Protein kinase Cδ constrains the S-pathway to phrenic motor facilitation elicited by spinal 5-HT7 receptors or severe acute intermittent hypoxia.

KEY POINTS: Concurrent 5-HT2A (Q pathway) and 5-HT7 (S pathway) serotonin receptor activation cancels phrenic motor facilitation due to mutual cross-talk inhibition. Spinal protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) or protein kinase A inhibition restores phrenic motor facilitation with concurrent Q and S pathway activation, demonstrating a key role for these kinases in cross-talk inhibition. Spinal PKCδ inhibition enhances adenosine-dependent severe acute intermittent hypoxia-induced phrenic long-term facilitation (S pathway), consistent with relief of cross-talk inhibition. ABSTRACT: Intermittent spinal serotonin receptor activation elicits long-lasting phrenic motor facilitation (pMF), a form of respiratory motor plasticity. When activated alone, spinal Gq protein-coupled serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2A ) initiate pMF by a mechanism that requires ERK-MAP kinase signalling and new BDNF protein synthesis (Q pathway). Spinal Gs protein-coupled serotonin 7 (5-HT7 ) and adenosine 2A (A2A ) receptor activation also elicits pMF, but via distinct mechanisms (S pathway) that require Akt signalling and new TrkB protein synthesis. Although studies have shown inhibitory cross-talk interactions between these competing pathways, the underlying cellular mechanisms are unknown. We propose the following hypotheses: (1) concurrent 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 activation undermines pMF; (2) protein kinase A (PKA) and (3) NADPH oxidase mediate inhibitory interactions between Q (5-HT2A ) and S (5-HT7 ) pathways. Selective 5-HT2A (DOI hydrochloride) and 5HT7 (AS-19) agonists were administered intrathecally at C4 (three injections, 5-min intervals) in anaesthetized, vagotomized and ventilated male rats. With either spinal 5-HT2A or 5-HT7 activation alone, phrenic amplitude progressively increased (pMF). In contrast, concurrent 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 activation failed to elicit pMF. The 5-HT2A -induced Q pathway was restored by inhibiting PKA activity (Rp-8-Br-cAMPS). NADPH oxidase inhibition did not prevent cross-talk inhibition. Therefore, we investigated alternative mechanisms to explain Q to S pathway inhibition. Spinal protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition with Gö6983 or PKCδ peptide inhibitor restored the 5-HT7 -induced S pathway to pMF, revealing PKCδ as the relevant isoform. Spinal PKCδ inhibition enhanced the S pathway-dependent form of pMF elicited by severe acute intermittent hypoxia. We suggest that powerful constraints between 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 or A2A receptor-induced pMF are mediated by PKCδ and PKA, respectively.