Influence of interleukin-1 on breathing pattern and inspiratory-inhibitory Hering-Breuer reflex

In experiments on anesthetized rats, the influence of the main pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1) on respiratory function was studied. It was founded that elevated levels of IL-1β in plasma causes an increase in pulmonary ventilation associated with shortness of breath, increasing the total inspiratory effort and a corresponding increase in tidal volume. It is shown that pro-inflammatory cytokines may be involved in vagal control of breathing mediated by modulation of inspiratory-inhibitory Hering-Breuer reflex providing vagal-dependent volume feedback in the control of respiratory system.