Effect of postnatal exposure to caffeine on the pattern of adenosine A1 receptor distribution in respiration-related nuclei of the rat brainstem

Disruption of adenosinergic modulation of ventilation at rest and during hypercapnia by neonatal caffeine in young rats: role of adenosine A1and A2Areceptors

“…These results suggest that NCT increases adenosine A 1 -receptor expression and/or enhances the capacity for endogenous adenosine release. NCT increased adenosine A 1 -receptor expression in the brain stem of neonatal rats (23), and it has been proposed that, when caffeine occupies the adenosine receptor's binding site, the number of receptors increases to maintain efficiency of the adenosinergic system (7,33). Such effects may underlie the influence of NCT on the A 1 antagonist group reported here.…”

“…More precisely, adenosine A 1 agonist decreased c-Fos expression in the nucleus tractus solitarus, the area postrema, and the raphe obscurus and increased it in the parabrachial nucleus (62). These structures contain adenosine A 1 receptors (9,23) and are putative central CO 2 -chemosensitive sites (11,18). Accordingly, we propose that inactivation of adenosine A 1 receptors prevents the inhibitory action of adenosine in specific CO 2 -chemosensitive structures within the brain stem.…”

“…In utero chronic caffeine administration induced changes in respiratory activity (5,28) and in Fos expression in brain stem respiratory nuclei of newborn rats (5). Exposure to caffeine during the early postnatal period enhanced the ventilatory response to hypercapnia in 20-day-old young male rats (47) and modified the distribution of adenosine A 1 receptors in respiratory nuclei of the newborn rat brain stem (23). Young rats showed the largest sensitivity to neonatal caffeine treatment (NCT), and from a developmental standpoint it has been proposed that this age group is comparable to infants (10) for which respiratory instabilities, such as apneas (42), can be observed.…”

The effects of prenatal exposure to methylxanthines

“…The involvement of adenosine A1 receptors in the control of respiration is widely accepted (Herlenius et al 1997, Herlenius et al 2002, Gaytan et al 2006. They are distributed in many of the areas in the brain associated with the breathing process, such as the ventral respiratory group (VRG) and the pontine respiratory area (Gaytan et al 2006).…”

“…They are distributed in many of the areas in the brain associated with the breathing process, such as the ventral respiratory group (VRG) and the pontine respiratory area (Gaytan et al 2006). …”