Inputs to intercostal motoneurons from ventrolateral medullary respiratory neurons in the cat

The investigation examined the synaptic input from medullary respiratory neurons in the nucleus retroambigualis (NRA) to external (EIM) and internal (IIM) intercostal motoneurons. Antidromic mapping revealed that 112/117 (96%) tested NRA units had axons descending into thoracic spinal cord with extensive arborizations at many thoracic segments, mainly contralaterally. The conduction velocities ranged from 10 to 105 m X s-1. The descending projections did not appear to be somatotopically arranged. Cross-correlation of the spike trains of NRA inspiratory units with the discharge of external intercostal nerves (performed usually with 4 contralateral nerves) showed significant narrow peaks only in 5 out of 40 averages. Of the 25 trigger units tested for the thoracic projection in this series of experiments, 24 were antidromically activated. Intracellular recordings were made from 52 IIMs [mean membrane potential 65.3 mV, central respiratory drive potentials (CRDPs) greater than 1 mV present in 23/52] and 53 EIM (mean membrane potential 54.3 mV, CRDPs in 31/53). During the depolarizing phase of the CRDPs, synaptic noise with frequent and apparently unitary EPSPs with amplitudes in excess of 1 mV was observed. Spike-triggered averages of synaptic noise were computed for 153 pairings between 137 NRA neurons and 105 contralateral intercostal motoneurons. Only four PSPs were revealed: two monosynaptic EPSPs between expiratory NRA units and IIMs and two probably disynaptic EPSPs between inspiratory NRA units and EIMs. When advancing the microelectrode down to the motoneuron pools, frequent recordings were made from interneurons with spontaneous respiratory discharge (inspiratory or expiratory) located dorsal and medial to the motor nuclei. The interneurons could be excited following stimulation of segmental afferents. It is concluded that monosynaptic connections between respiratory NRA neurons and intercostal motoneurons are rare (connectivity no more than approximately 4%). Segmental interneurons, interposed between the majority of descending respiratory axons and intercostal motoneurons, are likely to produce large unitary EPSPs and, thus, short-term synchronization in the discharge of intercostal motoneurons as observed by others.