Phrenic nerve

The phrenic nerve is a nerve that originates in the neck (C3-C5) and passes down between the
lung and heart to reach thediaphragm. It is important for breathing, as it passes motor
information to the diaphragm and receives sensory information from it. There are two phrenic
nerves, a left and a right one.
The phrenic nerve originates mainly from the 4th cervical nerve, but also receives contributions
from the 5th and 3rd cervical nerves (C3-C5) in humans.[1] Thus, the phrenic nerve receives
innervation from parts of both the cervical plexus and the brachial plexus of nerves.
The phrenic nerves contain motor, sensory, and sympathetic nerve fibers. These nerves provide
the only motor supply to the diaphragm as well as sensation to the central tendon. In the thorax,
each phrenic nerve supplies the mediastinal pleura andpericardium.

Pneumotaxic center
The pneumotaxic center, also known as the pontine respiratory group (PRG), is a network of
neurons in the rostral dorsal lateral pons. It consists of the Klliker-Fuse nucleusand the medial
parabrachial nucleus.[1] It is a considered an antagonist to the apneustic center, which produces
abnormal breathing during inhalation.
Contents
[hide]

1 Respiratory effects

2 References

3 Further reading

4 External links

Respiratory effects[edit]
The PRG antagonizes the apneustic center, cyclically inhibiting inhalation. The PRG limits the
burst of action potentials in the phrenic nerve, effectively decreasing the tidal volume and
regulating the respiratory rate. Absence of the PRG results in an increase in depth of respiration
and a decrease in respiratory rate.

The PRG regulates the amount of air a person can take into the body in each breath. The dorsal
respiratory group has rhythmic bursts of activity that are constant in duration and interval. [2] When
we need to breathe faster, the PRG tells the dorsal respiratory group to speed up. When we need
longer breaths the bursts of activity are elongated. All the information that our body uses to help
us breath happens in the pneumotaxic center. If this was damaged or in any way harmed it would
make breathing on our own almost impossible. One study on this subject was on anesthetized
paralyzed cats before and after bivagotomy. Ventilation was monitored in awake and
anesthetized cats breathing air or CO2. Ventilation was monitored both before and after lesions
to the pneumotaxic center region and after subsequent bilateral vagotomy. Cats with pontine
lesions had a prolonged inhalation duration.[3] In cats, after anaesthesia and bivagotomy, pontine
transection has been described as evoking a long sustained inspiratory discharges interrupted by
short expiratory pauses.[jargon] In rats on the other hand, after anaesthesia, bivagotomy and pontine
transection, this breathing pattern was not observed, either in vivo or in vitro. These results
suggest interspecies differences between rat and cat in the pontine influences on the medullary
respiratory generator.[4]

References[edit]
1.

Jump up^ Song, Gang; Yu, Yunguo; Poon, Chi-Sang (2006). "Cytoarchitecture of
Pneumotaxic Integration of Respiratory and Nonrespiratory Information in the Rat". Journal of
Neuroscience 26 (1): 30010. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3029-05.2006. PMID 16399700.

2.

Jump up^ Dutschmann, Mathias; Dick, Thomas E. (2012). "Comprehensive

Physiology". doi:10.1002/cphy.c100015. ISBN 978-0-470-65071-4. |chapter= ignored (help)

3.

Jump up^ Gautier, H; Bertrand, F (1975). "Respiratory effects of pneumotaxic center

lesions and subsequent vagotomy in chronic cats". Respiration Physiology 23 (1): 71
85. doi:10.1016/0034-5687(75)90073-0. PMID 1129551.

4.

Jump up^ Monteau, R.; Errchidi, S.; Gauthier, P.; Hilaire, G.; Rega, P. (1989).
"Pneumotaxic centre and apneustic breathing: Interspecies differences between rat and
cat". Neuroscience Letters 99(3): 3116. doi:10.1016/0304-3940(89)90465-5. PMID 2725956.

Further reading[edit]

Levitzky, Michael G. (2002). Pulmonary Physiology (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Professional.

pp. 1934. ISBN 0-07-138765-X.

Costanzo, Linda S. (2006). Physiology (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.

p. 224. ISBN 978-1-4160-2320-3.

Shannon, Roger; Baekey, David M.; Morris, Kendall F.; Nuding, Sarah C.; Segers, Lauren
S.; Lindsey, Bruce G. (2004). "Pontine respiratory group neuron discharge is altered during
fictive cough in the decerebrate cat". Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology 142 (1): 43
54. doi:10.1016/j.resp.2004.05.002. PMID 15351303.

Apneustic center
The apneustic center (or apneustic area) of the lower pons appears to promote inspiration by
stimulation of the I neurons in the medulla oblongata providing a constant stimulus.
The apneustic center of pons sends signals to the dorsal respiratory center in the medulla to
delay the 'switch off' signal of the inspiratory ramp provided by the pneumotaxic center of pons. It
controls the intensity of breathing. The apneustic center is inhibited by pulmonary stretch
receptors. However, it gives positive impulses to the inspiratory (I) neurons.