Characteristics of inspiratory inhibition by phasic volume feedback in cats

The dependence of phrenic efferent discharge on vagal-volume feedback was examined in barbiturate-anesthetized, paralyzed cats ventilated by a phrenic-driven servo respirator. The characteristics of the respiratory were altered for a single breath, and the resulting change in phrenic activity was quantitated by comparison with phrenic activity without phasic volume feedback. The relation between volume feedback and phrenic inhibition was determined both when inspiratory termination occurred during the rising phase of phrenic discharge and during the plateau observed with barbiturate-induced apneusis. Inhibition of inspiratory activity occurred only when lung volume exceeded a time-dependent threshold. Above this threshold, andextending over a substantial volume range, volume feedback caused graded and reversible inhibition of phrenic discharge. The threshold for graded inhibition declined progressively during the inspiratory phase, showing no obvious relation to the level of inspiratory activity. At any particular time, the relation between volume and phrenic inhibition was convex to the volume axis, and the slope of the relationship increased with inspiratory time. The results indicate that a) volume feedback inhibits inspiration in a graded manner, b) partial inhibition of phrenic activity renders it more susceptible to additional inhibition, and c) inhibitory effectiveness of volume feedback increases with time.