Analysis of respiratory rhythm generation triggered by medullary astrocytes

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460311
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General physiology
• Research Institution: National Hospital Organization Murayama Medical Center
• Principal Investigator: Okada Yasumasa 独立行政法人国立病院機構村山医療センター(臨床研究部), 電気生理学研究室, 室長 (80160688)
• Research Collaborator: ONIMARU Hiroshi ; YAZAWA Itaru ; OKAZAKI Shuntaro
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 呼吸調節 / 呼吸リズム形成 / 低酸素呼吸応答 / 脳幹 / 延髄 / グリア細胞 / アストロサイト / カルシウムイメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Continuously generated respiratory rhythm is essential to maintain life. However, the mechanism of respiratory rhythm generation has not been fully elucidated. Recent advances in glial physiology have indicated that glia cells especially astrocytes play important roles in various brain functions. To clarify the role of astrocytes in respiratory control, we analyzed activities of neurons and astrocytes in the ventrolateral medulla in the isolated brainstem spinal cord preparation of neonatal rats by calcium imaging, and found respiratory modulated astrocytes that were spontaneously oscillatory even in the absence of neuronal activity. In unanesthetized mice, ventilatory responses to hypoxia were attenuated in the presence of arundic acid that inhibits astrocytic activation. These findings suggest that astrocytes play vital roles in central respiratory control in particular in respiratory rhythm generation as pacemaker cells and in hypoxic respiratory responses as hypoxic sensor cells.

Free Research Field

呼吸神経生理学