Hypoglossal and phrenic nerve responses to carotid baroreceptor stimulation

We examined the relationship between hypoglossal and phrenic nerve activities and carotid sinus pressure. In 12 adult cats that were decerebrate, vagotomized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated, we isolated the left carotid sinus for perfusion and denervated the right carotid sinus. Mean arterial blood pressure was maintained at 90-100 mmHg using a low resistance-reservoir containing saline and connected to the abdominal aorta. Constant pressure was applied to the carotid sinus region. We found that increased carotid sinus pressure immediately inhibited inspiratory-synchronous (phasic) hypoglossal nerve activity and that there was a direct inverse relationship between phasic hypoglossal activity and carotid sinus pressure up to a carotid pressure of 285 mmHg. Increased carotid sinus pressure had no effect on tonic hypoglossal nerve activity and only slightly inhibited phrenic nerve activity. Cutting the left carotid sinus nerve abolished this response. We also applied pressure pulses to the carotid sinus at discrete times during the phrenic cycle. We found that baroreceptor inhibition of phasic hypoglossal nerve activity was gated during the phrenic cycle: maximum inhibition occurred when the pulse was applied in late expiration. We conclude that carotid baroreceptor stimulation preferentially inhibits inspiratory synchronous hypoglossal nerve activity and that this afferent information traveling in the carotid sinus nerve is gated by the respiratory control center.