The ventilatory response of neonatal serotonin knockout mice when exposed to different concentrations of CO2  and the implications for sudden infant death syndrome

Alderman, Courtney

The ventilatory response of neonatal serotonin knockout mice when exposed to different concentrations of CO2 and the implications for sudden infant death syndrome

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/26352

Author(s)

Alderman, Courtney

Date Issued

April 30, 2012

Abstract

The accumulation of CO2 around an infant’s head is a major risk factor associated with SIDS. Serotonin imbalances in the brain have also been found in a high number of infants who succumb to SIDS, the exact correlation between SIDS and serotonin is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ventilatory response of serotonin knockout mice (5-HTT) when exposed to CO2. Two liters containing 14 mouse pups were split into two groups, serotonin knockouts or homozygous (-/-) and heterozygous (-/+). These mice were tested and weighed on days 2,3,5,7,9 and 11 after birth. The mice were placed in a partial body plethysmography chamber to detect the pressure changes during the ventilation cycle. Each mouse was exposed to a 0%, 4% and 8% CO2 sequence over a period of 13 minutes. Using BioPac and Statview software the ventilatory response was recorded and analyzed to determine breathing frequency, minute ventilation and tidal volume. The results indicate that the serotonin knockout mice do not have a decreased CO2 response resulting in a decrease in ventilation. This does not support the connection between SIDS and serotonin.

First Reader(s)

Coates, E. Lee