The effects of acetylcholine on bulbar respiratory related neurones

Abstract
The effects of cholinergic agonists and antagonists applied by microiontophoresis to bulbar respiratory neurones were determined in different preparations: cats anaesthetized by pentobarbital and immobilized by gallamine triethiodide, intercollicular decerebrate cats either not immobilized or immobilized by gallamine triethiodide. Respiratory neurones located at the bulbar level exhibited a muscarinic cholinergic sensitivity in all preparations. Muscarinic responses were either excitatory or inhibitory. The number of neurones showing excitatory responses was lower under pentobarbital anaesthesia than in decerebrate cats.