Non‐chemosensitive parafacial neurons simultaneously regulate active expiration and airway patency under hypercapnia in rats

Abstract

Hypercapnia or parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) disinhibition at normocapnia evokes active expiration in rats by recruitment of pFRG late‐expiratory (late‐E) neurons. We show that hypercapnia simultaneously evoked active expiration and exaggerated glottal dilatation by late‐E synaptic excitation of abdominal, hypoglossal and laryngeal motoneurons. Simultaneous rhythmic expiratory activity in previously silent pFRG late‐E neurons, which did not express the marker of ventral medullary CO2‐sensitive neurons (transcription factor Phox2b), was also evoked by hypercapnia. Hypercapnia‐evoked active expiration, neural and neuronal late‐E activities were eliminated by pFRG inhibition, but not after blockade of synaptic excitation. Hypercapnia produces disinhibition of non‐chemosensitive pFRG late‐E neurons to evoke active expiration and concomitant cranial motor respiratory responses controlling the oropharyngeal and upper airway patency.