Neural regulation of discontinuous gas exchange in Periplaneta americana

Patterns of gas exchange among terrestrial arthropods are highly variable from continuous to discontinuous with discretely partitioned phases. The underlying initiation and co-ordination of these patterns is relatively poorly understood. Here we present a novel method for the simultaneous measurement of central nervous system (CNS) activity of the metathoracic ganglion and VCO₂ in medium to large sized live terrestrial arthropods. Using Periplaneta americana at four oxygen levels (40%, 21%, 10% and 2% at 25 °C; n=6 per treatment), we present minimally invasive visualization of nervous output relative to typical resting discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) data for the first time. DGE was maintained when cockroaches were exposed to hyperoxia or moderate hypoxia, but was lost in severe hypoxia. CNS activity was manifested in three signal types: large CNS output coinciding with peak CO₂ production during a burst, moderate CNS output coinciding with CO₂ sawtoothing and fluttering, and minimal CNS activity during the closed phase of DGE in normoxia. Large and moderate CNS outputs were associated with observed abdominal pumping and congruent CO₂ peaks. At 10% oxygen, VCO₂ was significantly elevated during the inter-burst period in association with almost constant moderate CNS output between the periodic large CNS output. At 2% oxygen, DGE and large CNS output are lost to continuous CO₂ release and largely continuous moderate CNS output. As previously reported for this species, a central pattern generator for ventilation in the metathoracic ganglion is supported and we infer the presence of localized oxygen chemoreceptors based on clear CNS response to a change in oxygen tension.