Faculty Collaboration Database

Postnatal changes in cytochrome oxidase expressions in brain stem nuclei of rats: implications for sensitive periods. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2003 Dec;95(6):2285-91

Date

08/12/2003

Pubmed ID

12909612

DOI

10.1152/japplphysiol.00638.2003

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0344845295 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   41 Citations

Abstract

Previously, we reported that cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity in the rat pre-Bötzinger complex (PBC) exhibited a plateau on postnatal days (P) 3-4 and a prominent decrease on P12 (Liu and Wong-Riley, J Appl Physiol 92: 923-934, 2002). These changes were correlated with a concomitant reduction in the expression of glutamate and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit 1 and an increase in GABA, GABAB, glycine receptor, and glutamate receptor 2. To determine whether changes were limited to the PBC, the present study aimed at examining the expression of CO in a number of brain stem nuclei, with or without known respiratory functions from P0 to P21 in rats: the ventrolateral subnucleus of the solitary tract nucleus, nucleus ambiguus, hypoglossal nucleus, nucleus raphe obscurus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, medial accessory olivary nucleus, spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, and medial vestibular nucleus (MVe). Results indicated that, in all of the brain stem nuclei examined, CO activity exhibited a general increase with age from P0 to P21, with MVe having the slowest rise. Notably, in all of the nuclei examined except for MVe, there was a plateau or decrease at P3-P4 and a prominent rise-fall-rise pattern at P11-P13, similar to that observed in the PBC. In addition, there was a fall-rise-fall pattern at P15-P17 in these nuclei, instead of a plateau pattern in the PBC. Our data suggest that the two postnatal periods with reduced CO activity, P3-P4 and especially P12, may represent common sensitive periods for most of the brain stem nuclei with known or suspected respiratory control functions.

Author List

Liu Q, Wong-Riley MT

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aging
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Brain Stem
Carbon Monoxide
Densitometry
Electron Transport Complex IV
Histocytochemistry
Hypoglossal Nerve
Neurons
Olivary Nucleus
Raphe Nuclei
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Solitary Nucleus
Trigeminal Nuclei
Vestibular Nuclei