Ionic channel mechanisms in oscillatory cellular bursting underlying respiratory rhythm

脑干前Botzinger复合体(Pre-Botzinger Complex，Pre-Botzinger Complex)是呼吸节律产生的基本兴奋回路，它包含一个神经元子集，表现出内在的节律性爆发。爆发的启动被认为依赖于持续的钠电流(INAP)，但调节爆发频率和持续时间的细胞机制尚不清楚。利用全细胞膜片钳、计算模型和动态钳制，我们提供了INAP调节节律性猝发产生的所有基本特征的证据。结果表明，INaPoror的动力学特性如何协调神经元的振荡爆发。

The brainstem pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC), the essential excitatory circuit for respiratory rhythm generation, contains a subset of neurons that exhibit intrinsic rhythmic bursting. The burst initiation is considered to rely on the persistent Na+current (INaP), but cellular mechanisms that regulate burst frequency and duration are unknown. Using whole-cell patch-clamp, computational modeling, and dynamic-clamp, we provide evidence that INaP regulates all the essential features of rhythmic burst generation. The results show how the kinetic properties of INaPorchestrate neuronal oscillatory bursting.