bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of autonomic control of heart rate in genetically hypertensive and normotensive rats
Authors: Tucker D. C. , Johnson A. K.
Published: December 2017

The present study describes developmental changes in autonomic controls of heart rate in a strain of rats genetically predisposed to hypertension (spontaneously hypertensive rats or SHR) and in a normotensive strain of rats (Wistar-Kyoto rats or WKY). Rat pups were tested at 4, 8, 12, and 16 days to determine heart rate changes after selective pharmacological treatments. Specifically, freely moving pups were treated with selective beta-adrenergic and muscarinic receptor blockers (i.e., atenolol and atropine methylnitrate), using procedures designed to produce minimal pain or discomfort. The results indicated that by 4 days of age there is a substantial sympathetic acceleratory influence on heart rate. Comparison of inferred autonomic control of the heart in prehypertensive SHR and normotensive WKY pups suggested exaggeration of this early sympathetic influence among SHR pups. After 2 wk of age, however, equivalent autonomic control of heart rate was seen in SHR and WKY rats, with the higher basal heart rate of SHR rats being mediated by an increased intrinsic heart rate (i.e., heart rate after combined blockade). These findings suggest that enhanced sympathetic nervous system activity may be an early expression of the genetic predisposition to develop hypertension.
Multiexponential, multicompartmental, and noncompartmental modeling. I. Methodological limitations and physiological interpretations
Authors: DiStefano J. J. , Landaw E. M.
Published: December 2017

Multiexponential, multicompartmental, and noncompartmental analysis methods are conventional modeling tools in life science areas, and, on occasion, a number of facets of each are misunderstood, misused, or misinterpreted. We critically examine some of the assumptions, subtleties, and properties of each of these methodologies, with emphasis on their applicability and their interpretation in physiological terms. We discuss the similarities and differences in noncompartmental and compartmental approaches, their relationships with multiexponential models, and several important assumptions that must be satisfied in the practical application of these techniques. A key issue is the highly restricted structure of the noncompartmental model, limiting its applicability quite severely. Noncompartmental analysis is not model independent, as it is often called. Another issue is the importance and manner of choosing a suitable multicompartmental topology, consistent with system structure and modeling goals, when a physiological mapping of specific model parameters is desired.
Phase transitions and critical behavior in human bimanual coordination
Authors: Kelso J. A.
Published: December 2017

Conditions that give rise to phase shifts among the limbs when an animal changes gait are poorly understood. Often a “switch mechanism” is invoked that has a neural basis which remains speculative. Abrupt phase transitions also occur between the two hands in humans when movement-cycling frequency is continuously increased. The asymmetrical out-of-phase mode shifts suddenly to a symmetrical in-phase mode involving simultaneous activation of homologous muscle groups. The boundary between the two coordinative states is indexed by a dimensionless critical number, which remains constant regardless of whether the hands move freely or are subject to resistive loading. Coordinated shifts appear to arise because of continuous scaling influences that render the existing mode unstable. Then, at a critical point, bifurcation occurs and a new stable (and perhaps energetically more efficient) mode emerges.
Hepatic palmitate metabolism in fasting Zucker rats: effect of lactate on partitioning
Authors: Azain M. J. , Martin R. J.
Published: December 2017

Hepatocytes were isolated from 48-h fasted lean and obese Zucker rats and incubated with [1–14C] palmitate. The partitioning of fatty acids to oxidation and esterification products and the effect of lactate or glucose on this partitioning were studied. With palmitate as the only substrate, the cells from the lean rats oxidized 80% of the palmitate that was metabolized compared with only 35% oxidation in the cells from the obese rats. Thus fatty acid esterification remained the predominate pathway of palmitate metabolism in the hepatocytes from fasting obese rats. The addition of lactate to the cells from the lean rats decreased oxidation and increased esterification to levels similar to those in the obese rat hepatocytes. Glucose had similar effects on esterification in lean rat hepatocytes but was less potent than lactate. The cells from the obese rats were insensitive to the addition of lactate or glucose. These studies indicate that the inability of hepatocytes from obese rats to induce ketogenesis from exogenous fatty acids after a 48-h fast and their insensitivity to added lactate or glucose may be related to the availability of endogenous energy sources in the obese liver that can be oxidized and thus inhibit ketogenesis and support fatty acid esterification.
Biological similitude: statistical and functional relationships in comparative physiology
Authors: Heusner A. A.
Published: December 2017

A concept of biological similitude based on the distinction between extensive and intensive properties of animals is discussed. This concept provides a theoretical basis for using the power function as a mathematical-physical model whose numerical and dimensional constraints give some insight into the nature of the relationship between body mass and energy metabolism. In particular a theoretically mass-independent expression for energy metabolism is derived that can be used for qualitative intra- and interspecific comparisons of energy metabolism.
Liver and adipose tissue contributions to newly formed fatty acids in an ascites tumor
Authors: Ookhtens M. , Kannan R. , Lyon I. , Baker N.
Published: December 2017

We determined the contribution from host hepatic and extrahepatic tissues to newly synthesized fatty acids (FA) in the Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT). We administered 3H2O (subcutaneously) and [14C]glucose (in a test meal) and measured the appearance of radioactivity in plasma triglyceride fatty acids (TGFA) and free fatty acids (FFA) and in tumor total lipid fatty acids (TLFA). Using [14 C]FFA, we selectively labeled epididymal fat TGFA to estimate the FA transport rate from intraperitoneal adipose tissue directly to the tumor. Contributions of four major pathways to newly synthesized FA in EAT were determined by multicompartmental analysis. De novo FA synthesis by EAT accounted for more than 93% of the TLFA radioactivity found in the tumor. Contributions from liver TGFA via plasma TGFA (less than 0.5%), adipose tissue TGFA via plasma FFA (less than 6%), and adipose tissue TGFA via direct intraperitoneal transport of FFA (less than 1%) accounted for less than 7% of all TLFA radioactivity measured in the EAT. Thus the present study establishes that practically all labeled esterified FA in the EAT is derived from de novo synthesis by tumor cells.
Metabolic fuel homeostasis in golden hamsters: effects of fasting, refeeding, glucose, and insulin
Authors: Rowland N.
Published: December 2017

Experiments were conducted to investigate possible metabolic correlates of the unusual ingestive behavior of hamsters after food deprivation. A hypothesis of metabolic refractoriness predicts that hamsters, unlike rats, should not show changes in plasma metabolic fuels, adipose tissue, or liver after fasting and subsequent refeeding. This hypothesis was discredited by findings that fasted hamsters, like rats, have increased plasma ketones and free fatty acids and decreased liver glycogen. On refeeding, hamsters showed rapid reversal of these changes, with supranormal glycogen content and apparent fatty acid synthesis in liver. Additional studies examined the metabolic responses of hamsters and rats to exogenous insulin or glucose administration. Incorporation of 3H2O into liver fatty acids was greatly elevated in rats by both insulin and glucose, but in hamsters only insulin was effective. Some of these metabolic differences may help our understanding of the unusual refractoriness of hamster food intake to various stimuli.
Principles and problems of human energy exchange
Authors: Garby L. , Larsen P. S.
Published: December 2017

The principles and laws that determine the relations between observed quantities in experiments on human energy exchange are described in terms of classical thermodynamics applied to an open system. It is suggested that adherence to such a description will help avoid ambiguities and imprecision in analysis of the data. The description suggests a framework within which the control aspects of the system can be profitably analyzed.
Long-term cannulation model for blood sampling and intragastric infusion in the rat
Authors: Tsukamoto H. , Reidelberger R. D. , French S. W. , Largman C.
Published: December 2017

An improved methodology is described for long-term venous and gastric cannulation in the rat. The long-term efficacy of the cannulas for blood sampling and intragastric infusion of liquid diet was determined in 18 rats. No animals died after surgery, and weight gain was normal. During the first 6 wk, blood could be drawn repetitively in 94% of the rats, and continuous intragastric infusion of diet was maintained in all the animals. For an extended period of 11 wk, success rates for blood sampling and dietary infusion were 75 and 100%, respectively. Standard hematological, histopathological, and clinical laboratory tests showed no abnormal changes. Furthermore, plasma corticosterone levels were consistently low (0.5 +/- 0.11 to 1.52 +/- 0.55 micrograms/dl) from the third postoperative day throughout a period of 6 wk, indicating that animals were under minimal stress.
Role of ventromedial hypothalamus on sympathetic efferents of brown adipose tissue
Authors: Niijima A. , Rohner-Jeanrenaud F. , Jeanrenaud B.
Published: December 2017

Previous studies have suggested the presence, in hypothalamic obesity, of an impairment of the energy-dissipating capacity of brown adipose tissue ascribed to a functional disconnection of the sympathetic innervation of this tissue. The following observations demonstrate, with electrophysiological techniques, the presence of a functional link between the ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) area and the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) in the rat: the spontaneous activity of the efferent sympathetic nerves reaching the IBAT of normal rats was increased in response to an acute cold stimulus, whereas this increase failed to occur in nerves of VMH-lesioned rats studied 4–7 days after the lesions; and the spontaneous activity of the efferent sympathetic nerves of IBAT decreased rapidly (by greater than or equal to 80% within 30 min) after acute lesions of the VMH area. It is suggested that the VMH area plays a role in increasing the activity of the efferent sympathetic nerves of IBAT during an acute cold stimulus and that alone or in relationship with other, as yet undetermined, central nervous system sites, it has a tonic stimulatory effect on the final common pathways that innervate the IBAT via the efferent sympathetic nerves.
Kinetic studies of the Na+-K+-ATPase enzyme system in brain and heart of aging rats
Authors: Poole L. B. , Liu M. S. , Landfield P. W.
Published: December 2017

Kinetic analyses of the Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) system were performed in brain and heart preparations from young mature (4 mo old) and healthy aged (25 mo old) rats. The K+-activated p-nitrophenylphosphatase (K+-pNPPase) method was used to assess activity of the enzyme system. Ouabain inhibition of K+-pNPPase activity was also examined. A significant age-related decrease in maximal velocity (Vmax) was found in cardiac K+-pNPPase activity, but no changes were seen in the K+ concentration for half-maximal velocity (K0.5). No age differences in Vmax or K0.5 were seen for brain. No differences in ouabain inhibition were found in either brain or heart. In a second experiment, the major component of the age-related decline in cardiac K+-pNPPase activity was found to occur between 5 and 14 mo of age, a period during which plasma thyroxine had previously been found to decline in the same animals. Since peripheral Na+-K+-ATPase activity is partly thyroid hormone dependent, the age-dependent decrease in cardiac enzyme activity appears to be secondary to neuroendocrine changes.
Vasopressin in plasma and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid during dehydration, postural changes, and nausea
Authors: Sorensen P. S. , Hammer M.
Published: December 2017

The responses of plasma and ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) vasopressin concentration to dehydration, postural changes, and induction of nausea were studied in 21 patients with hydrocephalus of various etiology. The 24-h dehydration test evoked a significant increase in plasma osmolality and vasopressin concentration, whereas the concentration of vasopressin in CSF was unchanged. Head-up tilt to 50 degrees for 45 min with a tilt bed resulted in a modest increase of plasma vasopressin in patients who did not develop presyncopal symptoms, but no changes were seen in CSF vasopressin. Induction of nausea by subcutaneously injected apomorphine provoked a marked (20- to 50-fold) rise in plasma vasopressin concentration within 15 min, and the plasma concentration was significantly increased above base-line values for 60-120 min. Despite the prolonged period of high plasma vasopressin concentration CSF vasopressin was not influenced by the apomorphine injection. The findings suggest that the concentration of vasopressin in the CSF is controlled by mechanisms other than the well-known osmotic and nonosmotic stimuli of vasopressin release into the blood.
Plasma vasopressin response to peripheral administration of angiotensin in conscious rats
Authors: Yamaguchi K. , Koike M. , Hama H.
Published: December 2017

To assess a role for peripherally administered angiotensin II (ANG II) in regulating vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone, ADH) release, the effects on plasma ANG II and ADH of intraperitoneal injections of ANG II dissolved in various solutions were examined in conscious rats. Plasma ANG II and ADH were determined by radioimmunoassay using the trunk blood collected after decapitation. Injections of 150 mM NaCl containing ANG II (6, 12, or 24 micrograms X 2 ml-1 X 100 g body wt-1) caused dose-related increases in plasma ANG II 15 and 30 min after, but plasma ADH remained unchanged. The lack of effect on plasma ADH of the ANG II dissolved in isotonic saline was also confirmed in another series of experiments in which the solution with a higher ANG II concentration was loaded by much smaller injection volume (14.3 micrograms X 0.1 ml-1 X 100 g-1). However, when given together with 600 mM NaCl, ANG II (8 micrograms X 2 ml-1 X 100 g-1) significantly potentiated the plasma ADH response to the vehicle at 15, 30, and 60 min, without affecting those of plasma osmolality, sodium, and hematocrit. The elevations of plasma ANG II and osmolality brought about by the treatment were comparable with those previously observed in rats deprived of water for 46 h. ANG II was without effect on the plasma ADH responses to the intraperitoneal injections of hypertonic sucrose or mannitol solution that did not alter plasma sodium, although these solutions were equipotent to 600 mM NaCl in augmenting plasma ADH and osmolality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Survival of hypothermic dogs after 2-h circulatory arrest
Authors: Popovic V. , Popovic P.
Published: December 2017

Adult mongrel dogs were rapidly cooled to a body temperature of 4-5 degrees C with a combination of internal (core) cooling and external surface cooling. All dogs survived profound cooling and 2-h circulatory arrest when profound hemodilution and drainage of the left ventricle were used during cooling and when preferential microwave chest rewarming and hypervolemia were employed during rewarming. After recovery no permanent neurological damage was observed. The histology of the brain and heart of animals killed 6 mo after the cooling indicated normal tissue. When during rewarming the selective microwave chest heating was not used, fewer dogs survived the 2-h circulatory arrest.
Central role for angiotensin in control of adrenal catecholamine secretion
Authors: Corwin E. J. , Seaton J. F. , Hamaji M. , Harrison T. S.
Published: December 2017

Angiotensin II (ANG II) is required for unimpaired adrenal reflex secretion of catecholamines after hemorrhage in the dog. To test if ANG II acts centrally, experiments were performed under general anesthesia on bilaterally or sham-nephrectomized dogs hemorrhaged at 25 ml/kg. Ventriculocisternal perfusion of ANG II or its antagonist saralasin was accomplished via needles inserted in the left lateral cerebral ventricle and cisterna magna. Mean arterial pressure and adrenal secretion of catecholamines were measured before and after hemorrhage. Nephrectomized dogs receiving only artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by ventriculocisternal perfusion had a very small adrenal response to hemorrhage compared with animals receiving ANG II intraventricularly (IVT) (at 10 and 100 pg . kg-1 . min-1). This effect of ANG II IVT also depended on the rate of IVT infusion. Peripheral infusion of ANG II (10 pg . kg-1 . min-1) had no effect on adrenal catecholamine secretion. Animals with intact kidneys given saralasin IVT (0.06 ng/min) responded similarly to nephrectomized dogs receiving only CSF IVT. Intravenous saralasin did not blunt the response to hemorrhage. Thus ANG II appears to support catecholamine secretion via a central mechanism. This mechanism is physiologically significant because either nephrectomy or functional elimination of ANG II by saralasin greatly attenuates the adrenal medullary response to hemorrhage in vivo.
Components of functional sympathetic control of heart rate in neonatal rats
Authors: Tucker D. C.
Published: December 2017

The ontogeny of functional sympathetic neural, adrenal medullary, and extra-adrenal components of adrenergic control of heart rate was examined in neonatal rats using a combination of pharmacological and surgical approaches. In the first experiment, bradycardia (-54 beat/min) was observed in unrestrained 2-day Sprague-Dawley rat pups 2.5 h after treatment with the adrenergic neuron blocking agent bretylium tosylate, indicating that sympathetic neural control of basal heart rate is functional in newborn rats. (Two additional experiments examined the possibility that bretylium reduced heart rate through a nonspecific cardiodepressant action.) Heart rate decreased further after administration of the ganglionic blocking agent hexamethonium to 2-, 5-, 8-, and 24-day pups pretreated with bretylium and methylatropine, indicating that neurally controlled release of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla contributes to maintenance of basal heart rate in preweanling rats. In pups pretreated with bretylium, methylatropine, and hexamethonium, additional bradycardia was observed after administration of the beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent atenolol, suggesting that circulating catecholamines from extra-adrenal sources (e.g., organ of Zuckerkandl) are important in control of heart rate during the neonatal period. A second experiment using adrenalectomized 2-, 8-, and 24-day rats confirmed the relative contribution of adrenal catecholamines to sympathetic control of neonatal heart rate. These results suggest that sympathetic innervation of both the heart and adrenal exerts significant functional control of cardiac rate in newborn rats. Circulating catecholamines released from extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue may also provide significant adrenergic stimulation to the heart during the neonatal period.
Differences between CSF and plasma Na+ and K+ activities and concentrations
Authors: Johnson D. C. , Orlowitz L. , Hitzig B. M.
Published: December 2017

[Na+] and [K+] determined by ion-selective electrodes (ISE) by direct potentiometric determination were compared with those obtained by flame photometry in plasma and in cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. Comparisons of pre- and postanesthesia values showed no change in plasma [Na+] but a 5% fall in plasma [K+]. CSF and plasma Na+ activities were identical, indicating that Na+ does not contribute to the potential difference between them. CSF K+ activity was 74% of that in plasma. The CSF-to-plasma molar and molal ratios differed from the activity (ISE) ratios. Concentrations of Na+ and K+ were also determined in an electrolyte solution and in the same solution with albumin added. Flame values differed from ISE values in plasma, CSF, and solutions. Albumin lowered flame values to a greater extent than ISE values. Bicarbonate lowered ISE values. ISE ratios, which equal activity ratios, rather than molar or molal ratios should be used in thermodynamic equilibrium equations, whereas molar concentrations should be used in electroneutrality equations or in determination of the strong ion difference.
Osmotic thirst and vasopressin release in humans: a double-blind crossover study
Authors: Phillips P. A. , Rolls B. J. , Ledingham J. G. , Forsling M. L. , Morton J. J.
Published: December 2017

Thirst is a subjective sensation. Therefore to investigate further the nature, intensity, and specificity of osmotic thirst, we studied the effects of double-blind infusions of hypertonic (0.45 M) and isotonic (0.15 M) saline on subjective ratings and sensations of thirst, water intake, plasma vasopressin, and body fluids in seven healthy volunteer young men. Only the hypertonic saline significantly increased plasma sodium concentration, plasma osmolality, plasma vasopressin concentration, and visual analog ratings of thirst sensations. Both infusions expanded blood volume, which was greater with the hypertonic saline infusion. Neither solution significantly altered mean arterial blood pressure nor plasma angiotensin levels. Throughout a 60-min drinking period after the infusions, water intake was always significantly greater after the hypertonic saline than after the isotonic saline. The subjects described the thirst sensations as mainly due to a dry unpleasant tasting mouth, which was promptly relieved by drinking. Visual analog rating changes confirmed the subjective reports. Finally, the effects on thirst and vasopressin secretion were observed at plasma sodium concentration and osmolality changes that are well within the physiological range.
Physiological doses of prolactin stimulate pelage pigmentation in Djungarian hamster
Authors: Duncan M. J. , Goldman B. D.
Published: December 2017

The Djungarian hamster exhibits a dark agouti pelage during the summer. Under the influence of decreased daylength, this species molts and develops a predominantly white winter coat. After a patch of white fur was plucked from hamsters housed in short photoperiod, chronic infusion of 10 or 20 micrograms ovine prolactin (o-PRL)/day led to the growth of a patch of pigmented fur, thus reversing the effect of the decreased daylength. Circulating o-PRL levels produced by the 10-micrograms/day infusions ranged from 17.9 +/- 4.0 to 35.1 +/- 13.8 (SE) ng/ml and thus approximated the endogenous circulating prolactin levels found in hamsters with the dark summer pelage (6, 9). Infusion of o-PRL stimulated pigmentation of the pelage of castrated as well as intact hamsters, suggesting that the testes do not mediate this effect. Infusion of ovine growth hormone (20 micrograms/day) did not stimulate pigmentation, and infusion of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (10 micrograms/day) gave inconclusive results.
Multiple regression for physiological data analysis: the problem of multicollinearity
Authors: Slinker B. K. , Glantz S. A.
Published: December 2017

Multiple linear regression, in which several predictor variables are related to a response variable, is a powerful statistical tool for gaining quantitative insight into complex in vivo physiological systems. For these insights to be correct, all predictor variables must be uncorrelated. However, in many physiological experiments the predictor variables cannot be precisely controlled and thus change in parallel (i.e., they are highly correlated). There is a redundancy of information about the response, a situation called multicollinearity, that leads to numerical problems in estimating the parameters in regression equations; the parameters are often of incorrect magnitude or sign or have large standard errors. Although multicollinearity can be avoided with good experimental design, not all interesting physiological questions can be studied without encountering multicollinearity. In these cases various ad hoc procedures have been proposed to mitigate multicollinearity. Although many of these procedures are controversial, they can be helpful in applying multiple linear regression to some physiological problems.
Renin release in turtles: effects of volume depletion and furosemide administration
Authors: Cipolle M. D. , Zehr J. E.
Published: December 2017

To gain insight into the phylogenetic history of mechanisms controlling renin release, we conducted studies in the freshwater turtle Pseudemys scripta. Maneuvers known to stimulate renin release in mammals were evoked in the turtle, and the response was compared with that in mammals. Cumulative hemorrhage (30% blood vol) in anesthetized turtles failed to increase renin even though arterial pressure was reduced to 50% of control. An even more severe hemorrhage (60% blood loss) or hypotension induced by nitroprusside infusion in unanesthetized turtles also failed to evoke an enhanced level of renin. However, under identical experimental conditions, a 15% blood loss in rats increased renin at least fourfold (P less than 0.01). In other studies 48 h of furosemide administration in awake turtles increased renin more than threefold (P less than 0.05) and were accompanied by concomitant reductions in plasma sodium and potassium (P less than 0.05). The general conclusions drawn from these studies is that renin secretion in this primitive vertebrate is similar to that in mammals with respect to renal tubular and electrolyte mechanisms, but unlike all mammals tested these turtles do not possess an intrarenal baroreceptor component in renin control.
Oscillatory temperature response to constant power applied to canine muscle
Authors: Roemer R. B. , Oleson J. R. , Cetas T. C.
Published: December 2017

A previously unreported oscillatory temperature response has been observed in canine thigh muscle subjected to an abrupt application of a constant specific energy absorption rate (SAR). The power was applied to anesthetized dogs (stage 3 plane of anesthesia) using 2,450-MHz microwaves. Five types of responses have been identified that have occurrences depending on the maximal temperature produced by the applied power. In particular, for SAR values resulting in sufficiently high initial temperatures, self-sustaining temperature oscillations lasting over 4 h have been observed with amplitudes up to 7 degrees C. The temperature oscillations are believed to be caused by oscillations in the local blood perfusion rate.
Seasonal changes in pancreatic B-cell function in euthermic yellow-bellied marmots
Authors: Florant G. L. , Lawrence A. K. , Williams K. , Bauman W. A.
Published: December 2017

Fasting plasma insulin (PI) and glucose (PG) concentrations were measured throughout the body weight cycle of marmots. Animals gained weight during summer, and in late fall body weight peaked, after which they ceased feeding. Each month euthermic animals were injected intra-arterially with either dextrose (500 mg/kg) or porcine insulin (0.1 U/kg), and blood samples were collected over the subsequent 2 h. During weight gain fasting PI concentration and pancreatic B-cell response to injected dextrose increased markedly. Maximal insulin release to a dextrose challenge was measured during peak body weight or when body weight initially began to decline. The PG concentration after exogenous insulin administration was slight (less than 10%) in the fall but increased approximately 25% in the spring after marmots lost weight. Basal PG levels were not significantly different throughout the year. Basal fasting PI concentrations were significantly higher during the fall (P less than 0.01). It is suggested that in the fall, when marmots are obese, hyperinsulinemia and peripheral insulin resistance appear. Furthermore, in two animals with an increase in body weight of approximately 30% or less over the summer, peripheral resistance was demonstrable, albeit not as marked as in animals that appropriately doubled their body weights when given food ad libitum. Thus we hypothesize that factors other than adiposity, i.e., food intake, central nervous system input to the pancreatic B-cell, and/or changes in B-cell sensitivity to PG, may contribute to the observed peripheral insulin resistance and may be involved in body weight regulation.
Osmotic factors in restitution from thermal dehydration in rats
Authors: Nose H. , Yawata T. , Morimoto T.
Published: December 2017

The degree of voluntary dehydration after thermal dehydration was assessed while supplying drinking water of varying NaCl concentrations. Adult male albino rats were exposed to a hot-dry environment (dry bulb temp 36 degrees C; relative humidity 20%) for 6-8 h, and dehydration of 7% body wt was induced. After dehydration the rats were divided into three groups, and distilled water and 0.45 or 0.9% NaCl solution was given ad libitum. The amount of fluid intake reached an equilibrium in 6-12 h; the 0.45 and 0.9% NaCl groups regained almost all lost water, whereas the distilled water group regained only half. During rehydration the 0.45 and 0.9% NaCl groups gained Na by approximately 430-650 mueq and lost K by 90-130 mueq, whereas the distilled water group lost Na slightly and K by 80 mueq/100 g body wt. As for the electrolyte balance during thermal dehydration, rats excreted Na and K into urine and saliva. Na loss was 200 mueq/100 g, almost all of which was derived from the interstitial space of skin and skeletal muscle, and K loss was 230 mueq/100 g, almost all of which was derived from intracellular space of skeletal muscle. Total cation loss (Na, K) during thermal dehydration, including K excretion during rehydration, was 510-560 mueq/100 g, which was almost identical to the Na gained by rats given 0.45 or 0.9% NaCl solution. These results suggest that voluntary dehydration is caused by the dilutional inhibition of drinking due to loss of electrolytes during thermal dehydration.
Hemodynamics during pregnancy and sex steroid administration in guinea pigs
Authors: Hart M. V. , Hosenpud J. D. , Hohimer A. R. , Morton M. J.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the time course and possible mechanisms by which the maternal cardiovascular system adapts to the demands of pregnancy. Control, 20-, 40-, and 60-day gestation guinea pigs (total 68 days) and nonpregnant virgin female guinea pigs chronically dosed with cholesterol (control), estrogen (17beta-estradiol), progesterone, and estrogen plus progesterone were studied. In vivo heart rates, pressures, cardiac outputs, blood volumes, and in vitro left ventricular pressure-volume relations were measured. There was no difference in heart rate, mean arterial, right atrial, or left ventricular end-diastolic pressures, or left ventricular weights between the various pregnant animals or hormone-dosed animals and their respective controls. By 20 days gestation blood volume (24%, P less than 0.005), cardiac output (22%, P less than 0.005), and stroke volume (22%, P less than 0.05) were increased, whereas uterine blood flow was unchanged. Chronic estrogen administration resulted in similar increases in cardiac output (24%, P less than 0.05), stroke volume (31%, P less than 0.05), and blood volume (13%, P less than 0.05). In vitro left ventricular pressure-volume relations were shifted to the right in all pregnant and hormone-dosed groups. Increases in left ventricular size and output occur before changes in uterine blood flow in guinea pig pregnancy, and these adaptations can be elicited by chronic sex steroid administration.
Renal function in sea snakes. II. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium excretion
Authors: Benyajati S. , Yokota S. D. , Dantzler W. H.
Published: December 2017

Renal clearance studies performed on the sea snake Aipysurus laevis demonstrated net tubular reabsorption of Na and both net tubular secretion and reabsorption of Mg and K. Fractional excretion of Na (FENa) was 0.05 under control conditions and increased markedly with hyperosmotic salt loading. Within each group, however, higher glomerular filtration rates were accompanied by disproportionately greater Na reabsorption. FEMg was 0.66 under control conditions and increased with Mg loading. The rate of Mg secretion was positively correlated with the urine flow rate. However, Mg loading caused a flow-independent increase in Mg secretion that was correlated with increasing plasma Mg concentration. FEK was 0.86 under control conditions and increased with K loading as a result of enhanced K secretion by the renal tubules. Like renal Mg secretion, renal K secretion showed a flow-dependent component as well as a flow-independent component related to plasma K concentration.
Platelet and plasma vasopressin in dog during hydration and vasopressin infusion
Authors: Share L. , Crofton J. T. , Brooks D. P. , Chesney C. M.
Published: December 2017

Dog platelets contain a substance immunologically similar to arginine vasopressin. In conscious and anesthetized dogs under basal conditions, platelet immunoreactive vasopressin accounts for approximately 40% of the total circulating immunoreactive vasopressin. When the plasma vasopressin concentration in the anesthetized dog was lowered 75% by intravenous infusion of isotonic dextrose solution for 2 h, the platelets failed to discharge a significant quantity of immunoreactive vasopressin. Subsequently, when the plasma vasopressin concentration was elevated to a level 10-fold greater than the initial levels by intravenous infusion of arginine vasopressin, there was no statistically significant increase in the estimated platelet vasopressin content measured 1 and 2 h after the start of the infusion, although there was the suggestion that the platelets had indeed taken up some vasopressin after 2 h of vasopressin infusion. Thus immunoreactive vasopressin in dog platelets does not appear to exchange readily with plasma vasopressin. The physiological role of platelet immunoreactive vasopressin remains to be determined.
Mechanisms of antinatriuresis during low-frequency renal nerve stimulation in anesthetized dogs
Authors: Osborn J. L. , Roman R. J. , Harland R. W.
Published: December 2017

The influence of 1.0 Hz renal nerve stimulation (RNS) on the renal excretion of sodium and bicarbonate was determined in anesthetized dogs before and during inhibition of renal bicarbonate reabsorption. RNS decreased both urinary sodium and bicarbonate excretion without changing arterial pressure, renal blood flow, or glomerular filtration rate. Pharmacological blockade of bicarbonate reabsorption with acetazolamide prevented RNS-induced decreases in bicarbonate excretion and reduced the antinatriuretic response. Physiological blockade of tubular bicarbonate reabsorption with intrarenal sodium bicarbonate infusion (1 M) abolished both the antinatriuretic response to RNS and the decrease in bicarbonate excretion. This physiological blockade of neurogenic antinatriuresis resulted from alkalinization of the urine and/or peritubular blood rather than an increase in filtered sodium load, because during intrarenal infusion of 1 M sodium chloride RNS concomitantly decreased sodium and urinary bicarbonate excretion. Since antinatriuretic responses and the decrease in bicarbonate excretion response to RNS were significantly decreased by blockade of bicarbonate reabsorption (with acetazolamide and intrarenal sodium bicarbonate infusion), antinatriuresis during RNS is partly mediated by a mechanism dependent on intact bicarbonate reabsorption. The data suggest that renal nerve activity may participate in the normal regulation of acid-base balance via changes in bicarbonate excretion.
Five months of fasting in king penguin chicks: body mass loss and fuel metabolism
Authors: Cherel Y. , Le Maho Y.
Published: December 2017

When king penguin chicks are 3–4 mo old, they enter a season of interrupted growth due to long periods of fasting, because they are irregularly fed in winter. Nine captive chicks [mean initial body mass (m) = 12.5 kg] had fasted an average of 5 mo at the end of the experiment; m was then 4.0 kg, a 68% decrease. They probably could have fasted longer, since chicks of parents delayed in the return to the colony die from starvation at an m of 3.0 kg. The long fast could be divided into three periods based on the changes in rate of decrease of m. The remarkable resistance of king penguin chicks to starvation may be partly explained by their ability to maintain protein sparing for as much as 4 mo, the duration of period II; plasma concentrations of uric acid, urea, and alanine were then minimum, 0.1, 0.4, and 0.4 mmol X l–1 respectively. Particular changes during this period, i.e., progressive increase of beta-hydroxybutyrate and decrease of glucose concentrations, might contribute to the efficiency of protein sparing. Period III was marked by a rise in protein utilization, plasma concentrations of uric acid, urea, and alanine increasing to 0.7, 1.5, and 0.8 mmol X l–1, respectively.
Guanosine diphosphate binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria is increased after single meal
Authors: Lupien J. R. , Glick Z. , Saito M. , Bray G. A.
Published: December 2017

A single meal results in an increased thermic activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT). The purpose of the present studies was threefold: 1) to identify major metabolic origins involved in this thermic response, 2) to determine the effect of meal composition on it, and 3) to determine time changes in postprandial brown fat thermogenesis. Wistar rats were trained to eat during 2 feeding sessions/day. On the days of the experiment, rats received a test meal for 2 h, and respective control rats were simultaneously meal deprived. The animals were killed at one or more time points after meal onset, and their BAT was removed for determination of mitochondrial guanosine diphosphate (GDP) binding to indicate rate of uncoupled respiration (expts 1 and 3) or Na+-K+-ATPase activity representing coupled respiration (expt 2). Meal taking was followed by an 85% increase in GDP binding (P less than 0.001). In contrast, Na+-K+-ATPase activity was not altered by a test meal of a similar composition. The largest meal-induced rise in mitochondrial GDP binding was evident during the early postprandial hours, and it was greatly reduced by 10 h after meal onset. Expressed per total interscapular brown fat depot, a high-carbohydrate meal caused a greater increase in GDP binding than an equicaloric high-fat meal. Our data indicate that the BAT proton conductance pathway is activated by a single meal.
Parathyroid transplants and unilateral renal delivery of parathyroid hormone in domestic fowl
Authors: Kissell R. E. , Wideman R. F.
Published: December 2017

Exogenous parathyroid hormone (bovine 1–84 PTH) was infused unilaterally into the renal portal system or unilaterally into the renal arterial system of domestic fowl. Endogenous PTH was secreted unilaterally into the renal portal system by parathyroid tissue transplanted to the leg muscle. None of the experimental protocols caused significant unilateral phosphaturia, although unilaterally infused kidneys were shown to have received significantly more PTH than the contralateral kidneys. The transplanted parathyroid tissue was a major source of endogenous PTH, as was indicated by the development of significant hypocalcemia following surgical removal of the transplant. Unilateral PTH infusion did cause a significant unilateral increase in sodium excretion and significant bilateral phosphaturia. These results demonstrate that the phosphaturic and natriuretic responses to PTH can be dissociated in clearance experiments.
Blood respiratory properties in pigeons at high altitudes: effects of acclimation
Authors: Weinstein Y. , Bernstein M. H. , Bickler P. E. , Gonzales D. V. , Samaniego F. C. , Escobedo M. A.
Published: December 2017

Many birds thrive at high altitudes where environmental temperatures are low. Previous studies have shown that tolerance of and acclimation to hypoxia involve cardiopulmonary and hematological adaptations. We investigated blood respiratory properties during exposure to simulated high altitude (hypobaric hypoxia) and low temperature in unanesthetized resting pigeons (Columbia livia, mean mass 0.38 kg). A control group (C) and a group acclimated to 7 km above sea level (ASL) in a hypobaric chamber at 25 degrees C (HA group) were used. All were acutely exposed to altitudes through 9 km ASL at 5 or 25 degrees C. Arterial and mixed venous blood gas tensions and O2 and CO2 content during steady state decreased with increased altitude, whereas blood lactate increased in both groups at both temperatures. Acute high-altitude exposure did not affect hematocrit, hemoglobin concentrations, or O2 carrying capacity, but at any altitude these were all greater in HA than in C birds. At 5 degrees C blood pH increased with altitude in controls but remained unchanged in HA birds. At 25 degrees C in both groups mean intracellular pH did not change, averaging 6.97, whereas extracellular (venous) pH increased with altitude. At the highest altitudes tissue O2 extraction was virtually complete in both groups. Acclimation changed blood O2 and CO2 combining properties in ways likely to improve gas transport at high altitudes. The previously unreported shifts in blood respiratory and acid-base properties with acclimation indicate that innate extrapulmonary adaptations contribute to avian hypoxia tolerance.
Carbonic acid buffer changes during complete brain ischemia
Authors: Kraig R. P. , Pulsinelli W. A. , Plum F.
Published: December 2017

Simultaneous measurements of tissue PCO2 (PtCO2), interstitial H+ concentration ([H+]o), and tissue lactate content were used to examine changes in interstitial HCO3- concentration ([HCO3-]o) during complete ischemia. In normoglycemic rats (blood glucose of 6-8 mM; neocortical ischemic-induced lactate content 8-12 mmol/kg) [H+]o increased from 7.22 +/- 0.02 to 6.79 +/- 0.02 pH (n = 3). By contrast, in hyperglycemic rats (blood glucose 18-75 mM; ischemic-induced lactate content 19-31 mmol/kg) [H+]o rose by a significantly larger amount to 6.19 +/- 0.02 pH (n = 7). Given that HCO3- is the predominant interstitial H+ buffer, changes in peak PtCO2 show why peak [H+]o were bimodally distributed compared with lactate content. Between 8 and 12 mmol/kg lactate, when peak PtCO2 rose from 99 to 186 Torr but [H+]o was constant at 6.79 pH, calculated [HCO3-]o increased from 11.9 to 21.9 mM. Then after transitional changes, peak PtCO2 and [H+]o remained constant at 389 +/- 9 Torr (n = 7) and 6.19 pH despite the fact that tissue lactate ranged from 19 to 31 mmol/kg lactate, respectively; [HCO3-]o must have remained constant at 12.3 +/- 0.7 mM (n = 7). Since ischemic brain continued to produce another 12 more mmol/kg of lactic acid above 19 mmol/kg lactate without further changes in PtCO2 or [H+]o, H+ and HCO3- must have been heterogeneously compartmented. The continued lactic acid production occurred in a compartment that occupied 36% of neocortical space. This compartment is likely to represent glial cells.
Effect of adrenalectomy and glucocorticoid replacement on development of obesity
Authors: Freedman M. R. , Horwitz B. A. , Stern J. S.
Published: December 2017

Female obese and lean Zucker rats were adrenalectomized (ADX) or sham-operated at 4 wk of age. ADX animals were given daily injections of 0.01, 0.05, 0.50, 1.0, or 2.0 mg hydrocortisone/100 g body wt for 30 days. ADX rats gained less weight than sham-operated controls. Obese ADX rats at the lowest dose (0.01) had a net positive energy gain but lost body fat. As steroid dose increased, obese rats deposited more fat and less protein. Doses of 0.01 and 0.05 mg produced rats that were less fat than sham-operated controls, whereas doses of 0.50, 1.0, and 2.0 mg produced rats of comparable body fat composition. Obese rats were consistently fatter and had a significantly smaller percentage body protein than lean rats at each dose. Body fat elevation was reflected by heavier parametrial and retroperitoneal fat depots and larger fat cells at all doses except the lowest. Compared with sham-operated controls, lean and obese rats at the two lowest replacement doses (0.01, 0.05) exhibited significantly decreased plasma insulin and triglyceride levels and significantly elevated brown adipose tissue protein content and citrate synthase (CS) activity. Obese rats at these doses had significantly reduced adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in the retroperitoneal depot and lower food intake. Furthermore, these obese rats had adipose depot weights, cell sizes, LPL activity, and plasma insulin, glucose, and triglyceride comparable to that of lean sham-operated controls. As steroid dose increased (0.5, 1.0, 2.0), plasma insulin and triglyceride and food intake markedly increased only in obese rats. Adipose tissue LPL activity appeared unaffected by dose. Brown adipose tissue protein content and CS activity significantly decreased as dose increased in both lean and obese rats. At all doses of replacement obese rats were more responsive to steroid than were lean rats. Obese rats receiving 0.01 mg had comparable fat depot weights, cell sizes, and plasma insulin and triglyceride as lean rats receiving 50 times as much steroid per day (0.50 mg). These results suggest glucocorticoids play an important role in the early development of obesity in the Zucker rat and support the hypothesis that obese rats are more responsive to glucocorticoids than are lean rats.
Renal proximal tubule of flounder II. Transepithelial Mg secretion
Authors: Cliff W. H. , Sawyer D. B. , Beyenbach K. W.
Published: December 2017

The kinetics of transepithelial Mg secretion were studied in isolated perfused proximal tubule II of the flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. To detect measurable changes of luminal [Mg] as a function of bath [Mg], the lumen had to be perfused at subnanoliter rates. Transepithelial Mg secretion did not obey first-order reaction kinetics; hence values for half saturation of transport (0.22 mM) and transport maximum (1.5 pmol X min-1 X mm-1) are apparent and suggest a high-affinity low-capacity transport system. Because all experiments were done in the absence of bath SO4, the independence of Mg transport from SO4 transport is established. In the absence of perfusion, when tubules secrete fluid spontaneously, secreted fluid contained Cl (156 +/- 3 mM), Na (130 +/- 6 mM), and Mg (27 +/- 5 mM), all significantly different from the bath. Rates of Cl, Na, and Mg secretion were all positively correlated with fluid secretion, but Na and Mg concentrations in secreted fluid were inversely proportional. The results indicate that NaCl secretion provides basal rates of fluid secretion, and when MgCl2 is secreted in addition, fluid secretion increases with the effect of generating inverse relationships between luminal Na and Mg concentrations.