Retinoic acid receptor alpha activation is necessary and sufficient for plasticity induced by recurrent central apnea

Abstract

Local mechanisms near phrenic motor neurons respond to reductions in respiratory-related synaptic inputs by triggering a chemoreflex-independent, proportional enhancement in inspiratory output, a form of plasticity called inactivity‐induced inspiratory motor facilitation (iMF). Here, we show that activation of spinal retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) is necessary to trigger phrenic iMF, and that spinal RARα activation in the absence of respiratory neural activity deprivation is sufficient to elicit phrenic inspiratory facilitation.