Enflurane depresses activity of the medullary inspiratory neurons in the cat.

The effect of enflurane on the firing activity (spikes/sec) of the inspiratory neurons of the dorsal respiratory group (DRG) of the medulla oblongata was studied in decerebrate, paralyzed, mechanically ventilated cats before and after bilateral cervical vagotomy. Inspiratory neuronal activity, phrenic neurogram, arterial blood pressure, tracheal pressure, and end tidal CO2 concentration were recorded. Cells whose firing activity was in phase with that of the phrenic nerve were considered inspiratory neurons. Administration of 1 and 2% enflurane in oxygen produced gradual, significant, and dose-dependent depression of the cell activity with cervical vagi either intact or severed. Recovery of the cell activity occurred after termination of enflurane administration. In cats with intact vagi, 10 min after introduction of 1 and 2% enflurane, the cell activity (mean +/- SE) expressed as percentage of the control was 70 +/- 6% (P less than 0.05) and 48 +/- 5% (P less than 0.01), respectively. Bilateral cervical vagotomy did not affect the degree of cell depression due to enflurane. Hypercarbia induced by inhalation of 5% CO2 increased cell activity, but it did not block enflurane-induced cell depression, although it reduced it. It may be concluded that enflurane depresses the activity of the inspiratory neurons of the DRG. The results also suggest that the respiratory depressant effect of enflurane has a central component and that the DRG region may serve as a site to mediate the enflurane-induced respiratory depression.