Locus coeruleus and CO2/pH chemosensitivity in mice: evaluation during development, sleep/wake cycle and arousal respons

• Grant number: 23/09207-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Luciane Helena Gargaglioni Batalhão
• Grantee: Mariana Bernardes Ribeiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/01702-2 - Physiopathology of CO2 sensitivity: role of locus coeruleus, AP.TEM

Abstract

One of the areas that stand out in the ventilatory response to CO2 is the A6 region or Locus coeruleus (LC), where more than 80% of noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to CO2/pH. During the development of rodents, the chemosensitivity of LC neurons is intermittent, being more sensitive in newborn rats younger than 10 days (P10). However, it is still not known if this is reflected in respiratory changes and if the response of males and females is similar. Thus, the present project aims to evaluate whether the same intermittent pattern of CO2/pH chemosensitivity is observed in mice and to investigate the respiratory and metabolic responses to hypercapnia at different stages of development in male and female mice in En1Cre animals; DbhcKO that exhibit expression of Cre recombinase in rhombomer 1 of the embryonic brainstem resulting in failure of norepinephrine production from the LC. Additionally, this project will evaluate the respiratory, thermal and metabolic responses to hypercapnia in adult animals during the sleep/wake cycle.