Respiratory load compensation II. Role of the cerebellum

Effects of inspiratory tracheal occlusion (TO) on respiratory duration (inspiratory and expiratory duration), ventilation, and the peak integrated diaphragm electromyographic (fEMGdi) response were tested in 16 anesthetized cats before and after decerebellation with and without vagal input. The same protocols were repeated in the decerebrate preparation. Decerebellation did not significantly affect the baseline or the loaded values [tracheal occlusion (TO)] for respiratory duration, tidal volume, or magnitude of the fEMGdi response. Vagal blockade eliminated the load-compensating responses in the intact and the decerebrate preparation. However, vagal blockade in concert with decerebellation resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) reversible inhibition of the peak fEMGdi response during inspiratory TO. This suggests that removal of vagal and cerebellar influences during loaded breathing unmasked inhibitory inputs to the respiratory pattern generator. With vagus intact, decerebellation before or after decerebration abolished the attenuation of the peak fEMGdi response to TO observed with decerebration alone. We conclude that the cerebellum does play a role in determining the pattern of the respiratory response to TO. This influence may be direct and/or indirect via interaction with information emanating from suprapontine, vagal, and nonvagal sources.