Abstract
Perinatal hyperoxia (30–60% O2) impairs carotid body and ventilatory responses to hypoxia in rats. We hypothesized that hyperoxia would elicit similar respiratory plasticity in birds. Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were exposed to 60% O2 throughout incubation and/or for the first 2 weeks after hatching. Ventilatory responses to 11% O2 were attenuated in adult quail (7–11 wks) exposed to hyperoxia throughout development (13±6% increase from baseline vs. 38±10% in controls, P=0.05), primarily due to a smaller increase in respiratory frequency (P<0.05). However, ventilatory responses were unaffected by hyperoxic exposures restricted to incubation or after hatching (P>0.05), suggesting that exposures must be longer (>2 wks) or must span pre- and post-hatch periods. We conclude that respiratory control development is susceptible to perinatal hyperoxia in birds, as in mammals. Therefore, precocial birds may offer a convenient model for studying developmental plasticity without confounding maternal effects. Supported by NCRR grant P20 RR-016463.
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