bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Summer osmoregulatory capacity of the world's northernmost living salmonid
Authors: Nilssen K. J. , Gulseth O. A. , Iversen M. , Kjol R.
Published: December 2017

Anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) were caught on their way to and from the sea with the use of a fish trap placed in the Dieset watercourse located on the Spitsbergen Island (79 degrees 10' Northern latitude) within the high-Arctic Svalbard archipelago. When subjected to a seawater challenge test (34 parts/thousand at 4-5 degrees C), charr on their way to the sea showed only minor and temporary changes in blood plasma osmolality and Na+ and Mg2+ concentrations. The seawater tests also revealed good hypoosmoregulatory capacity for Arctic charr returning from the marine environment 4 wk later. A progressive decrease in seawater tolerance was first documented 7-11 days after their return to the freshwater habitat. Thus the Svalbard charr, being the northernmost anadromous salmonid and probably a direct descendant from the first Salvelinus immigrants to freshwater systems, undergoes a preparatory increase of hypoosmoregulatory capacity (smoltification) before entering the oceanic water bodies. Furthermore, the termination of their short annual seawater stay is probably elicited by factors controlling body systems other than osmoregulation.
Static muscular contraction elicits a pressor reflex in the chicken
Authors: Solomon I. C. , Adamson T. P.
Published: December 2017

Static muscular contraction has been shown to increase arterial blood pressure and heart rate in humans and other mammals. It is not clear, however, whether birds exhibit a similar response to this maneuver. Therefore, we designed these experiments to determine if the chicken exhibits a cardiovascular response to static muscular contraction and if the observed responses are evoked through a reflex involving muscle afferents. Static contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle was evoked by electrically stimulating the sciatic nerve at 1.5-3.0 times motor threshold (30-40 Hz; 0.025 ms) in 13 chloralose-anesthetized cockerels. We measured arterial blood pressure and muscle tension before and during static contraction and calculated mean arterial pressure and heart rate from the arterial pressure trace. We found that static contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle increased mean arterial pressure from 71 +/- 4 to 95 +/- 4 mmHg (P < 0.05) and increased heart rate from 304 +/- 8 to 345 +/- 10 beats/min (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we found that stimulation of the sciatic nerve after paralysis of the birds with vecuronium bromide or stimulation of the cut peripheral end of the sciatic nerve (using the same stimulation parameters described above) evoked no change in mean arterial pressure or heart rate. We conclude that static muscular contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle in the chicken elicits a pressor response and that this response is due to a reflex arising from the contracting muscles.
Somatosensory influences on renal sympathetic nerve activity in anesthetized Wistar and hypertensive rats
Authors: Zhang T. , Johns E. J.
Published: December 2017

This study compared the cardiovascular and renal nerve activity responses to somatosensory stimulation with capsaicin in normotensive and hypertensive rats. The importance of the cardiopulmonary receptors in these two states was examined with the use of phenylbiguanide (PBG) infusion. Subcutaneous capsaicin increased blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and renal nerve activity (RNA) 6-35% (P < 0.01), and total power (TP) and %power at HR (%PHR) rose two- to threefold (P < 0.001). PBG reduced basal RNA, TP, and %PHR (20-70%, P < 0.05). PBG did not change the cardiovascular, but attenuated the TP and %PHR increases due to capsaicin (P < 0.001-0.01). PBG given to vagotomized normotensive rats normalized the cardiovascular and RNA responses to capsaicin. In hypertensive rats, capsaicin increased BP, HR, RNA(10-20%), TP, and %PHR (50-70%, P < 0.001). PBG infusion into hypertensive rats decreased RNA (20%, P < 0.01) and the capsaicin-dependent rise in RNA was smaller (P < 0.05). TP and %PHR were unchanged, except in vagotomized hypertensive rats given PBG, in which these responses were minimally affected. Somatosensory modulation of RNA power spectra was suppressed by the cardiopulmonary receptors in normotensive rats, but in hypertensive rats their impact was much smaller.
Central 5-HT1A modulation of cardiovascular responses to tibial nerve stimulation-evoked muscle contraction
Authors: Ally A. , Caringi D. , Koester D. M. , Kobayashi T. , Mokler D. J.
Published: December 2017

The effects of administering 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamine) tetralin [8-OH-DPAT, a serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor agonist] into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on cardiovascular responses during tibial nerve stimulation-evoked muscle contraction were investigated using anesthetized rats. Stimulation of the tibial nerve (3 times motor threshold, 0.1 ms, 40 Hz) for 30 s increased mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and muscle tension by 25 +/- 3 mmHg, 24 +/- 4 beats/min, and 299 +/- 35 g, respectively. Bilateral microdialysis of 8-OH-DPAT (10 mM) for 30 min attenuated the stimulation-evoked increases in MAP (8 +/- 2 mmHg) and HR (11 +/- 5 beats/min), without a change in muscle tension (292 +/- 30 g). However, administration of 1 mM 8-OH-DPAT had no effect on the cardiovascular responses. Thirty minutes of microdialysis of 8-OH-DPAT (10 mM) into the caudal ventrolateral medulla produced no effect on cardiovascular responses during muscle contraction. Prior administration of 10 mM 1-[2-methoxyphenyl]-4-[4-(2-phthalimido)-butyl]piperazine (NAN-190), a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, for 30 min into the RVLM blocked the attenuating effects of subsequent microdialysis of 8-OH-DPAT (10 mM). Results suggest that activation of 5-HT1A receptors within the RVLM inhibit cardiovascular responses elicited during static muscle contraction.
Ovine fetal cardiovascular, renal, and fluid balance responses to 3 days of high arginine vasopressin levels
Authors: Gibson K. J. , Lumbers E. R.
Published: December 2017

To determine the effects of sustained high levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on the fetus and whether these effects were the same as those found during acute infusion of AVP, chronically catheterized fetal sheep aged 121-136 days were infused for 3 days with either AVP (45 mU x kg(-1) x h(-1)) or saline. The bradycardia, acidemia, and failure of glomerulotubular balance that occurred with acute AVP infusion were reversed by day 3 of AVP (P < 0.005) and the acute rise in arterial pressure was attenuated (P < 0.005). By contrast, the rise in the glomerular filtration rate was sustained (P < 0.005) and urinary osmolality increased further to 426 +/- 30 mosmol/kg (P < 0.01). Although placental blood flow did not change acutely with AVP, it had fallen by day 3 (P < 0.01). In addition, with AVP but not saline extracellular volume fell from 588 +/- 28 to 493 +/- 29 ml/kg (P < 0.002) and the plasma/interstitial volume ratio rose from 0.18 +/- 0.01 to 0.21 +/- 0.01 (P = 0.001). These findings suggest that although release of AVP may be beneficial in acute stress in utero, sustained high levels may be detrimental to fetal health and sodium balance.
Cardiovascular effects of microinjection of low doses of serotonin into the NTS of unanesthetized rats
Authors: Callera J. C. , Bonagamba L. G. , Sevoz C. , Laguzzi R. , Machado B. H.
Published: December 2017

In the present study, we analyzed in conscious rats the effects of microinjections of serotonin (5-HT; pmol range) into the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) on basal mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and also on the reflex bradycardia induced by the activation of the baro- and chemoreflex evaluated 1 min after 5-HT microinjection into the NTS. The data show that unilateral microinjection of 5-HT in the picomolar range into the NTS of unanesthetized rats produced a dose-dependent decrease in MAP and HR, which was blocked by previous microinjection of ketanserin (250 pmol/50 nl) into the NTS. The changes in MAP and HR induced by 5-HT were of very short duration, with a return to baseline values a few seconds later. The cardiovascular responses to baro- or chemoreflex activation 1 min after 5-HT microinjection into the NTS did not differ from the control, indicating that low doses of 5-HT produced no effect on the cardiovascular reflexes tested at that time. The present data show that, as also observed in anesthetized rats, the microinjection of picomolar doses of 5-HT into the NTS elicits the typical cardiovascular responses to baroreceptor activation. These effects, hypotension and bradycardia, seem to be mediated by 5-HT2 receptors because both were blocked by a selective 5-HT2 receptor antagonist. However, since microinjection of 5-HT (1 pmol) into the NTS produced no changes in the cardiovascular responses to the baro- and chemoreflex activated 1 min later, the role of 5-HT2 receptors in the processing of the cardiovascular afferent messages in the NTS remains to be elucidated.
An electroneutral anion exchange mechanism is present in brush-border membranes isolated from eel kidney
Authors: Vilella S. , Ingrosso L. , Zonno V. , Schettino T. , Storelli C.
Published: December 2017

The mechanism of bicarbonate translocation across the luminal membrane of the eel (Anguilla anguilla) kidney tubular cells was studied by monitoring the uptake of H14CO3- into isolated brush-border membrane vesicles. Results indicate that the presence of a transmembrane outwardly directed Cl- gradient was able to transiently accumulate H14CO3- into the vesicular space, whereas neither an inwardly directed sodium gradient nor a transmembrane electrical potential gradient (inside positive) was able to stimulate the H14CO3- influx. This anion-dependent H14CO3- uptake was inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, suggesting that an anion exchanger was present in the brush-border membrane vesicles.
On the role of muscarinic and peptidergic receptors in ganglionic transmission in bullfrogs in vivo
Authors: Ivanoff A. Y. , Smith P. A.
Published: December 2017

Synaptic activity of individual B and C cells in the paravertebral sympathetic ganglia of urethan-anesthetized bullfrogs was monitored with intracellular electrodes. Postganglionic activity from the B and C fiber populations was monitored with suction electrodes. Intravenous infusion of muscarine (0.1 ml of 8 microM) excited individual B cells and increased the amplitude and rate of spontaneous, postganglionic B fiber population discharges. Muscarine also increased the number of action potentials (APs) within each burst of synaptic activity in individual C cells. Because atropine (0.1 ml of 0.1 microM) had little or no effect on postganglionic population B or C fiber activity, the muscarinic slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials and slow excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) are unlikely to be involved in the transmission, modulation, or integration of postganglionic outflow in vivo. Atropine did, however, decrease the number of APs per burst in individual C cells, an effect that could be explained if excitatory presynaptic muscarinic receptors exist on C fiber terminals. Stimulation of preganglionic C fibers at "physiological" frequencies evoked a lasting afterdischarge in postganglionic B fibers that was blocked by a combination of atropine and [D-pyro-Glu1,D-Phe2,D-Trp3,6]-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Release of LHRH from C fiber terminals and activation of the peptidergic, late-slow EPSP mechanism in B cells may therefore play a role in ganglionic transmission in vivo.
Effect of intravenous angiotensin II on Fos distribution and drinking behavior in rabbits
Authors: Badoer E. , McKinlay D.
Published: December 2017

We investigated the effect of intravenous infusion of angiotensin II (ANG II, 40 ng.kg-1.min-1) on the distribution of Fos in the subfornical organ (SFO), organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), and the medulla of the conscious rabbit. ANG II elicited significant increases in the number of Fos-positive cell nuclei in the SFO and OVLT (15- and 10-fold, respectively). Raising blood pressure with phenylephrine did not elicit Fos in these nuclei. These nuclei are believed to be responsible for the dipsogenic actions of ANG II; however, ANG II was not dipsogenic. When blood pressure was held at preinfusion levels by the coadministration of sodium nitroprus-side and ANG II, the rabbits did not drink but Fos production in the lamina terminalis was elevated. In the medulla, ANG II did not significantly increase Fos production in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) or ventrolateral medulla (VLM). However, with the coadministration of sodium nitroprusside, there were marked increases in the NTS and VLM. The results suggest that neurons in the SFO and OVLT are either not involved in the dipsogenic pathways or there is disruption further downstream in the central pathways that would normally mediate a drinking response to ANG II.
Ventromedial hypothalamic lesions impair glucoregulation in response to endotoxin
Authors: Lynch J. P. , Wojnar M. M. , Lang C. H.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) in regulating counter-regulatory hormone release and the increase in glucose flux that is observed after injection of endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)]. Bilateral lesions of the VMH were produced electrolytically 2 wk before the experiment; sham-operated rats served as controls. [3-3H]glucose was infused to assess whole body glucose flux before and for 4 h after intravenous injection of Escherichia coli LPS. In control rats, LPS increased the plasma concentrations of glucose and lactate and the rates of glucose appearance and disappearance. In these animals, LPS also produced sustained elevations in corticosterone, glucagon, and catecholamines. In contrast, the glucose metabolic response to LPS was attenuated by > 50% in VMH-lesioned rats. These changes were associated with a blunted increase in the plasma concentration of glucagon, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in VMH-lesioned rats compared with control animals. There was no difference in the plasma concentrations of corticosterone or TNF-alpha between the two groups after LPS or the responsiveness of sham- and VMH-lesioned rats to an infusion of either glucagon or epinephrine. These data indicate that the VMH plays a central role in regulating the secretion of glucagon and catecholamines and the stimulation of glucose flux after LPS.
Verapamil abolishes the preglomerular response to ANG II during intrarenal nitric oxide synthesis inhibition
Authors: Schnackenberg C. G. , Granger J. P.
Published: December 2017

We have recently reported that intrarenal nitric oxide (NO) synthesis inhibition exaggerates the preglomerular vasoconstrictor response more than the postglomerular response to angiotensin II (ANG II) in dogs. Previous studies have suggested that preglomerular vasoconstriction may be more dependent on extracellular calcium than postglomerular vasoconstriction. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the enhanced preglomerular response to ANG II during intrarenal NO synthesis inhibition occurs through voltage-gated calcium channels. In three groups of anesthetized dogs with stop-flow kidneys, the renal hemodynamic response to intrarenal ANG II infusion (2.0 ng.kg-1.min-1) was determined. Renal artery pressure was servo-controlled at 80 +/- 1 mmHg, and glomerular filtration rate was zero. In vehicle-treated dogs, ANG II decreased renal blood flow (RBF) by 29% and increased glomerular hydrostatic pressure (Pg) by 2.7 +/- 1.9 mmHg. Postglomerular vascular resistance increased by 51%, whereas preglomerular resistance was unchanged in response to ANG II. In dogs pretreated with an intrarenal infusion of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) for 60 min, ANG II decreased RBF by 36% and decreased Pg 4.4 +/- 2.9 mmHg. In contrast to the vehicle-treated group, preglomerular resistance increased by 261% and postglomerular resistance increased by 48% after ANG II infusion in the L-NAME-treated group. In dogs pretreated with an intrarenal infusion of L-NAME and verapamil (50 micrograms/min) for 60 min, the renal hemodynamic response to ANG II was similar to the response in the vehicle-treated dogs. ANG II decreased RBF by 25% and decreased Pg by 5.3 +/- 1.2 mmHg. Postglomerular resistance increased by 51%, whereas preglomerular resistance was unchanged in response to ANG II infusion in dogs with intrarenal NO synthesis and voltage-gated calcium channel blockade. These data indicate that the preglomerular response to ANG II under conditions of reduced NO synthesis within the kidney is dependent on voltage-gated calcium channels.
Effects of photoperiod and 2-deoxy-D-glucose-induced metabolic stress on immune function in female deer mice
Authors: Demas G. E. , DeVries A. C. , Nelson R. J.
Published: December 2017

Nontropical rodents may experience large fluctuations in both food availability and energetic demands. The energy required for thermoregulation is high during the winter when energy availability is usually low. Winter conditions can induce a state of energetic stress that elevates circulating glucocorticoid levels and compromises immune function. Exposure to short days enhances immune function; the adaptive function of short-day enhancement of immune function may be to counteract the effects of stress-induced immunocompromise. To examine the role of energy availability in immune function, female deer mice were housed in either long (16:8-h light-dark cycle) or short (8:16-h light-dark cycle) days for 8 wk and then injected with either saline or 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), a glucose analog that inhibits cellular utilization of glucose and induces energetic stress. Long-day mice injected with 2-DG exhibited elevated corticosterone levels and reduced splenocyte proliferation compared with control mice. Short days buffered the animals against glucoprivation stress. Neither corticosterone levels nor splenocyte proliferation differed between 2-DG injected and control mice housed in short days. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that short days provide a buffer against metabolic stress.
Long-term dietary supplementation with L-arginine prevents age-related reduction in renal function
Authors: Reckelhoff J. F. , Kellum J. A. , Racusen L. C. , Hildebrandt D. A.
Published: December 2017

Aging is associated with loss of nephron function and reductions in serum L-arginine and excretion of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites. The present study was performed to determine if long-term dietary treatment with L-arginine, the NO synthase substrate, could prevent age-related renal injury. Studies were performed in four groups of rats, aged 12-13 mo, for 8 mo: group 1 received L-arginine (2% in 2.5% corn syrup, n = 5); group 2 received sodium nitrite, an NO donor (0.1%, in 2.5% syrup, n = 7); group 3 was an untreated control group (n = 7); group 4 was treated with 2.5% corn syrup (n = 5). Urinary protein increased and urinary nitrate/nitrite decreased with age in controls, but, during L-arginine treatment, urinary protein decreased and nitrate/nitrite increased. Two weeks after L-arginine was stopped, urinary protein had increased and nitrate/nitrite had decreased to the same level as in controls. L-Arginine treatment increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 50% compared with untreated controls. In contrast, nitrite had no effect on GFR. Morphologically, L-arginine protected against aging injury by reducing the number of sclerotic glomeruli. In summary, we found that L-arginine prevented the age-related glomerular injury and reduction in GFR. The mechanism of protection, however, may be independent of NO.
Renal, hormonal, and cardiovascular responses to chronic angiotensin I infusion in the ovine fetus
Authors: Moritz K. M. , Tangalakis K. , Wintour E. M.
Published: December 2017

Long-term infusion of angiotensin I (ANG I) into the ovine fetus has been shown to cause excess accumulation of fetal fluid in the allantoic compartment. It was hypothesized that this resulted from sustained increases in fetal urine production, and the hormonal basis was examined. ANG I (6.7 micrograms/h, n = 6) or isotonic saline (n = 6) was infused for 3 days into chronically cannulated ovine fetuses (112-122 days of gestation). ANG I caused an immediate and progressive increase in mean arterial blood pressure (from 42 +/- 2 to 57 +/- 4 mmHg), increased urine flow rate (from 15 +/- 3 to 48 +/- 8 ml/h), and increased glomerular filtration rate (from 97 +/- 15 to 146 +/- 24 ml/h), without significant changes in fetal plasma concentrations of aldosterone, atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), adrenocorticotropin, or cortisol. There were substantial increases in sodium and chloride excretion, due to both increased fetal urine concentrations and fetal urine flow, without significant changes in urine osmolality (from 134 +/- 9 to 147 +/- 12 mosmol/kg water). There were no significant changes in any parameter in the saline-infused fetuses. Neither amniotic or allantoic fluid volume was significantly changed by ANG I infusion, but allantoic fluid Cl- concentration increased significantly. The conclusions are that ANG I caused a diuresis and natriuresis in the fetal sheep independent of changes in cortisol or ANF.
Osmoregulatory inhibition of thermally induced cutaneous vasodilation in passively heated humans
Authors: Takamata A. , Nagashima K. , Nose H. , Morimoto T.
Published: December 2017

We examined the effect of increased plasma osmolality (P(osm)) on cutaneous vasodilatory response to increased esophageal temperature (T(es)) in passively heated human subjects (n = 6). To modify P(osm), subjects were infused with 0.9, 2, or 3% NaCl infusions (Inf) for 90 min on separate days. Infusion rates were 0.2, 0.15, and 0.125 ml.min-1.kg body wt-1 for 0.9, 2, and 3% Inf, respectively, which produced relatively similar plasma volume expansion. Thirty minutes after the end of infusion, subjects immersed their lower legs in a water bath at 42 degrees C (room temperature 28 degrees C) for 60 min after 10 min of preheating control measurements. Passive heating without infusion (NI) served as time control to account for the effect of volume expansion. P(osm) (mosmol/kgH2O) values at the onset of passive heating were 289.9 +/- 1.4, 292.1 +/- 0.6, 298.7 +/- 0.7, and 305.6 +/- 0.6 after NI, 0.9% Inf, 2% Inf, and 3% Inf, respectively. The increases in T(es) (delta T(es)) at equilibrium during passive heating (mean delta T(es) during 55-60 min) were 0.47 +/- 0.08, 0.59 +/- 0.08, 0.85 +/- 0.13, and 1.09 +/- 0.12 degrees C after NI, 0.9% Inf, 2% Inf, and 3% Inf, respectively, which indicates that T(es) at equilibrium increased linearly as P(osm) increased. delta T(es) required to elicit cutaneous vasodilation (delta T(es) threshold for cutaneous vasodilation) also increased linearly as P(osm) increased as well as the delta T(es) threshold for sweating. The calculated increases in these thresholds per unit rise in P(osm) from regression analysis were 0.044 degree C for the cutaneous vasodilation and 0.034 degree C for sweating. Thus the delta T(es) thresholds for cutaneous vasodilation and sweating are shifted to higher delta T(es) along with the increase in P(osm), and these shifts resulted in the higher increase in T(es) during passive heating.
Angiotensinogen gene expression in adipose tissue: analysis of obese models and hormonal and nutritional control
Authors: Jones B. H. , Standridge M. K. , Taylor J. W. , Moustaid N.
Published: December 2017

Synthesis of angiotensin II (ANG II) has recently been described in adipose cells and has been linked to regulation of adiposity. Angiotensinogen (AGT), the substrate from which ANG II is formed, was previously shown to be elevated in adipose tissue of obese (ob/ob and db/db) mice and regulated by nutritional manipulation. It is unknown, however, whether overexpression of adipose AGT can be extended to other models of obesity and whether hormonal and/or nutritional factors directly regulate AGT expression in adipocytes. We investigated these possibilities by analyzing AGT mRNA levels in adipose tissue of obese Zucker rats, viable yellow (Avy) mice, and humans and by treating 3T3-L1 adipocytes with insulin, glucose, and a beta-adrenergic agonist. We demonstrate that AGT mRNA is decreased by approximately 50 and 80%, respectively, in adipose tissue of obese vs. lean Zucker rats and Avy mice. We also report that AGT is expressed at variable levels in human adipose tissue. Finally, we show that AGT mRNA is upregulated by insulin and downregulated by beta-adrenergic stimulation in adipocytes.
Association of insulin-like growth factor mRNA expressions with muscle regeneration in young, adult, and old rats
Authors: Marsh D. R. , Criswell D. S. , Hamilton M. T. , Booth F. W.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to determine whether impaired regeneration of skeletal muscle in old rats can be attributed to diminished expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) mRNAs. Fischer 344 male rats aged 2 (young), 12 (adult), and 24 mo (old) were given an injection of the myotoxic anesthetic, bupivacaine, into the left tibialis anterior muscle. Muscle mass and protein concentration recovered to contralateral control values by 28 days in young, but not adult or old rats. The temporal and maximal expressions of IGF-I mRNA were similar during recovery from bupivacaine on days 5 and 10 in young, adult, and old rat muscles. IGF-I mRNA levels were reduced toward control levels in young rats by 15 days, but remained elevated in adult and old rats. IGF-I receptor mRNA in bupivacaine-injected muscle of old rats was elevated significantly higher than injected muscle of young and adult rats at recovery day 5. Five days after bupivacaine injection, IGF-II mRNA was increased 46-fold in young rats but was only increased fourfold in adult rats. Thereafter, IGF-II mRNA expression was similar for young, adult, and old rats at 10 and 15 days of recovery. In summary, we demonstrate that impaired regeneration of the tibialis anterior muscle in adult or old rats after bupivacaine-induced damage is associated with a prolonged elevation of IGF-I mRNA expression and/or diminished initial IGF-II mRNA expression.
Vasodilator responses to acetylcholine, bradykinin, and substance P are mediated by a TEA-sensitive mechanism
Authors: Champion H. C. , Kadowitz P. J.
Published: December 2017

The effects of tetraethylammonium (TEA), a K+ channel antagonist, on vasodilator responses were investigated in the hindquarters vascular bed of the cat under constant-flow conditions. After administration of TEA in a total dose of 60 mg/kg into the hindquarters perfusion circuit, vasodilator responses to acetylcholine, bradykinin, and substance P were reduced, whereas vasodilator responses to the NO donors, diethylamine-NO complex, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, and sodium nitroprusside, and to prostaglandin E1, albuterol, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, isradipine, and levcromakalim were not altered. The inhibitory effect of TEA on responses to the endothelium-dependent vasodilators was reversible with time, and vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine, U-46619, angiotensin II, and BAY K 8644 were enhanced by the K+ channel antagonist. Although TEA had no sustained effect on baseline systemic arterial and hindquarters perfusion pressures, the NO synthase inhibitor, N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, increased these pressures in the presence of TEA. The results of the present investigation suggest that TEA attenuates vasodilator responses to acetylcholine, bradykinin, and substance P by inhibiting the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor. These data suggest that the acetylcholine-, bradykinin-, and substance P-stimulated release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor may involve the opening of a TEA-sensitive K+ channel in the endothelium in the hindlimb vascular bed of the cat, but that a TEA-sensitive mechanism is not involved in the maintenance of baseline tone in this vascular bed.
Reward comparison in chronic decerebrate rats
Authors: Grigson P. S. , Kaplan J. M. , Roitman M. F. , Norgren R. , Grill H. J.
Published: December 2017

The simultaneous contrast paradigm was used to evaluate responsiveness to a low (0.05 M) and a high (0.5 M) concentration of sucrose under two conditions in intact and chronic decerebrate rats. In one condition the low concentration was presented on one day and the high concentration on another. In the other condition presentation of the two concentration was alternated within the same daily session. In each case there was a total of 40 trials/day during which the stimulus was delivered intraorally for 2 s at a rate of 1.5 ml/min with a 30-s intertrial interval. The results showed that the intact rats always licked more for the high than for the low concentration of sucrose but that the magnitude of the effect was larger when given the opportunity to compare the two concentrations within the same daily session. The decerebrate rats produced a similar pattern, but the concentration effect was evident only when the stimuli were alternated within the same daily session. These data stand as the first evidence that the isolated caudal brain stem is adequate for the expression of a behavior that depends on comparison processes involving short-term memory.
Effects of vestibular and oculomotor stimulation on responsiveness of the carotid-cardiac baroreflex
Authors: Convertino V. A. , Previc F. H. , Ludwig D. A. , Engelken E. J.
Published: December 2017

Twelve healthy men underwent measurement of their carotid-cardiac baroreflex response during varying conditions of vestibulo-oculomotor stimulation to test the hypothesis that vestibular and/or oculomotor stimulation associated with head movements in the yaw plane inhibit baroreflex control of heart rate. We assessed the carotid-cardiac baroreflex response by plotting R-R intervals (in milliseconds) at each of eight neck pressure steps with their respective carotid distending pressures (in millimeters mercury). Baroreflex sensitivity was measured under four experimental conditions: 1) sinusoidal whole body yaw rotation of the subject in the dark without visual fixation (combined vestibular-oculomotor stimulation); 2) yaw oscillation of the subject while tracking a small head-fixed light moving with the subject (vestibular stimulation without eye movements); 3) subject stationary while fixating on a small light oscillating in yaw at the same frequency, peak acceleration, and velocity as the chair (eye movements without vestibular stimulation); and 4) subject stationary in the dark (no eye or head motion). Head motion alone reduced baseline baroreflex responsiveness by 30% from 3.8 +/- 0.5 to 2.6 +/- 0.5 ms/mmHg. Eye motion alone also reduced the baroreflex response by 13% (0.5 ms/mmHg) to 3.3 +/- 0.5 ms/mmHg. During head motion, the effect of eye motion was negligible (2.7 +/- 0.4 ms/mmHg). These results suggest that vestibular stimulation associated with head movements in yaw inhibits vagally mediated baroreflex control of heart rate, whereas oculomotor stimulation is less of a factor and only in the absence of vestibular stimulation.
Effect of oxidative stress and acidosis on diaphragm contractile function
Authors: Lawler J. M. , Cline C. C. , Hu Z. , Coast J. R.
Published: December 2017

Acidosis during exercise has long been associated with skeletal muscle fatigue. Recent evidence also has linked reactive oxygen species (ROS) with fatigue in skeletal muscle, including the diaphragm. We hypothesized that acidosis (designed to mimic blood pH during maximal exercise) would worsen ROS-induced depression of diaphragm contractility. The xanthine oxidase (XO) reaction in solution (0.01 U/ml) allows direct assessment of the effects of oxidant stress by ROS. Costal diaphragm fiber bundles from 24 Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were divided into four treatment groups: 1) pH 7.4, no XO (H); 2) pH 7.4 + XO (HXO); 3) pH 7.0, no XO (L); and 4) pH 7.0 + XO (LXO). Baseline twitch mechanics and force-frequency relationships (Pre) were determined in control Krebs solution (pH 7.4, no XO) before treatment. Treatment solutions were introduced, and the diaphragm underwent 2 min of contractions at 25 Hz (250 ms) at a rate of 1/s. After 10 min of recovery, the control solution was reintroduced into the bath and postcontractile function (Post) was measured. Significant reductions in twitch tension and low-frequency tetanic tension were greater in HXO and LXO compared with H, without an effect on maximal tetanic tension. One-half relaxation time was prolonged only by the combination of acidosis and oxidative stress. Addition of superoxide dismutase (50 U/ml) worsened and catalase (1,800 U/ml) attenuated XO-induced depression of diaphragm contractility. We concluded that XO induced a reduction of low-frequency tension in the fatigued diaphragm, which was mediated directly or indirectly through hydrogen peroxide and was exacerbated to a modest extent with acidosis.
Nitric oxide-synthesizing perivascular nerves in the rat middle cerebral artery
Authors: Ignacio C. S. , Curling P. E. , Childres W. F. , Bryan R. M.
Published: December 2017

Although perivascular nerves containing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) have been anatomically described for rat cerebral arteries, a dilator function for these nerves has eluded investigators when using isolated vessels. Rat middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were isolated, pressurized, and electrically stimulated. The resting diameter of the MCAs after pressurization was 233 +/- 4 microns (n = 17) in one study. The MCAs showed a frequency-dependent dilation when stimulated. Maximum dilation (25-30% increase in diameter) occurred at a frequency of 8-16 Hz. Removal of endothelium or glibenclamide (10(-5) M), a blocker of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, had no effect on the dilations. The dilations were completely blocked with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (10(-5) M), a general NOS inhibitor, and cold storage (24 h). The inhibition by L-NAME could be reversed by the addition of 10(-8) M L-arginine, the active precursor of NOS. Furthermore, 7-nitroindazole (10(-4) M), an inhibitor specific for the neuronal isoform of NOS, reduced the dilations by 43% (P < 0.05). Transections of nerve bundles originating from the sphenopalatine ganglia at the ethmoidal foramen blocked the dilations produced by electrical stimulations. We conclude that rat cerebral arteries have functionally intact perivascular nerves that dilate by releasing nitric oxide.
Inhibition of brain interleukin-1 attenuates sleep rebound after sleep deprivation in rabbits
Authors: Takahashi S. , Fang J. , Kapas L. , Wang Y. , Krueger J. M.
Published: December 2017

It is hypothesized that interleukin-1 (IL-1) is involved in physiological sleep. If this hypothesis is correct, inhibition of IL-1 should attenuate sleep responses after sleep deprivation. We tested the effect of intracerebroventricular or intravenous injection of an IL-1 inhibitor, an IL-1 receptor fragment (IL-1RF), on sleep rebound after sleep deprivation in rabbits. Six hours of total sleep deprivation significantly increased non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) and enhanced electroencephalogram slow-wave activity during NREMS. Intracerebroventricular treatment with the IL-1RF (50 micrograms) significantly attenuated the sleep responses after sleep deprivation. Furthermore, 1.0 mg/kg i.v. injection of the IL-1RF significantly suppressed spontaneous NREMS in rabbits that were not sleep deprived. However, intravenous administration of the IL-1RF (1.0 mg/kg) failed to attenuate the sleep responses following the 6-h sleep deprivation period. These results support the hypothesis that central pools of IL-1 are important for physiological sleep regulation.
Improved method for single-bolus kinetic measurements using a noncleared reference indicator
Authors: Power G. G. , Bragg S.
Published: December 2017

After intravenous injection of a tracer as a single bolus, its concentration decreases as it mixes with the plasma, disperses throughout the circulation, and enters body pools. Kinetic values that are dependent on early concentrations may be in considerable error because mixing is not instantaneous throughout the circulation, and this problem is particularly acute in the mammalian fetus, with its distinctive circulatory pattern. To minimize this error, a method was developed in which the noncleared reference tracer 125I-labeled albumin was injected together with a representative, rapidly cleared metabolite 14C-labeled palmitic acid, and the former was used to correct for mixing delay. A total of 19 disappearance curves were studied after intravenous injection into seven near-term fetal sheep. Kinetic values were calculated with and without correction for mixing delay. Taking account of mixing delay increased the calculated volume of distribution 41% [from 44 +/- 4 (SE) to 62 +/- 3 ml/kg, P < 0.001], increased plasma clearance rate 13% (from 41 +/- 2 to 47 +/- 1 ml-min-1.kg-1, P < 0.002), decreased the rate constant for irreversible loss 26% (from 1.05 +/- 0.07 to 0.78 +/- 0.04 min-1, P < 0.001), and increased the calculated effective half-life 26% (0.71 +/- 0.06 to 0.90 +/- 0.05 min, P < 0.001). Thus use of the additional reference marker significantly altered calculated results and provided values believed to more accurately describe rapid disappearance from the central mixing compartment into metabolic pools.
Atrial and pulmonary endothelin mRNA is increased in a canine model of chronic low cardiac output
Authors: Wei C. M. , Clavell A. L. , Burnett J. C.
Published: December 2017

Chronic thoracic inferior vena caval constriction (TIVCC) is a model of low-cardiac output congestive heart failure (CHF), in which pulmonary and atrial as well as circulating endothelin (ET) are increased. ET is a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogenic peptide whose circulating concentrations are increased in severe human and experimental CHF. To date, an increase in ET production at key sites in CHF remains controversial. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine cardiac and pulmonary ET-1 mRNA in an experimental model of CHF produced by TIVCC in which avid sodium retention, intense vasoconstriction, and elevation of circulating ET-1 occur as in human CHF. Experiments were conducted in normal dogs and dogs with 7 days of TIVCC. Cardiac and pulmonary ET-1 mRNA were measured by quantified densitometry of Northern blots. Plasma and tissue (cardiac and pulmonary) ET-1 immunoreactivity were determined by radioimmunoassay. Cardiac and pulmonary tissue localization of ET-1 were determined by immunohistochemical staining. Plasma ET-1 was significantly increased in TIVCC compared with normal dogs. ET-1 mRNA was detectable in normal canine atria, ventricle, and lung. ET-1 mRNA was significantly increased in TIVCC compared with normal dogs in both atrial and pulmonary tissues without alternations in ventricular ET mRNA. Atrial and pulmonary tissue concentrations of ET-1 also were markedly elevated in TIVCC compared with normal dogs. Immunohistochemical staining of atrial and pulmonary tissues for ET-1 demonstrated that the increased ET immunoreactivity was localized to atrial myocytes and pulmonary epithelial cells. These studies support a role for the heart and lung in the increased production of ET-1 in CHF. The current studies also suggest that ET-1 may have important autocrine and paracrine actions in cardiopulmonary regulation in experimental CHF.
Rhythm chronotypes in a diurnal rodent, Octodon degus
Authors: Labyak S. E. , Lee T. M. , Goel N.
Published: December 2017

Interindividual variations in entrained human circadian rhythms and their relationship to differences in ease of adjustment to phase shifts have been well described. Humans classified as morning type (MT) display phase-advanced temperature minimum, onset of daily activity, and onset of sleep, whereas evening type (ET) individuals demonstrate the opposite pattern with a later phase angle of entrainment for these measures. We examined 15 variables of circadian activity and temperature for diurnal Octodon degus (n = 49; 28 male, 21 female), and noted similar chronotype variations as described for humans. Individuals with extreme MT and ET chronotypes were identified as those who differed from the entire population mean by one or more standard deviations. Compared with MTs (n = 5) and intermediate chronotypes (ITs, n = 34), ETs (n = 10) displayed a significant delay in the phase of temperature minimum, rise in temperature above the daily mean, and decline in activity and temperature below the daily mean, and had longer elevated activity and temperature durations and higher levels of mean daily activity and activity amplitude. MTs also displayed a significant phase advance in the morning temperature rise compared with ITs and ETs. This is the first description of variation in entrained circadian rhythms similar to that described for humans in both an outbred animal population and a diurnal rodent.
Subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation fails to block feeding-suppressive effects of LPS and IL-1 beta in rats
Authors: Schwartz G. J. , Plata-Salaman C. R. , Langhans W.
Published: December 2017

To evaluate the role of subdiaphragmatic vagal afferent fibers in mediating the inhibition of food intake produced by peripheral administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), we assessed the ability of 100 micrograms/kg ip LPS and 2 micrograms/kg ip human recombinant IL-1 beta to suppress solid food intake during the first 3 and 6 h of the dark cycle in rats with selective vagal rootlet deafferentation (SDA, n = 15) and in sham surgical control rats (Con, n = 17). SDA was produced by a combination of dorsal subdiaphragmatic truncal vagotomy and left vagal afferent rootlet transection as the left vagus enters the caudal brain stem. Both LPS and IL-1 beta significantly suppressed food intake at 3 and 6 h in both Con and SDA rats, and SDA failed to attenuate the LPS- and IL-1 beta-induced reductions in food consumption relative to the suppression seen in controls. Peripheral administration of the gut-brain peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) suppressed 30-min 12.5% liquid glucose consumption in control, but not in SDA rats, consistent with previous demonstrations of the role of subdiaphragmatic vagal afferents in the mediation of CCK satiety. These data demonstrate that subdiaphragmatic vagal afferents are not necessary for the feeding-suppressive actions of peripherally administered LPS and IL-1 beta and suggest that peripheral LPS and IL-1 beta may inhibit food intake via humoral and/or splanchnic visceral afferent pathways.
Effector mechanism of adenosine in acute ischemic preconditioning of skeletal muscle against infarction
Authors: Pang C. Y. , Neligan P. , Zhong A. , He W. , Xu H. , Forrest C. R.
Published: December 2017

We used adenosine A1 receptor agonist N6-1(phenyl-2R-isopropyl)-adenosine (PIA), A1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), and ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel blockers sodium 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD) and glibenclamide (Glib), as probes to investigate the role and mechanism of adenosine in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) of noncontractile skeletal muscle against infarction, using the pig latissimus dorsi muscle flap model. Except for Glib, all drugs were delivered to each muscle flap by 10-min local intra-arterial infusion to avoid systemic effects. Muscle flaps that were subjected to 4 h of global ischemia and 48 h of reperfusion sustained 40 +/- 2% infarction. IPC with three cycles of 10 min ischemia and reperfusion, preischemic adenosine, or PIA treatment reduced (P < 0.05) muscle infarction to 24 +/- 2, 18 +/- 2, and 24 +/- 2%, respectively. The anti-infarction effect of IPC and adenosine was blocked by DPCPX, 5-HD, and Glib (P < 0.05). Preischemic adenosine treatment also maintained higher muscle contents of phosphocreatine, ATP, and energy charge potential and lower muscle contents of dephosphorylated metabolites and lactate during ischemia and a lower muscle myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity during reperfusion compared with the control (P < 0.05). Preischemic adenosine treatment did not increase muscle content of adenosine during ischemia or reperfusion. Furthermore, adenosine given at the onset of reperfusion was not effective in attenuating muscle MPO activity or infarction. Taken together, these observations indicate that adenosine, through A1 receptors, initiates the mechanism of IPC with postreceptor involvement of KATP channels in skeletal muscle. However, adenosine is unlikely to play a key role in the effector mechanism. Presently, the cause and role of energy sparing and neutrophil inhibitory effects associated with the anti-infarction effect of preischemic adenosine treatment are unknown.
Sympathoinhibition evoked from caudal midline medulla is mediated by GABA receptors in rostral VLM
Authors: Coleman Matthew J. , Dampney Roger A. L.
Published: December 2017

The present study was performed to determine whether the powerful depressor and sympathoinhibitory response that can be evoked from neurons in the caudal midline medulla is mediated by γ-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) inhibition of sympathoexcitatory neurons in the rostral part of the ventrolateral medulla (VLM). In anesthetized barointact and barodenervated rabbits, bilateral microinjections of bicuculline into sympathoexcitatory sites in the rostral VLM resulted in a sustained increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity and abolished or reversed the depressor and sympathoinhibitory response evoked by glutamate microinjection into the caudal midline medulla. By contrast, the sympathoinhibitory response evoked from the caudal midline medulla persisted when the background level of renal sympathetic nerve activity was reflexly raised by baroreceptor unloading. The results indicate that 1) the depressor and sympathoinhibitory response evoked by stimulation of neurons in the caudal midline medulla is mediated by a GABAergic synapse in the rostral VLM and 2) there are also sympathoexcitatory neurons in the caudal midline medulla whose presence is revealed by blockade of the more powerful sympathoinhibitory response.
Explicating hypergonadotropism in postmenopausal women: a statistical model
Authors: Keenan Daniel M. , Veldhuis Johannes D.
Published: December 2017

Neurohormone secretion is viewed here as a variable (unknown) admixture of basal and pulsatile release mechanisms, convolved with individually fitted biexponential elimination kinetics. This construct allows maximum-likelihood estimates of both (regulated and constitutive) components of hormone secretion. Thereby, we infer that a prolonged slow-component half-life of gonadotropin removal and amplified pulsatile (and total) daily luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion rates jointly explicate the postmenopausal elevation in serum LH concentrations without a necessary rise in basal LH secretion rates. This biomathematical formulation should be useful in exploring other neuroregulatory mechanisms that underlie single or dual alterations in the basal versus pulsatile modes of hormone secretion.