Characterization of electrical and synaptic properties of Dbx1 interneurons at adult stages of development

• Grant number: 19/07635-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: August 06, 2019
• End date: February 05, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Luciane Helena Gargaglioni Batalhão
• Grantee: Carlos Aparecido da Silva Junior
• Supervisor: Christopher A. Del Negro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: William and Mary, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 17/26367-9 - Developmental consequences of intra-uterine exposure to diazepam: impact on the ventilatory system of newborns rats, BP.MS

Abstract

Rhythmic breathing depends on populations of interneurons in the brainstem, forming a ventral respiratory column, but there are functionally important distinctions among these populations. One particularly important population is located in the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) that contains Dbx1-derived neurons that constitute the rhythm-generating core for mammalian inspiratory rhythm. No works have yet examined the intrinsic membrane proprieties of these Dbx1-derived preBötC neurons after early postnatal development, during adult stages of maturation of the central nervous system. Here we argue it is important to know the properties of the Dbx1 preBötC interneurons and their role in the respiratory rhythm in adult stages of life to understand the function of the mature (adult) respiratory network compared to early postnatal stages. That would contribute valuable new knowledge regarding the neurophysiology of breathing and help to identify new strategies to combat respiratory pathologies. (AU)