Effect of terazosin on lower urinary tract function in the male decerebrate dog]

The effect of terazosin on the lower urinary tract function was studied by combined recording of bladder and urethral pressures and external sphincter electromyogram in 8 male decerebrate dogs. Reflex micturitions were induced by bladder filling before and after terazosin. The statistical analysis was carried out on the urodynamic parameters. During the collecting phase, terazosin at doses of 10, 30 and 100 micrograms/kg produced a significant decrease in maximum urethral pressure in the dose dependent manner. Threshold pressure was significantly shown to decrease at doses of 30 and 100 micrograms/kg. In the urodynamic parameters of the emptying phase there was a significant decrease in maximum contraction pressure at 10 and 30 micrograms/kg, and in voided volume at 100 micrograms/kg. Terazosin seems to facilitate an initiation of the bladder contraction with a decrease in threshold pressure. In concludes that alpha 1 adrenergic activity seems to take an important role for the maintenance of the urethral pressure and to control the initiation of bladder contraction in modulation with threshold pressure.     

A method for measurement of the vocal tract impedance at the mouth

In this contribution a method is presented for the measurement of vocal tract resonances. The technique uses a non-invasive acoustic excitation of the vocal tract and a fast and robust detection. The method is an alternative to the linear predictive coding (LPC) analysis for patients with voice and speech disorders. Sweep signals are emitted and recorded simultaneously from the small end of a tube placed in front of the mouth opening. The use of a pressure sensor and a velocity sensor provides a direct measurement of the vocal tract impedance at the mouth (VTMI). For selected sustained German vowels, and some consonants, a comparison of results from LPC analysis and VTMI measurements is given. The results indicate a good agreement in the frequency range from 500 to 5,000 Hz. The feasibility of the VTMI method for diagnostic and therapeutic applications is subject to current research.     

Regulatory cytokine function in the respiratory tract

The respiratory tract is an important site of immune regulation; required to allow protective immunity against pathogens, while minimizing tissue damage and avoiding aberrant inflammatory responses to inhaled allergens. Several cell types work in concert to control pulmonary immune responses and maintain tolerance in the respiratory tract, including regulatory and effector T cells, airway and interstitial macrophages, dendritic cells and the airway epithelium. The cytokines transforming growth factor β, interleukin (IL-) 10, IL-27, and IL-35 are key coordinators of immune regulation in tissues such as the lung. Here, we discuss the role of these cytokines during respiratory infection and allergic airway disease, highlighting the critical importance of cellular source and immunological context for the effects of these cytokines in vivo.     

Close relationship between the frequency of 22-kHz calls and vocal tract length in male rats

It is known that the size of the components of the sound production apparatus in mammals may affect the acoustic structure of vocalizations. Therefore, some acoustic variables such as voice frequency may change with age in association with body size and body weight increases. However, whether this relationship also applies to ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by laboratory rats has not been investigated. Thus, in the present study, we first recorded changes in three acoustic variables (mean frequency, duration, and bandwidth) of air puff-induced 22-kHz calls in male rats during their growth period and assessed the relationship between these changes and body weight gain (Experiment 1). Then we directly recorded several body size measures including components of the sound production apparatus in 6- and 12-week-old male rats and examined the correlation between these values and the acoustic variables of 22-kHz calls (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, the mean frequency of 22-kHz calls in male rats during the growth period showed negative correlations with body weight gain, while the duration of 22-kHz calls showed positive correlations. In Experiment 2, only a close negative correlation between the mean frequency of 22-kHz calls and vocal tract length in male rats was found. These results suggest that the age-related decrease in the mean frequency of 22-kHz calls may be ascribed to anatomical elongation of the vocal tract length in association with the growth of male rats. These acoustic differences could inform the receivers about the age of the signaler.     

Organization and function of ICC in the urinary tract

ICC are found in both the upper and lower urinary tract. They are not found in the ureter itself but are confined to the lamina propria of the renal pelvis and pelvi-calyceal junction. They do not appear to have a primary pacemaker role (this is ascribed to atypical smooth muscle cells in the same location) but rather conduct and amplify the pacemaker signals generated by the atypical smooth muscle cells. In the bladder, ICC are widely distributed in the sub-urothelial region, in the lamina propria and at the margins of the detrusor smooth muscle bundles. Again they appear not to have a pacemaking role and such evidence as there is would suggest that they have a role in the modulation of signal transduction. The strongest evidence that ICC in the urinary tract act as pacemakers comes from studies of those in the urethra. Isolated ICC show regular spontaneous depolarizations in current clamp which resemble very closely the slow waves recorded from intact tissue. In voltage clamp they show abundant calcium-activated chloride current and spontaneous transient inward currents which can be blocked by chloride channel blockers. However, their role in the modulation of urethral tone has yet to be fully elucidated.     

Mucin expression and function in the female reproductive tract

Reproductive tract epithelia are characterized by the presence of a thick, apical glycocalyx. This glycoprotein coat is drastically reduced in the uterus of many species during the time of embryo implantation. Recent studies indicate that mucin glycoproteins constitute a large proportion of the apical glycocalyx. One of these mucins, Muc-1, has particularly important functions at the luminal surface of the uterus and other female reproductive tract tissues. Muc-1 appears to play a dominant role in maintaining a functionally non-receptive uterine surface with regard to blastocyst attachment. Conversion to a receptive uterine state is brought about by the concerted actions of ovarian steroid hormones that in several species also strongly modulate Muc-1 protein and mRNA expression. Muc-1 also appears to serve a general function in protecting reproductive tract mucosa since Muc-1 null mice are particularly prone to bacterial infection. Collectively, these studies indicate that mucins, including Muc-1, play important barrier roles in reproductive processes and protection from bacterial pathogenesis in the female reproductive tract.     

Effect of prednisone on secretion of enzymes in the alimentary tract

Summary The effect produced by prendisone on the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes was studied. Experiments were staged on dogs, in which isolated stomach pouches and fistulae of the pancreas were formed after Pavlov, and intestinal segments were isolated. Prednisone was given once a day/os (0.3 mg/kg of body weight). The hormone was administered for 4 weeks according to the hormone therapy scheme accepted at the clinic. During the administration of the preparation there was a rise of pepsin concentration in the gastric juice, of amylase and lipase — in the pancreatic juice, and of enterokinase — in the intestinal juice. The secretion of digestive juices decreased, as a rule, by the end of the 3rd–4th week.Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR A. I. Nesterov Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 55, No. 8, pp. 37–43, August, 1963     

NK cell function in the human female reproductive tract

PROBLEM: Uterine NK cells have a unique phenotype compared with blood NK cell subsets, yet little is known about how NK cells function as a part of the innate immune cell network in the female reproductive tract. METHOD OF STUDY: The expression of key receptors and function of uterine NK cells in response to cytokines, sex hormones, and pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) was analyzed. This article summarizes recent findings on the biology and function of NK cells in the female reproductive tract. RESULTS: Uterine NK cells express Toll-like receptors and respond to cytokines and PAMPs under specific conditions. Evidence indicates that NK cells play an important role in the reorganization of blood vessels during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Human uterine NK cells are a major population of leukocytes in the endometrium and play an important role as a component of host defense and in successful reproduction.     

Effects of local anesthetics on somatosensory function in the temporomandibular joint area

There is a need for systematic studies regarding the pathophysiology and pain mechanisms of somatosensory function in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). So far, the effects on somatosensory functions of local anesthetics (LA) applied to the auriculotemporal (AT) nerve or intraarticularly (IA) into the TMJ have not been studied systemically. This study aimed to examine in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled manner the effects of LA on mechanical and thermal sensitivity in the TMJ area. Twenty-eight healthy subjects (27.4 ± 6.2 years) without temporomandibular disorders (TMD) participated. The subjects received an AT nerve block (n = 14) or an IA injection (n = 14) with LA (Bupivacaine, 2.5 mg/ml) on one side, and a placebo injection (isotonic saline) on the contralateral side. Mechanical (tactile and pin-prick) and thermal sensitivity (40 and 5°C) were assessed at 11 standardized points in the TMJ area before injections (baseline) as well as 30 min, 1 and 2 h after injections. All stimuli were rated by the subjects on a 0–100 numerical rating scale (NRS). TMJ pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pressure pain tolerance (PPTOL) were assessed laterally over both TMJs using an algometer. IA injections with LA were not associated with any changes in sensitivity of the TMJ or surrounding area. In contrast, AT nerve blocks with LA caused a decrease over time in the pin-prick sensitivity (P = 0.016), which however, did not differ significantly from saline, and an increase of the PPTs 30 min (P = 0.010) and PPTOLs 30 min, 1 h and 2 h (P < 0.05) after LA injections in comparison to saline. No other measures showed a significant change after the injections. Our results showed that IA bupivacaine injection in healthy subjects has no effect on the sensitivity of the TMJ or surrounding area, while AT nerve block has a more pronounced effect on deep mechanical, but not on superficial mechanical or thermal sensitivity. Further research to investigate the effect of LA on somatosensory functions in TMJ patients in comparison with this study results will give valuable information about the sensitivity in the TMJ area.