Optogenetic stimulation of the pre‐Bötzinger Complex and the control of breathing in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder well known for its progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra compacta (SNpc). Much less known, yet clinically very important, are the detrimental effects on breathing associated with this disease. Studies in the 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) rat model of PD revealed reductions of respiratory frequency (fR) and NK1r‐immunoreactivity in the pre‐Bötzinger complex (preBötC), a medullary region critical for generating inspiration. To unravel mechanisms that underlie breathing disturbances in PD, we used a transgenic approach to specifically label or stimulate different excitatory (Dbx1‐ERT2Cre, Vglut2‐Cre) and inhibitory (Vgat‐Cre) neural populations in the preBötC. Homozygous Cre mice were bred with homozygous Ai6 (ZsGreen) or Ai32 (ChR2) mice. Adult offspring then received bilateral injections of vehicle or 6‐OHDA (10 μg/μl) into the striatum (CPu) to induce PD; and Ai32 mice also received preBötC fiber optic cannulation. 10–12 days later, whole body plethysmography was used to measure ventilation at rest and during optogenetic photo‐stimulation of the preBötC in unanaesthetized and unrestrained mice. As expected, fR at rest was reduced by 24.9% in PD mice (154.6 ± 6.0 vs. vehicle: 205.9 ± 3.7 bpm, p<0.05). Dbx1 photo‐stimulation during the inspiratory phase did not affect the rhythm in control animals, but increased fR by 17% in PD animals. Similarly, Vglut2 photo‐stimulation in control animals did not change the rhythm, but increased fR by 30% in PD animals. No changes were elicited by photo‐stimulation during expiration. Photo‐stimulation of preBötC inhibitory Vgat neurons during inspiration increased fR by 21%, but only in vehicle‐injected mice; no changes were observed in PD mice. Histology confirmed that 6‐OHDA injections reduced the number of catecholaminergic neurons in the SNpc by 69% (150.4 ± 4.9 vs. vehicle: 494.7 ± 14.5 cells). Surprisingly, the number of Dbx1 and Vglut2 neurons in the preBötC and the adjacent ventral respiratory column (VRC) were also reduced by 47.6 and 17.3%, respectively (p<0.05), whereas the number of Vgat neurons did not change. In conclusion, our study reveals that the 6‐OHDA model of PD is associated with a specific reduction in the number of excitatory neurons within the preBötC, which includes rhythmogenic Dbx1 neurons. Photo‐stimulating specifically these neurons can restore breathing in this PD mouse model.Support or Funding InformationNIH and FAPESP.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.