Recent advances have clarified how the brain detects CO 2 to regulate breathing (central
respiratory chemoreception). These mechanisms are reviewed and their significance is …

Lung ventilation fluctuates widely with behavior but arterial PCO 2 remains stable. Under
normal conditions, the chemoreflexes contribute to PaCO 2 stability by producing small …

Breathing is an essential behavior that presents a unique opportunity to understand how the
nervous system functions normally, how it balances inherent robustness with a highly …

Extracellular adenosine 5′ triphosphate (ATP) is a widespread cell-to-cell signaling
molecule in the brain, where it activates cell surface P2X and P2Y receptors. P2X receptors …

Sighs prevent the collapse of alveoli in the lungs, initiate arousal under hypoxic conditions,
and are an expression of sadness and relief. Sighs are periodically superimposed on …

Ventral regions of the medulla oblongata of the brainstem are populated by astrocytes
sensitive to physiological changes in PCO2/[H+]. These astrocytes respond to decreases in …

Homeostatic regulation of the partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) is vital for life. Sensing of pH
has been proposed as a sufficient proxy for determination of PCO2 and direct CO2-sensing …

We discuss recent evidence which suggests that the principal central respiratory
chemoreceptors are located within the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and that RTN neurons …

Astrocytes might function as brain interoceptors capable of detecting different (chemo)
sensory modalities and transmitting sensory information to the relevant neural networks …

Maintenance of constant brain pH is critically important to support the activity of individual
neurons, effective communication within the neuronal circuits, and, thus, efficient processing …