Effects of aconitine on the respiratory activity of brainstem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats

Aconitine is a sodium channel opener, but its effects on the respiratory center are not well understood. We investigated the dose-dependent effects of aconitine on central respiratory activity in brainstem-spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats. Bath application of 0.5-5 & mu;M aconitine caused an increase in respiratory rhythm and decrease in the inspiratory burst amplitude of the fourth cervical ventral root (C4). Separate application of aconitine revealed that medullary neurons were responsible for the respiratory rhythm increase, and neurons in both the medulla and spinal cord were involved in the decrease of C4 amplitude by aconitine. A local anesthetic, lidocaine (100 & mu;M), or a voltage-dependent sodium channel blocker, tetrodotoxin (0.1 & mu;M), partially antagonized the C4 amplitude decrease by aconitine. Tetrodotoxin treatment tentatively decreased the respiratory rhythm, but lidocaine tended to further increase the rhythm. Treatment with 100 & mu;M riluzole or 100 & mu;M flufenamic acid, which are known to inhibit respiratory pacemaker activity, did not reduce the respiratory rhythm enhanced by aconitine + lidocaine. The application of 1 & mu;M aconitine depolarized the preinspiratory, expiratory, and inspiratory motor neurons. The facilitated burst rhythm of inspiratory neurons after aconitine disappeared in a low Ca2+/high Mg2+ synaptic blockade solution. We showed the dose-dependent effects of aconitine on respiratory activity. The antagonists reversed the depressive effects of aconitine in different manners, possibly due to their actions on different sites of sodium channels. The burst-generating pacemaker properties of neurons may not be involved in the generation of the facilitated rhythm after aconitine treatment.

Automated summary

Aconitine, a toxic plant compound, was found to have effects on central respiratory activity, including increasing respiratory rhythm and decreasing neuronal activity. The effects of aconitine were observed in medullary and spinal cord neurons, possibly through its interactions with sodium channels.