Influence of cervical sympathetic nerves on ventilation and upper airway resistance in the rat

The cervical sympathetic trunks innervate the carotid bodies, carotid baroreceptors, thyroid gland and the upper airway mucosa, structures which can influence breathing and upper airway resistance. However, their role in the control of ventilation and upper airway patency is poorly understood. A constant airflow was applied to the upper airway through a high-cervical tracheostomy in anaesthetized rats breathing spontaneously through a low-cervical tracheostomy. The peripheral ends of the cut cervical sympathetic trunks were stimulated electrically and airflow resistance and ventilation were measured. The effects of cervical sympathetic trunk section on ventilation were also measured in conscious rats. In conscious rats, cutting the sympathetic trunks caused a decrease in ventilation during normoxia but only slightly affected ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia. In anaesthetized rats, sympathetic trunk stimulation caused an inhibition of breathing which was sometimes followed by excitation. These responses were unaffected by alpha- or beta-adrenoceptor blockade but were abolished by cutting the carotid sinus nerves. Sympathetic stimulation also caused a fall in upper airway resistance which was reduced by bypassing the nose, unaffected by propranolol or carotid sinus nerve section and abolished by phentolamine. It was concluded that the cervical sympathetic nerves exert important influences on ventilation and upper airway resistance.