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Role of Adenosine in the Regulation of Breathing

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Topics and Perspectives in Adenosine Research

Summary

Adenosine acts within the central nervous system as a neuromodulator that inhibits neuronal activity and causes sedation and decreased motor activity. It seemed possible that the motor function of breathing would also be modulated by adenosine. We therefore studied the effects of adenosine and a methylxanthine antagonist on neural mechanisms of respiration in a paralyzed, vagotomized, glomectomized cat model, using phrenic nerve activity to represent respiration. Theophylline alone leads to an approximate doubling of respiratory output by its actions on neural brainstem mechanisms. An analogue of adenosine, N6(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adeno-sine (PIA), causes a dose-related inhibition of respiration whether given systemically or into the third ventricle. This depression was reversed by administration of theophylline and prevented by pretreatment with theophylline. Finally, we show that a long-lasting (> 1 h) depression of respiration develops after a short exposure to severe hypoxia. We suggest that the depression is related to endogenous release of adenosine during the hypoxia, for it can be prevented by pretreatment with theophylline. We conclude the endogenous adenosine can be implicated in the tonic modulation of breathing.

The work reported in this paper was supported by USPHS grants HL-17689, HL-33831, and NS-11133. DEM is an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA

    F. L. Eldridge & D. E. Millhorn

  2. Departments of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA

    F. L. Eldridge

Authors
  1. F. L. Eldridge
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  2. D. E. Millhorn
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiologisches Institut, Universität München, Pettenkoferstraße 12, 8000, München 2, Federal Republic of Germany

    Eckehart Gerlach  & Bernhard Friedrich Becker  & 

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Eldridge, F.L., Millhorn, D.E. (1987). Role of Adenosine in the Regulation of Breathing. In: Gerlach, E., Becker, B.F. (eds) Topics and Perspectives in Adenosine Research. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45619-0_50

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45619-0_50

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45621-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45619-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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