NMDA receptor-mediated modulation of ventilation in obese Zucker rats

BACKGROUND: Ventilation in response to hypoxia is reduced in some obese humans and is believed to represent part of the pathogenesis of obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). Ventilation in response to hypoxic exposure is closely related to the release of excitatory neurotransmitters, in particular glutamate, acting specifically on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether NMDA receptor-mediated mechanisms are responsible for the altered ventilatory response to sustained hypoxia observed in obese Zucker (Z) rats. SUBJECTS: Seven lean and seven 15-week-old obese male Z rats were studied. MEASUREMENTS: Ventilation (V̇_E) at rest and during 30 min sustained hypoxic (10% O₂) exposure was measured by the barometric method. V̇_Ewas assessed following the blinded-random administration of equal volumes of either saline (vehicle) or dextromethorphan (DM, 10 mg/kg), a non-competitive glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist. RESULTS: DM had no effects on resting V̇_Ein both lean and obese rats during room air breathing. Lean rats treated with DM exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) depression in V̇_E, V_T, and V_T/T_Iduring either the early (5 min) or the late phase (30 min) of ventilatory response to sustained hypoxia. In contrast, DM administration in obese rats did not change V̇_E, V_T, or V_T/T_Iduring the early phase of ventilatory response to hypoxia. During the late phase of ventilatory response to hypoxia. obese rats treated with DM exhibited a similar depression in V̇_Eand V_Tas observed in lean rats, but had no significant change in V_T/T_Iduring the 30 min hypoxic exposure. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that altered glutamatergic mechanisms acting on NMDA receptors are partially responsible for a blunted early phase of ventilatory response to hypoxia noted in obese rats and also contribute to their reduced neural respiratory drive.