Provocation of aspiration reflexes and their effects on the pattern of cough and reflex apnea in cats.

Aspiration reflexes (AspRs) manifesting as reflex spasmodic inspirations and their effects on motor pattern of tracheobronchial cough and reflex apnea were studied on 22 spontaneously breathing pentobarbitone-anesthetized cats. AspRs induced during cough inspiration enhanced peak inspiratory (P<0.01) and expiratory (P<0.02) esophageal pressures, amplitudes of diaphragm (P<0.01) and abdominal muscles (P<0.05) EMG activity, and prolonged the entire expiratory period (P<0.01) and total cycle duration (P<0.05) of cough. Transient inhibitions and splits of cough expiration frequently occurred with AspR within active cough expiratory period; however, cough spatiotemporal characteristics were not altered significantly. Sub-threshold nasopharyngeal stimulation failing to provoke AspR had no significant effects on coughing. Hering-Breuer inflation apnea was moderately prolonged by AspRs (20%; P<0.05), unlike the apnea produced by continual mechanical laryngeal stimulation. AspRs are inducible during tested behaviors interacting with their motor pattern. Central mechanisms involving pulmonary stretch receptor stimulation is suggested for modulation of cough and inflation apnea by AspR.