Gross efficiency of muscular work during step exercise at -15°C and 21 °C

In an effort to assess the effect of ambient temperature on the gross efficiency (Eff_g) of step exercise 12 subjects performed a modified step test either at —15 °C or 21°C ascending to three different heights (corresponding to light, moderate and heavy work), for 20 min each with a frequency of 18 steps min^-1. Heart rate (HR), rectal temperature, skin temperatures and heat flux from skin were continuously measured. Oxygen consumption was measured during the last 5 min of each step height and perceptions of thermal sensation were recorded. The results indicate that, while using conventional clothing adequate in these temperatures, Eff_g is altered in a contradictory manner. At —15°C Eff_g increased with increasing work load, whereas at 21°C it decreased when the work load increased. The highest Eff_g (heavy work at —15°C and light work at 21°C) values are reflected as rather similar rectal temperatures (37.4–37.7°C) and identical mean skin temperatures (32.8 °C) as well as the same (slightly warm) thermal sensation of the legs. At — 15 °C the lowest Eff_g in light work was probably hue to the need to warm up the muscles. At 21°C, on the contrary, the activation of heat dissipation systems was probably responsible for the lowest Eff_g in heavy work.     

Cardiac responses to pressor challenges in congenital central hypoventilation syndrome

Summary Question of the Study   Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) subjects exhibit diminished respiratory-related heart rate variation in addition to defining characteristics of CO₂ insensitivity and reduced ventilatory drive during sleep. Loss of cardiovascular and breathing coupling may diminish blood pressure influences on breathing; such influences may be determined by evaluating cardiorespiratory responses to different pressor challenges.
Patients and Methods   Ten children with CCHS and 10 age- and gender-matched controls were subjected to a forehead cold pressor challenge and to Valsalva maneuvers. Heart and respiratory rates and variability during 30-s baseline and 120-s challenge periods were assessed with scatterplot displays and by analysis of variance procedures.
Results   Cold pressor challenges enhanced breathing efforts and increased respiratory-related heart rate variation in controls but not in CCHS patients, while lower frequency heart rate variability increased in both controls and CCHS subjects. Heart rate variation resulting from voluntary expiratory efforts was present but slightly reduced in CCHS. Respiratory and cardiac rate trends differed in control and CCHS cases.
Conclusions   More-rapidly changing heart rate variation from spontaneous or reflexively-induced sources is diminished in CCHS but remains intact from voluntary expiratory ­efforts, as does slower variation. Loss of reflexive influences on breathing from blood pressure changes may attenuate a source of respiratory drive.     

Hostility and sex differences in the magnitude, duration, and determinants of heart rate response to forehead cold pressor: Parasympathetic aspects of risk

Recent models hypothesize that hostility confers increased risk of CHD through weaker parasympathetic dampening of cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). We tested this possibility using the forehead cold pressor task, a common maneuver which elicits the “dive reflex” characterized by a reflexive decrease in HR presumably through cardiac-parasympathetic stimulation. Participants were initially chosen from the outer quartiles of a sample of 670 undergraduates screened using the hostility subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire ([Buss, A.H., Perry, M., 1992. The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452-459.]). The final sample of 80 participants was evenly divided between men and women and high and low hostility. Following a 10-min baseline, participants underwent a 3-min forehead cold pressor task. The task evoked a significant HR deceleration that was mediated by PNS activation, as assessed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Replicating prior research, men displayed greater decrease in HR. More important, low hostiles maintained larger HR deceleration over time compared to high hostiles although the autonomic basis for this effect was unclear. The findings broaden understanding of hostility and sex-related cardiovascular functioning and support the task as a method for evoking PNS-cardiac stimulation.     

Effect of ligands of opiate receptors on morphofunctional state of the sympathoadrenal system and electrical stability of the heart in acute cold exposure

Acute cold exposure (−20°C, 4 h) induces a transient decrease in the ventricular fibrillation threshold without morphological and radionuclide signs of irreversible damage to cardiomyocytes. The agonist of μ-receptors DAGO, which reduces adrenoreactivity of the myocardium, prevents the decrease in the ventricular fibrillation threshold induced by acute cold exposure. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 2, pp. 154–157, February, 1997     

Isolation of rhinoviruses and coronaviruses from 38 colds in adults

Nasal washings were collected from 27 normal adults during 38 naturally acquired colds. The washings were exhaustively tested using tissue cultures, organ cultures and electron microscopy. Washings yielding no identifiable agent were inoculated into human volunteers, and further specimens obtained from the latter were examined by the same techniques in vitro. Viruses were identified in association with 25 of the original 38 colds (65.7%). Fifteen were rhinoviruses (39.5%), seven coronaviruses (18.4%), two were para-influenza viruses, and one was influenza virus. Use of organ cultures and of volunteers significantly increased the isolation rate. No agent was cultivated from the remaining 13 specimens, although tests in volunteers showed that cold-producing agents were present in five of them (13%). Three specimens gave doubtful results in volunteers, and five others, all collected within a period of six weeks in December and January, apparently contained no infectious agent.     

Are the blood pressure and endocrine responses of healthy subjects exposed to cold stress altered by an acutely increased sodium intake?

In the study reported here, we examined blood pressure and endocrine responses in cold conditions during salt load in young healthy subjects who had previously shown increased resting blood pressure during acutely increased sodium intake. Subjects (n=53) added 121 mmol sodium into their normal diet for 1 week. If their mean arterial pressure had increased by a minimum of 5 mmHg compared to the previous measure they were selected for subsequent experiments. The subjects (n=8) were given 121 mmol supplemental sodium · day⁻¹ for 14 days. They were then put into a wind tunnel for 15 min (temperature −15 °C, wind speed 3.5 · ms⁻¹). Their blood pressure increased (P < 0.05) during the cold exposure, independent of the sodium intake. Their mean (SEM) plasma noradrenaline increased from 3.58 (0.62) nmol · l⁻¹ to 5.61 (0.79) nmol · l⁻¹ (P < 0.05) when the subjects were given a normal diet, and from 2.45 (0.57) nmol · l⁻¹ to 5.06 (0.56) nmol · l⁻¹ (P < 0.05) when the subjects were given an elevated sodium diet. The starting concentrations and the endpoint concentrations were statistically similar. The plasma levels of the N-terminal fragment of pro-atrial natriuretic peptide decreased during the whole-body cold exposure: with the sodium load the change was from 256.6 (25.5) nmol · l⁻¹ to 208.0 (25.3) nmol · l⁻¹, and with the normal diet, from 205.8 (16.4) nmol · l⁻¹ to 175.1 (16.1) nmol · l⁻¹. The haematocrit and red blood cell count increased (P < 0.05) with normal and elevated sodium diet in cold conditions, but haemoglobin increased (P < 0.05) only with high salt in cold conditions. To conclude, acutely increased sodium intake does not change the blood pressure response or hormonal responses to exposure to acute cold stress in healthy subjects. Accepted: 28 September 2000     

放射自显影在移植器官低温保存研究中的应用

目的：研究外源笥三磷酸腺苷（adenosine triphosphate,ATP）是否能够进入低温保存大鼠肝脏细胞内。方法：采用大鼠肝脏持续低温机器灌流保存模型,利用放射自显影技术判定[α-^32P]ATP是否进入细胞内。结果：灌流液中不加[α-^32P]ATP的A组光镜照片显示大鼠肝细胞内外均未见特异性标记银粒显影,而灌流液中含37MBq[α-^32P]ATP的B组光镜照片显示大鼠肝细胞内可见多个大小不等的[α-^32P]ATP自显影银粒分布,而肝窦及肝小叶中央静脉等血管内则几乎无黑色自显银粒分布。结论：外源性ATP能够进入低温保存大鼠肝细胞内。     

基于“同病异治”原则治疗类风湿性关节炎中药的研究进展

类风湿性关节炎是一种常见的慢性自身免疫性复杂疾病, 病因尚不明确, 治疗困难, 国内常以传统中医药手段将其辨证分型, 遵循“同病异治”的原则对其进行治疗。中医药辨证治疗类风湿性关节炎历史悠久, 效果显著, 同时中药方剂多靶点、多成分的特点使其更有效的缓解各自适应证患者的炎症症状。近年来传统中医药与西医的关联日渐加深, 西医技术与手段在中药治疗 RA 上的广泛应用, 不仅使 RA 不同证型的差异更加清晰, 中医辨病更加准确, 更在针对类风湿性关节炎适应证的中药方剂在临床、药效、生物学与治疗机制方面的研究取得了较大进展。文章基于中医“同病异治” “辨证分型”的原则, 对治疗类风湿性关节炎代表方剂与其研究进展进行综述。     

3味山姜属中药黄酮类成分对大鼠环核苷酸水平及交感神经-肾上腺轴的影响

目的：观察高良姜、大高良姜、红豆蔻黄酮类成分对胃溃疡寒证大鼠环核苷酸水平及交感神经-肾上腺轴的影响,探讨3味山姜属中药温热药性的物质基础。方法：采用灌服冰知母水煎液与15%冰乙酸制备大鼠胃溃疡寒证模型,以干姜姜辣素为阳性对照,采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）法测定腺苷酸环化酶（AC）、磷酸二酯酶2（PDE2）、环磷酸腺苷（cAMP）、环磷酸鸟苷（cGMP）、促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）、多巴胺β羟化酶（D-β-H）含量。结果：与空白组比较,胃溃疡寒证模型组大鼠胃组织AC、cAMP含量及cAMP/cGMP比值显著降低,PDE2含量显著升高（P<0.01）。与模型组比较,高良姜、大高良姜、红豆蔻高低剂量组大鼠胃组织AC含量升高;高良姜、大高良姜、红豆蔻高低剂量组大鼠胃组织PDE2含量显著降低,cAMP含量、cAMP/cGMP比值显著升高（P<0.01或P<0.05）。结论：3味山姜属中药黄酮类成分通过调节胃溃疡寒证大鼠环核苷酸水平从而促进交感神经-肾上腺轴功能活动的作用,也体现出黄酮类成分药性温热。