[Mechanism of the generation of various forms of respiratory rhythm]

The respiratory muscles and neurons activity in the transitional process from rhythmic respiration to its cessation and reappearance of the usual rhythmic breathing after the apnea was registered in the acute experiments on the anesthetized cats and rabbits under the action of extra intrapulmonary oxygen pressure or intravenous injection of sodium cyanide. Different forms of disturbances of respiratory rhythm (apneusis, hasping, the combination of hasping with apneusis and respiratory movements of usual form - eupnea) observed in the critical states of the organism are considered to be the result of changes in the character of activity of the medulla oblongata respiratory neurons which occur at a definite stage of hypoxia. Hasping mechanism differs essentially from the generation of eupnea and apneusis.