Molecular, Cellular and Systems-Level Mechanisms driving Ventilation and CO2 Sensitivity during Acute and Chronic Hypercapnia

Featured Topic — Monday, April 23, 2024 — 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM — Convention Center, Room 25A
Respiration Section — Chair: Matthew Robert Hodges — Co-Chair: Virginia E Hawkins

The neural network that regulates breathing receives chemoreceptor input from peripheral and central chemoreceptors to provide feedback control relative to blood gases to maintain homeostasis. The acute CO2/pH chemoreflex is the first line of defense against hypercapnic acidosis, and while key contributors in our scientific community have made significant contributions to explain which cells within the brain can "sense" changes in CO2 and/or pH, our understanding of the specific mechanisms of the acute CO2 chemoreflex remain incomplete. Furthermore, very little is known about what mechanisms govern ventilatory responses to CO2/pH in the case of pulmonary insufficiency leading to chronic hypercapnic acidosis. Recent advances in neuroscience have allowed prominent researchers at the University of Virginia (Dr. Doug Bayliss, Invited speaker for the session) to recently show the critical importance of two pH sensitive molecules expressed in RTN chemoreceptor neurons (GPR4 and TASK-2), while others have made significant findings regarding a role for local brainstem glia in pH sensing and neuronal modulation (Virginia Hawkins, Post-doc Mulkey lab, session co-chair). This session will draw additional speakers from abstracts submitted, and will be selected by the session chairs.

Speakers

• Molecular physiology of RTN respiratory chemoreceptor neurons.
  Douglas A Bayliss — Pharmacology, University of Virginia


• Ablation of neuromedin B (NMB)-expressing neurons located within retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) reduces the central respiratory chemoreflex (CRC) selectively in conscious rats
  George Souza — University of Virginia


• Ventilatory CO2/H+ Chemoreflex During Chronic Hypercapnia in Healthy Goats
  Nicholas Burgraff — Medical College of Wisconsin


• Acute and Chronic Respiratory Effects from Repeated Audiogenic Seizures in SSKcnj16-/- Rats
  Anna D. Manis — Medical College of Wisconsin


• Hypercapnic ventilatory response (HcVR) is increased in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease
  Mariane C Vicente — Sao Paulo State University


• CHAIR
  Matthew Hodges —


• COCHAIR
  Virginia Hawkins —