Effects of thromboxane on respiration and pulmonary circulation in the cat: role of vagus nerve

Infusion of stoichiometrically equal quantities of acid and base (neutral acid-base infusion) in the cat elicits pulmonary hypertension and rapid shallow breathing (J. Appl. Physiol. 62: 2362-2370, 1987), and thromboxane A2 (TxA2), released from platelets, is responsible for these effects (Respir. Physiol. 71: 169-183, 1988). To investigate the involvement of vagal afferent fibers in these responses, we reversibly blocked signal conduction in the vagus of the cat by bilaterally cooling the vagus nerves to 1 degree C and measured the cardiorespiratory parameters in response to neutral acid-base infusion and infusion of the TxA2 mimetic U-46619. Vagal cooling before infusion caused tidal volume (VT) to increase and respiratory frequency (fresp) to decrease, whereby total ventilation (VE) was slightly enhanced, but did not affect right ventricular blood pressure (Prv). Infusion of neutral acid-base after vagal cooling prompted Prv to rise, on average from 35 Torr to a peak of 60 Torr, and a similar rise was elicited by infusion of U-46619. However, vagal cooling abolished any effect on VT or fresp of both acid-base and U-46619 infusion. After rewarming the vagus nerves, infusion of U-46619 caused fresp to increase and VT to decrease (rapid shallow breathing) with a concomitant rise in Prv, similar to what had been observed in the earlier studies. Our data suggest that the effects of TxA2 and of its mimetic U-46619 on respiration are mediated by the stimulation of vagal afferent fibers, whereas pulmonary hypertension is unrelated to vagal activity.