The effects of chronic nicotine exposure on chemosensitivity of medullary 5‐HT neurons

Abstract

5‐HT neurons are chemoreceptive and involved in respiratory control. SIDS has been linked to brainstem 5‐HT abnormalities, fetal nicotine exposure and impaired responses to changes in O 2 and CO 2 . We tested the hypothesis that nicotine may increase the risk of SIDS by impairing 5‐HT neuronal function. We used perforated patch clamp to record changes in firing rate (FR) in response to acidosis and to acute nicotine exposure of 5‐HT neurons cultured for >12 days from the medullary raphé of 2 day old mice. An osmotic minipump was implanted into pregnant mice at E10 supplying 6 or 60 mg kg −1 ..