Swallow is a primitive behavior regulated by medullary networks, responsible for movement of food/liquid from the oral cavity to the esophagus. To investigate how functionally heterogeneous networks along the medullary intermediate reticular formation (IRt) and ventral respiratory column (VRC) control swallow, we electrically stimulated the nucleus tractus solitarius to induce fictive swallow between inspiratory bursts, with concurrent optical recordings using a synthetic Ca²⁺ indicator in the sagittally-sectioned rat hindbrain preparation (SSRH). Simultaneous recordings from hypoglossal nerve rootlet (XIIn) and ventral cervical spinal root C1-C2 enabled identification of the system-level correlates of A) swallow (identified as activation of the XIIn but not the cervical root), and B) Breuer-Hering expiratory reflex (BHE: lengthened E in response to stimuli during E). Optical recording revealed reconfiguration of respiration-modulated networks in the ventrolateral medulla during swallow and the BHE reflex. Recordings identified novel spatially compact networks in the IRt near the facial nucleus (VIIn) that were active during fictive swallow, suggesting that the swallow network is not restricted to the caudal medulla. These findings also establish the utility of using this in vitro preparation to investigate how functionally heterogeneous medullary networks interact and reconfigure to enable a repertoire of orofacial behaviors.

中文翻译：

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中间网状结构参与吞咽模式生成的证据，在新生大鼠矢状断后脑中光学记录

吞咽是一种由髓质网络调节的原始行为，负责食物/液体从口腔到食道的运动。为了研究沿髓质中间网状结构 (IRt) 和腹侧呼吸柱 (VRC) 的功能异质网络如何控制吞咽，我们电刺激孤束核以在吸气爆发之间诱导虚构吞咽，同时使用合成 Ca ^{2+进行光学记录}矢状切片大鼠后脑制剂 (SSRH) 中的指标。舌下神经根 (XIIn) 和腹侧颈椎根 C1-C2 的同时记录能够识别 A) 吞咽（识别为 XIIn 但不是颈根的激活）和 B) Breuer-Hering 呼气的系统级相关性反射（BHE：在 E 期间响应刺激延长 E）。光学记录显示在吞咽和 BHE 反射期间腹外侧髓质中呼吸调制网络的重新配置。记录确定了 IRt 中靠近面部核 (VIIn) 的新型空间紧凑网络，这些网络在虚构吞咽期间活跃，这表明吞咽网络不限于尾髓。