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Centrally driven slow oscillating potential of extrathoracic trachea
T Kondo1, I Kobayashi, Y Hirokawa
1Department of Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Spontaneous electrical activity in the extrathoracic trachea, linked to breathing, shows rhythmic patterns. These slow oscillating potentials are generated by the central respiratory rhythm and occur mainly post-inspiration.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Physiology
- Neuroscience
- Tracheal Electrophysiology
Background:
- The extrathoracic trachea exhibits spontaneous electrical activity and smooth muscle contractions.
- Understanding the neural control of airway function is crucial for respiratory health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the origin and characteristics of spontaneous electrical activity in the extrathoracic trachea.
- To determine the relationship between tracheal electrical activity, smooth muscle contraction, and central respiratory rhythm.
Main Methods:
- Recordings of extrathoracic tracheal electrical activity, tracheal smooth muscle force, and phrenic nerve activity in decerebrated, paralyzed dogs.
- Experimental manipulations included pneumothorax, vagal afferent removal, lung collapse, and recurrent laryngeal nerve transection.
Main Results:
- Tracheal electrical activity showed slow oscillating potentials coupled with phasic tracheal contractions, synchronized with the central respiratory rhythm (phrenic nerve activity).
- The dominant component of these potentials occurred in the postinspiratory phase.
- Transection of recurrent laryngeal nerves abolished these slow oscillating potentials, implicating them in the generation process.
Conclusions:
- Slow oscillating potentials in the extrathoracic trachea are generated by a physiological process linked to the central respiratory rhythm.
- The recurrent laryngeal nerves play a critical role in generating these tracheal electrical oscillations.