed by robust eupneic bursts with dynamics inclusive of a gradually and progressively increasing duration of the hypoglossal eupneic bursts and duration and amplitude of the preinspiratory component of these bursts, as well as progressively lengthening expiratory interval between these bursts in the phrenic nerve discharge. This was followed by conversion to regular triphasic eupnea. We discuss our extrapolations based on these findings regarding eupneic respiratory central pattern generation and mechanisms contributing to the genesis of preinspiratory activity in hypoglossal discharge.