Selective stimulation of jugular ganglion afferent neurons in guinea pig airways by hypertonic saline

Pedersen, Karen E., Sonya N. Meeker, Margerita M. Riccio,and Bradley J. Undem. Selective stimulation ofjugular ganglion afferent neurons in guinea pig airways by hypertonicsaline. J. Appl. Physiol. 84(2):499-506, 1998.We evaluated the ability of hyperosmolar stimulito activate afferent nerves in the guinea pig trachea and main bronchiand investigated the neural pathways involved. By usingelectrophysiological techniques, studies in vitro examined the effectof hyperosmolar solutions of sodium chloride (hypertonic saline) onguinea pig airway afferent nerve endings arising from either vagalnodose or jugular ganglia. The data reveal a differential sensitivityof airway afferent neurons to activation with hypertonic saline.Afferent fibers (both A and C fibers) with cell bodies located injugular ganglia were much more sensitive to stimulation with hypertonicsaline, compared with afferent neurons with cell bodies located innodose ganglia. Additional studies in vivo demonstrated that inhalationof aerosols of hypertonic saline induced plasma extravasation in guineapig trachea that was mediated via tachykininNK₁ receptors. Identification of adifferential sensitivity of guinea pig airway afferent nerves tohypertonic saline leads to the speculation that airway responses tohyperosmolar stimuli may result from activation of afferent neuronsoriginating predominantly from the jugular ganglion.