Discharge patterns of brain-stem respiratory neurons in relation to carbon dioxide tension.

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Abstract
In bilaterally vagotomized cats with pneumothorax and neuromuscular block, the effects of changes in alveolar CO2 tension on discharge patterns of medullary and potine respiratory neurons were studied; the phrenic nerve discharge served as indicator of contral respiratory periodicity. The responses to reduction of CO2 level were classified into 3 types: type 1: reduction of discharge frequency in all portions of the respiratory cycle, and disappearance of discharge at sufficiently low CO2 level; type 2: increase of discharge frequency in some portions and decrease in other portions of the cycle, and occurrence of continuous discharge without respiratory modulation at sufficiently low CO2 level; type 3: reduction of discharge frequency in all portions of the cycle, and occurrence of continuous discharge without respiratory modulation at sufficiently low CO2 level. The different types of response may reflect differences in the functional roles of various kinds of respiratory neuron.