Autonomic innervation of the carotid body: Role in efferent inhibition

The carotid body (CB) is a chemosensory organ that monitors blood chemicals and initiates compensatory reflex adjustments to maintain homeostasis. The 'afferent' sensory discharge induced by changes in blood chemicals, e.g. low PO(2) (hypoxia), is relayed by carotid sinus nerve (CSN) fibers and has been well studied. Much less is known, however, about a parallel autonomic (parasympathetic) 'efferent' pathway that is the source of CB inhibition. …