{{Short description|Group of neurons located in rostral ventrolateral medulla, and ventral respiratory column}} In mammals, the '''Bötzinger complex''' ('''BötC''') is a group of mainly expiratory neurons located within the ventral respiratory column in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (immediately caudal to the facial nucleus and ventral to the compact formation of the nucleus ambiguus).<ref name="pmid3256618">{{cite journal| vauthors=Bianchi AL, Grélot L, Iscoe S, Remmers JE| title=Electrophysiological properties of rostral medullary respiratory neurones in the cat: an intracellular study. | journal=J Physiol | year= 1988 | volume= 407 | pages= 293–310 | pmid=3256618 | doi= 10.1113/jphysiol.1988.sp017416| pmc=1191204 }}</ref><ref name="pmid3034989">{{cite journal| vauthors=Otake K, Sasaki H, Mannen H, Ezure K| title=Morphology of expiratory neurons of the Bötzinger complex: an HRP study in the cat. | journal=J Comp Neurol | year= 1987 | volume= 258 | issue= 4 | pages= 565–79 | doi=10.1002/cne.902580407 | pmid=3034989 }}</ref>
==Function== The Bötzinger complex plays an important role in controlling breathing<ref name="pmid1773353">{{cite journal| vauthors=Bongianni F, Corda M, Fontana GA, Pantaleo T| title=Reciprocal connections between rostral ventrolateral medulla and inspiration-related medullary areas in the cat. | journal=Brain Res | year= 1991 | volume= 565 | issue= 1 | pages= 171–4 | doi= 10.1016/0006-8993(91)91751-l| pmid=1773353 }}</ref><ref name="pmid10963771">{{cite journal| author=Guyenet PG| title=Neural structures that mediate sympathoexcitation during hypoxia. | journal=Respir Physiol | year= 2000 | volume= 121 | issue= 2–3 | pages= 147–62 | doi= 10.1016/s0034-5687(00)00125-0| pmid=10963771 }}</ref> and response to hypoxia.<ref name="pmid9284071">{{cite journal| vauthors=Hirooka Y, Polson JW, Potts PD, Dampney RA| title=Hypoxia-induced Fos expression in neurons projecting to the pressor region in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. | journal=Neuroscience | year= 1997 | volume= 80 | issue= 4 | pages= 1209–24 | doi= 10.1016/s0306-4522(97)00111-5| pmid=9284071 }}</ref><ref name="pmid10209238">{{cite journal| vauthors=Nitsos I, Walker DW| title=The distribution of FOS-immunoreactive neurons in the brainstem, midbrain and diencephalon of fetal sheep in response to acute hypoxia in mid and late gestation. | journal=Brain Res Dev Brain Res | year= 1999 | volume= 114 | issue= 1 | pages= 9–26 | doi= 10.1016/s0165-3806(99)00010-3| pmid=10209238 }}</ref> It consists primarily of glycinergic neurons<ref name="pmid19238427">{{cite journal| vauthors=Winter SM, Fresemann J, Schnell C, Oku Y, Hirrlinger J, Hülsmann S| title=Glycinergic interneurons are functionally integrated into the inspiratory network of mouse medullary slices. | journal=Pflügers Arch | year= 2009 | volume= 458 | issue= 3 | pages= 459–69 | pmid=19238427 | doi=10.1007/s00424-009-0647-1 | pmc=2691554 }}</ref> which inhibit the activity of inspiratory neurons. In the respiratory cycle, Bötzinger neurons show mainly E-augmenting or E-decrementing activity.<ref name="pmid3821744">{{cite journal| vauthors=Richter A, Heyne K, Sagebiel J, Weber M| title=[Respiratory emergency in the newborn infant: extreme laryngotracheo-esophageal cleft (esophagotrachea)]. | journal=Monatsschr Kinderheilkd | year= 1986 | volume= 134 | issue= 12 | pages= 874–7 | pmid=3821744 }}</ref><ref name="pmid6757372">{{cite journal| author=Richter DW| title=Generation and maintenance of the respiratory rhythm. | journal=J Exp Biol | year= 1982 | volume= 100 | issue=1 | pages= 93–107 | doi=10.1242/jeb.100.1.93 | pmid=6757372 | bibcode=1982JExpB.100...93R }}</ref><ref name="pmid7250385">{{cite journal| author=Merrill EG| title=Where are the real respiratory neurons? | journal=Fed Proc | year= 1981 | volume= 40 | issue= 9 | pages= 2389–94 | pmid=7250385 }}</ref>
==Name== The Bötzinger complex was named by the participants of a scientific meeting held in Hirschhorn in 1980 after a bottle of white wine named Botzinger present at the dinner table during the conference dinner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's so inspiring about respiration? {{!}} UCLA Health |url=https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/whats-so-inspiring-about-respiration |access-date=2025-10-09 |website=www.uclahealth.org |language=en}}</ref>
==Connections== The Bötzinger Complex has projections to: * Phrenic pre-motor neurons in the medulla<ref name="pmid2226695">{{cite journal| vauthors=Jiang C, Lipski J| title=Extensive monosynaptic inhibition of ventral respiratory group neurons by augmenting neurons in the Bötzinger complex in the cat. | journal=Exp Brain Res | year= 1990 | volume= 81 | issue= 3 | pages= 639–48 | doi= 10.1007/bf02423514| pmid=2226695 }}</ref> * Phrenic motor neurons in the cervical spinal cord<ref name="pmid3169184">{{cite journal| vauthors=Otake K, Sasaki H, Ezure K, Manabe M| title=Axonal projections from Bötzinger expiratory neurons to contralateral ventral and dorsal respiratory groups in the cat. | journal=Exp Brain Res | year= 1988 | volume= 72 | issue= 1 | pages= 167–77 | doi= 10.1007/bf00248512| pmid=3169184 }}</ref><ref name="pmid9776513">{{cite journal| vauthors=Tian GF, Peever JH, Duffin J| title=Bötzinger-complex expiratory neurons monosynaptically inhibit phrenic motoneurons in the decerebrate rat. | journal=Exp Brain Res | year= 1998 | volume= 122 | issue= 2 | pages= 149–56 | doi= 10.1007/s002210050502| pmid=9776513 }}</ref> * The dorsal respiratory group (DRG) <ref name="pmid3169184"/><ref name="pmid7407571">{{cite journal| vauthors=Lipski J, Merrill EG| title=Electrophysiological demonstration of the projection from expiratory neurones in rostral medulla to contralateral dorsal respiratory group. | journal=Brain Res | year= 1980 | volume= 197 | issue= 2 | pages= 521–4 | doi= 10.1016/0006-8993(80)91140-3| pmid=7407571 }}</ref> * Ventral respiratory group (VRG)<ref name="pmid2226695"/><ref name="pmid3169184"/><ref name="pmid8227518">{{cite journal| vauthors=Bryant TH, Yoshida S, de Castro D, Lipski J| title=Expiratory neurons of the Bötzinger Complex in the rat: a morphological study following intracellular labeling with biocytin. | journal=J Comp Neurol | year= 1993 | volume= 335 | issue= 2 | pages= 267–82 | doi=10.1002/cne.903350210 | pmid=8227518 }}</ref> * Pre-Bötzinger complex<ref name="pmid24382872">{{cite journal| vauthors=Richter DW, Smith JC| title=Respiratory rhythm generation in vivo. | journal=Physiology | year= 2014 | volume= 29 | issue= 1 | pages= 58–71 | pmid=24382872 | doi=10.1152/physiol.00035.2013 | pmc= 3929116}}</ref> * Bötzinger complex itself <ref name="pmid3034989"/><ref name="pmid3169184"/><ref name="pmid12687375">{{cite journal| vauthors=Shen L, Li YM, Duffin J| title=Inhibitory connections among rostral medullary expiratory neurones detected with cross-correlation in the decerebrate rat. | journal=Pflügers Arch | year= 2003 | volume= 446 | issue= 3 | pages= 365–72 | doi=10.1007/s00424-003-1024-0 | pmid=12687375 }}</ref><ref name="pmid17913982">{{cite journal| vauthors=Smith JC, Abdala AP, Koizumi H, Rybak IA, Paton JF| title=Spatial and functional architecture of the mammalian brain stem respiratory network: a hierarchy of three oscillatory mechanisms. | journal=J Neurophysiol | year= 2007 | volume= 98 | issue= 6 | pages= 3370–87 | pmid=17913982 | doi=10.1152/jn.00985.2007 | pmc=2225347 }}</ref> * Parabrachial Kolliker-Fuse nucleus<ref name="pmid12507723">{{cite journal| vauthors=Ezure K, Tanaka I, Saito Y| title=Brainstem and spinal projections of augmenting expiratory neurons in the rat. | journal=Neurosci Res | year= 2003 | volume= 45 | issue= 1 | pages= 41–51 | doi= 10.1016/s0168-0102(02)00197-9| pmid=12507723 }}</ref> Only augmenting expiratory neurons of BötC, which are exclusively glycinergic, project to the phrenic nucleus.<ref name="pmid10235646">{{cite journal| vauthors=Schreihofer AM, Stornetta RL, Guyenet PG| title=Evidence for glycinergic respiratory neurons: Bötzinger neurons express mRNA for glycinergic transporter 2. | journal=J Comp Neurol | year= 1999 | volume= 407 | issue= 4 | pages= 583–97 | doi= 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19990517)407:4<583::aid-cne8>3.0.co;2-e| pmid=10235646 }}</ref><ref name="pmid9776513"/>
Projections to the Bötzinger complex include the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS)<ref name="pmid18931046">{{cite journal| vauthors=Accorsi-Mendonça D, Bonagamba LG, Leão RM, Machado BH| title=Are L-glutamate and ATP cotransmitters of the peripheral chemoreflex in the rat nucleus tractus solitarius? | journal=Exp Physiol | year= 2009 | volume= 94 | issue= 1 | pages= 38–45 | doi=10.1113/expphysiol.2008.043653 | pmid=18931046 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="pmid9861">{{cite journal| vauthors=Ruff F, Caubarrere I, Salem A, Dubois F, Duroux P| title=[Regional distribution of pulmonary perfusion during fluid overload in man]. | journal=Ann Anesthesiol Fr | year= 1975 | volume= 16 Spec No 2-3 | pages= 164–8 | pmid=9861 }}</ref> and VRG.<ref name="pmid1633274">{{cite journal| vauthors=Douse MA, Duffin J| title=Projections to Bötzinger expiratory neurons by dorsal and ventral respiratory group neurons. | journal=NeuroReport | year= 1992 | volume= 3 | issue= 5 | pages= 393–6 | doi= 10.1097/00001756-199205000-00004| pmid=1633274 }}</ref>
==Physiology== These neurons may act as intrinsic pacemakers.<ref name="pmid24728679">{{cite journal| vauthors=Almado CE, Leão RM, Machado BH| title=Intrinsic properties of rostral ventrolateral medulla presympathetic and bulbospinal respiratory neurons of juvenile rats are not affected by chronic intermittent hypoxia. | journal=Exp Physiol | year= 2014 | volume= 99 | issue= 7 | pages= 937–50 | doi=10.1113/expphysiol.2013.077800 | pmid=24728679 | doi-access=free }}</ref> E-decrementing neurons display an initial burst of activity followed by decrease towards the end of expiration. Aug-E neurons begin firing during the E2 phase and end before the phrenic nerve burst.<ref name="pmid17913982"/><ref name="pmid24614747">{{cite journal| vauthors=Moraes DJ, Bonagamba LG, Costa KM, Costa-Silva JH, Zoccal DB, Machado BH| title=Short-term sustained hypoxia induces changes in the coupling of sympathetic and respiratory activities in rats. | journal=J Physiol | year= 2014 | volume= 592 | issue= Pt 9 | pages= 2013–33 | pmid=24614747 | doi=10.1113/jphysiol.2013.262212 | pmc= 4230776}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
Category:Brainstem Category:Neuroanatomy Category:Respiration