The Regulation Function Of Proinflammatory Cytokine On The Rat Carotid Body Sensing Chronic Hypoxia

The carotid body (CB) is a peripheral arterial chemoreceptor organ located the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. The carotid body chemoreceptor can sense PaO₂, PaCO₂ and pH in blood, and generate preventive respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes. The carotid body also senses high temperature, hyperosmolarity and blood glucose in blood. The carotid body is innervated by afferent terminals of the carotid sinus nerve (CSN), a branch of the ninth cranial nerve, whose neurons located in the petrosal ganglion. The carotid body is innervated by adrenergic nerve and parasympathetic nerve, too. The carotid body chemoreceptors consist of groups of specialized sensory glomus (type I) cells and sustenacular (type II) cells surrounded by a plexus of fenestrated capillaries and sinusoids. The most distinguishing feature of type I cell is the presence of numerous dense-core vesicles in their cytoplasm, which are known to contain ACh, catecholamines (DA, NE), enkephalin, substance P and other putative neurotransmitters. Type...