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Development of Arterial Oxygen Chemoreception in Mammals: Bench to
Bedside
APS Hypoxia Group
John L. Carroll
J. L. Carroll, E. Gauda, D.Gozal and C. Gaultier
The carotid chemoreceptors
are the main sensors of arterial oxygen
(O2) in mammals. In neonates but not adults, carotid
denervation leads to high mortality rates and abnormalities of respiratory
control, suggesting a vulnerable period during mammalian postnatal
maturation during which the CB is important for survival and/or normal
maturation of breathing control. Despite their importance, the carotid
chemoreceptors have low sensitivity to hypoxia at birth and become more
sensitive over the first few days or weeks of life; a process termed
“resetting”.
Although mechanism(s)
underlying arterial chemoreceptor resetting remain unknown, a considerable
amount of interesting new research has started to converge on a plausible
theory for the increase in O2 sensitivity after birth. This is a fascinating
area that is of interest to all researchers studying hypoxia, hyperoxia, O2
sensing mechanisms and development of respiratory control. The
developmental model can yield insight, not only into development, but also
into basic mechanisms of O2 sensing in general. The proposed symposium spans
the gamut from molecular/cellular level, to central neural pathways of
chemoreceptor afferents, to clinical breathing control and clinical
disorders such as sudden infant death syndrome.
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