[Respiratory effects of tutin microinjection into NPBM of rabbits]

On sodium pentobarbital anesthetized, cervical vagotomized adult rabbits, the microinjection of 1 microliter (10 micrograms) tutin into NPBM causes reversible changes in electrical activity of the diaphragm in different degrees. The most remarkable change is the reversible apnea. Our results indicate that NPBM plays an important role in the generation or modulation of respiratory rhythm and that tutin stimulates the pontine respiratory related neurons, thus disturbs the activity of neuronal circuit involved in respiration rhythm generation or modulation.