The differential organization of medullary post-inspiratory activities

Membrane potential trajectories of 68 bulbar respiratory neurones from the peri-solitary and peri-ambigual areas of the brain-stem were recorded in anaesthetized cats to explore the synaptic influences of post-inspiratory neurones upon the medullary inspiratory network. A declining wave of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials resembling the discharge of post-inspiratory neurones was seen in both bulbospinal and non-bulbospinal inspiratory neurones, including alpha- and beta-inspiratory, early-inspiratory, late-inspiratory and ramp-inspiratory neurones. Activation of laryngeal and high-threshold pulmonary receptor afferents excited bulbar post-inspiratory neurones, whilst in the case of inspiratory neurones such stimulation produced enhanced postsynaptic inhibition during the same period of the cycle. Activation of post-inspiratory neurones and enhanced post-inspiratory inhibition of inspiratory bulbospinal neurones was accompanied by suppression of the after-discharge of phrenic motoneurones. These results suggest that a population of post-inspiratory neurones exerts a widespread inhibitory function at the lower brain-stem level. Implications of such an inhibitory function for the organization of the respiratory network are discussed in relation to the generation of the respiratory rhythm.