Short-latency excitation of phrenic motor output mediated by non-NMDA receptors

This study tested the hypothesis that the short-latency excitation of the phrenic motor output elicited by superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation requires non-NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission in the region of the dorsal respiratory group (DRG) of the adult cat. Injection of the non-NMDA receptor antagonist NBQX into the DRG severely attenuated or abolished the short-latency excitation, indicating that the short-latency excitation requires non-NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission within the DRG.