Potential roles of ATP and local neurons in the monitoring of blood O2 content by rat aortic bodies

Aortic bodies are arterial chemoreceptors presumed to monitor blood O2 content by unknown mechanisms, in contrast to their well-studied carotid body counterparts, which monitor PO2 and /pH. We recently showed that rat aortic body chemoreceptors (type I cells), located at the left vagus-recurrent laryngeal nerve bifurcation, responded to PO2 and PCO2 /pH in a manner similar to carotid body type I cells. These aortic bodies are uniquely …