A proper analysis of the central nervous system mechanisms involved in the control of breathing and autonomic function relies heavily on a complete understanding of the anatomical and physiological organization of neuronal groups that receive input and provide output for this system. The air of this project is to study the nature and location of vagal afferent fibers in the brain stem. In addition, the spinal projections of viscera will also be studied. In the past, investigations of sensory and motor terminations of the vagus nerve have posed great technical difficulty since these studies were based on degeneration techniques. The recently developed technique of intracellular marking of neurons with horseradish peroxidase following physiological identification has provided us with an excellent tool for examining the local dendritic morphology of physiologically identified neurons as well as the patterns of collateral arborization. In this project we intend to use this technique to examine both vagal afferents and their terminals as well as brain stem neurons. These studies will extent the currently ongoing research in the laboratory of the Principal Investigator on this project. The collaboration of Dr. Richter on this project will be most valuable in the inracellular studies, since Dr. Richter is the foremost authority on intracellular identification of neurons from the Medulla Oblongata. In this project we will conbine Dr. Kalia's expertise of anatomical identification of vagal afferents and using horseradish peroxidase with the physiological expertise of Dr. Richter. In addition some connectivity studies are proposed using the HRP-WGA conjugate which in addition to providing better localization of the injection sites also provides much greater sensitivity. In essence this project addresses the question: How do vagal afferents exert their influence on central brain stem mechanisms and where do these afferents terminate?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL030991-03
Application #
3341993
Study Section
Neurology B Subcommittee 1 (NEUB)
Project Start
1983-01-01
Project End
1985-12-31
Budget Start
1985-01-01
Budget End
1985-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Thomas Jefferson University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
061197161
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19107
Kalia, M; Richter, D (1988) Rapidly adapting pulmonary receptor afferents: II. Fine structure and synaptic organization of central terminal processes in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius. J Comp Neurol 274:574-94
Kalia, M; Richter, D (1988) Rapidly adapting pulmonary receptor afferents: I. Arborization in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius. J Comp Neurol 274:560-73
Kalia, M P (1987) Organization of central control of airways. Annu Rev Physiol 49:595-609
Harfstrand, A; Fuxe, K; Terenius, L et al. (1987) Neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive perikarya and nerve terminals in the rat medulla oblongata: relationship to cytoarchitecture and catecholaminergic cell groups. J Comp Neurol 260:20-35
Coburn, R F; Kalia, M P (1986) Morphological features of spiking and nonspiking cells in the paratracheal ganglion of the ferret. J Comp Neurol 254:341-51
Bose, B; Osterholm, J L; Kalia, M (1986) Ganglioside-induced regeneration and reestablishment of axonal continuity in spinal cord-transected rats. Neurosci Lett 63:165-9
Harfstrand, A; Fuxe, K; Kalia, M et al. (1985) Somatostatin induced apnoea: prevention by central and peripheral administration of the opiate receptor blocking agent naloxone. Acta Physiol Scand 125:91-5
Kalia, M; Richter, D (1985) Morphology of physiologically identified slowly adapting lung stretch receptor afferents stained with intra-axonal horseradish peroxidase in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius of the cat. II. An ultrastructural analysis. J Comp Neurol 241:521-35
Kalia, M; Richter, D (1985) Morphology of physiologically identified slowly adapting lung stretch receptor afferents stained with intra-axonal horseradish peroxidase in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius of the cat. I. A light microscopic analysis. J Comp Neurol 241:503-20
Kalia, M; Fuxe, K (1985) Rat medulla oblongata. I. Cytoarchitectonic considerations. J Comp Neurol 233:285-307

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