HBsAg真核表达质粒的构建和鉴定

目的 构建HBsAg真核表达质粒。方法 用PCR的方法从质粒pEcob6中扩增出HBsAg基因，并定向克隆到真核表达质粒pcDNA3．1( )，构建成重组质粒pcDNA3.1—S；然后用限制性内切酶消化和DNA序列测定鉴定结果经酶切和DNA序列测定鉴定，证实重组质粒构建正确。结论 真核表达质粒pcDNA3．1—S构建成功。     

HBsAg逆转录病毒表达质粒的构建及其在真核细胞中的表达

目的 构建乙型肝炎表面抗原(HBsAg)逆转录病毒表达质粒并探讨其在真核细胞中的表达。方法 用限制性内切酶从重组质粒pBKS—S中切出HBsAg基因，并亚克隆到逆转录病毒表达质粒pLXSN，构建成重组质粒pLXSN—S；经限制性内切酶消化和DNA序列测定鉴定无误后，用阳离子脂质体转染法将重组质粒pLXSN—S分别转染HepG2、K562和EB病毒转化B淋巴母细胞(EBVC)；用ELISA法检测HBsAg在细胞培养上清中的表达。结果 经酶切和DNA序列测定鉴定证实重组质粒构建正确；质粒pLXSN—S转染细胞培养上清均可检测到HBsAg。结论 逆转录病毒表达质粒pLXSN—S构建成功并可在真核细胞中稳定表达。     

iNOS基因和iNOS-VP1融合基因真核表达载体的构建及初步表达

目的 构建pcDNA3．1介导的诱导性一氧化氮合成酶（iNOS）的基因表达载体和pcDNA3．1介导的iNOS与柯萨奇病毒B组3型（CVB3）结构蛋白VP1融和基因的表达载体。方法 应用PCR扩增和DNA重组技术构建pcDNA3．1-iNOS和pcDNA3．1-iNOS—VP1表达载体；应用真核细胞转染技术及间接免疫荧光技术进行所构建的真核表达载体的初步表达和鉴定。结果 经PCR扩增技术用特异引物从质粒pKSiNOS分离编码iNOS开放阅读框架的cDNA，TA克隆于pMD19-T载体，根据设计引物时加入的酶切位点将插入片断亚克隆于表达载体pcDNA3．1；经PCR扩增技术用特异引物从质粒pCR2．1-VP1分离编码CVB3VP1结构蛋白的cDNA，TA克隆于pMD19-T载体，根据设计引物时加入的酶切位点将VP1亚克隆于iNOS的表达载体pcDNA3．1-iNOS，从而构建含有iNOS和VP1融合基因的真核表达载体。限制性内切酶分析、PCR鉴定和测序证实重组体peDNA3．1-iNOS和peDNA3．1-iN—OS—VP1插入片断的大小和方向正确且开放阅读框架的读码框不变；重组质粒peDNA3．1-iNOS和peDNA3．1-iNOS．VP1在HeLa细胞中均有表达，但表达效率较低。结论 获得含iNOS基因和iNOS—VP1融合基因的真核表达载体，并将重组质粒进行了初步表达，为体外iNOS抗CVB3作用的研究奠定了物质基础。     

HBsAg逆转录病毒表达质粒的构建及其在真核细胞中的表达

目的构建乙型肝炎表面抗原(HBsAg)逆转录病毒表达质粒并探讨其在真核细胞中的表达.方法用限制性内切酶从重组质粒pBKS-S中切出HBsAg基因,并亚克隆到逆转录病毒表达质粒pLXSN,构建成重组质粒pLXSN-S;经限制性内切酶消化和DNA序列测定鉴定无误后,用阳离子脂质体转染法将重组质粒pLXSN-S分别转染HepG2、K562和EB病毒转化B淋巴母细胞(EBVC);用ELISA法检测HBsAg在细胞培养上清中的表达.结果经酶切和DNA序列测定鉴定证实重组质粒构建正确;质粒pLXSN-S转染细胞培养上清均可检测到HBsAg.结论逆转录病毒表达质粒pLXSN-S构建成功并可在真核细胞中稳定表达.     

杜氏利什曼原虫amastin基因重组真核表达质粒的构建与表达

目的：构建杜氏利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白（alllastin）编码基因的真核表达重组质粒pcDNA3．1-amastin，并研究其在NIH3T3细胞中的表达。方法：提取杜氏利什曼原虫基因组DNA进行PCR扩增。将扩增的无鞭毛体蛋白基因片段导入质粒pcDNA3．1（＋）中，构建真核表达重组质粒pcDNA3．1-amastin。以pcDNA3．1-amastin转染NIH3T3细胞，采用免疫荧光染色法和RT-PCR分别鉴定pcDNA3．1-amastin的瞬时表达和稳定表达。结果：在细胞膜和细胞内均观察到较强的绿色荧光，表明pcDNA3．1-amastin成功地转入NIH3T3细胞，并在细胞膜和细胞内获得短暂表达。稳定转染的NIH3T3细胞的总RNA经反转录后，用PCR扩增出无鞭毛体蛋白基因，表明获得了稳定表达。结论：成功地构建杜氏利什曼原虫无鞭毛体蛋白基因的真核表达重组质粒，并且该基因在NIH3T3细胞中获得了稳定表达。     

核小体Th表位和CTLA4Ig双基因共表达真核表达载体的构建

目的将核小体Th表位与CTLA4Ig融合基因融合，研究CTLA4Ig作为真核表达载体的可行性。方法用touchdown PCR法扩增CTLA4Ig基因，同时引入核小体Th表位（H2B14-28）。将PCR产物连接真核表达载体pcDNA3．1（＋），构建pcDNA3．1（＋）-CTLA4Ig—H2B。将表达质粒转染COS-7细胞，Western blot检测转染细胞裂解上清中融合蛋白的表达。将构建表达CTLA4Ig—H2B的减毒鼠伤寒沙门氏菌SL7207喂饲BALB／c小鼠，取脾脏进行免疫组化鉴定重组蛋白在动物体内的表达。结果酶切鉴定和基因序列测定显示重组质粒构建成功。在pcDNA3．1（＋）-CTLA4Ig—H2B质粒转染后48h细胞裂解上清中，检测到CTLA4Ig融合蛋白的表达，该蛋白能与抗人CTLA-4单抗特异结合。重组蛋白在BALB／c小鼠脾脏免疫细胞胞浆中有阳性表达。结论成功构建了能稳定表达核小体Th表位和CTLA4Ig融合基因的真核表达载体。     

HBV preS2S-rhGM-CSF融合基因表达质粒的构建和表达

目的：研究GM-CSF和preS2对乙肝DNA疫苗的免疫增强作用。方法：采用PCR方法，扩增HBV preS2 S基因约846 bp的片段和rhGM-CSF(包括甘氨酸接头)基因450bp的片段。通过T-A克隆技术和基因定向克隆，构建融合基因的真核表达质粒pcDNA3．1-S2S-rhGM-CSF，并在HepG2细胞中表达。结果：经酶切、PCR及DNA测序鉴定，融合基因表达质粒HBV preS2S-rhGM-CSF成功地构建。将其转染HepG2细胞后，目的基因的转录通过RT-PCR得到证实，而且表达的融合蛋白能与抗-HBs、抗-preS2和抗-GM-CSF单克隆抗体(mAb)均产生特异性反应。结论：融合基因表达载体pcDNA3．1-S2S-rhGM-CSF的成功构建并表达，为进一步研究乙肝DNA疫苗奠定了实验基础。     

丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白在QSG7701细胞中的表达和鉴定

目的：进行丙型病毒肝炎核心蛋白真核表达载体的构建，并在人源肝细胞QSC7701中进行表达与鉴定。方法：从含有丙肝病毒全长基因的重组质粒pBRTM／HCV1—3011质粒中扩增出HCV核心（core）基因片段，构建peDNA3．1（-）／core重组真核表达质粒。然后采用阳离子多聚体将其转染人肝细胞QSG7701，用免疫组织化学SP法检测丙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白的表达，再通过Western blot印迹法进行鉴定。结果：所克隆的core片段大小正确，序列正确；成功的构建了pcDNA3．1（-）／core重组表达质粒，瞬时转染QSG7701细胞，用SP免疫组化检测到了核心蛋白的表达，Western blot印迹法显示其分子量约为21000。结论：丙型病毒肝炎核心蛋白的真核表达载体pcDNA3．1（-）／core在人肝细胞中能有效表达HCV核心蛋白，从而为进一步研究和解析核心蛋白在肝细胞癌变机制中的所起的作用提供了良好的核心蛋白表达系统，同时也为开发丙型肝炎DNA疫苗提供了前期条件。     

HBsAg真核表达质粒的构建和鉴定

目的构建HBsAg真核表达质粒.方法用PCR的方法从质粒pEcob6中扩增出HBsAg基因,并定向克隆到真核表达质粒pcDNA3.1(+),构建成重组质粒pcDNA3.1-S;然后用限制性内切酶消化和DNA序列测定鉴定.结果经酶切和DNA序列测定鉴定,证实重组质粒构建正确.结论真核表达质粒pcDNA3.1-S构建成功.     

插入IL-2基因优化HBV DNA疫苗的研究

目的：观察IL-2基因的插入对DNA疫苗免疫效应的影响，探讨优化DNA疫苗设计、提高DNA疫苗兔疫效应的途径。方法：采用PCR产物直接克隆和重组DNA技术构建了人IL-2和HBsAg融合基因的真核表达载体pcDNA3．1 -S/IL-2，通过脂质体基因转移技术导入Cos-7细胞中检测其瞬间表达，并经肌肉注射免疫C57Bl/6小鼠，以检测和比较它们的细胞和体液免疫应答。结果：通过酶切、PCR及测序证实已正确完整地插入 IL-2基因，成功构建了 pcDNA3．1 -S/IL-2重组质粒。体外转染Cos-7后可见基因的表达和分泌，pcDNA3．1 -S/IL-2可以提高免疫小鼠的抗 HBs抗体滴度和脾淋巴细胞诱生的IL-2的生物活性水平，增加 HBsAg特异性的脾淋巴细胞增殖指数。结论：IL-2和 HBsAg基因的融合表达对 DNA疫苗的免疫反应起协同和增强作用，提示IL-2基因插入可能是增强DNA疫苗的免疫效应的可行途径。     

Opportunities and challenges in the prevention and control of cancer and other chronic diseases: children's diet and nutrition and weight and physical activity

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review the role of behavioral research in disease prevention and control, with a particular emphasis on lifestyle- and behavior-related cancer and chronic disease risk factors--specifically, relationships among diet and nutrition and weight and physical activity with adult cancer, and tracking developmental origins of these health-promoting and health-compromising behaviors from childhood into adulthood. METHOD: After reviewing the background of the field of cancer prevention and control and establishing plausibility for the role of child health behavior in adult cancer risk, studies selected from the pediatric published literature are reviewed. Articles were retrieved, selected, and summarized to illustrate that results from separate but related fields of study are combinable to yield insights into the prevention and control of cancer and other chronic diseases in adulthood through the conduct of nonintervention and intervention research with children in clinical, public health, and other contexts. RESULTS: As illustrated by the evidence presented in this review, there are numerous reasons (biological, psychological, and social), opportunities (school and community, health care, and family settings), and approaches (nonintervention and intervention) to understand and impact behavior change in children's diet and nutrition and weight and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Further development and evaluation of behavioral science intervention protocols conducted with children are necessary to understand the efficacy of these approaches and their public health impact on proximal and distal cancer, cancer-related, and chronic disease outcomes before diffusion. It is clear that more attention should be paid to early life and early developmental phases in cancer prevention.     

Pain and Effusion and Quadriceps Activation and Strength

Context:

Quadriceps dysfunction is a common consequence of knee joint injury and disease, yet its causes remain elusive.

Objective:

To determine the effects of pain on quadriceps strength and activation and to learn if simultaneous pain and knee joint effusion affect the magnitude of quadriceps dysfunction.

Design:

Crossover study.

Setting:

University research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants:

Fourteen (8 men, 6 women; age = 23.6 ± 4.8 years, height = 170.3 ± 9.16 cm, mass = 72.9 ± 11.84 kg) healthy volunteers.

Intervention(s):

All participants were tested under 4 randomized conditions: normal knee, effused knee, painful knee, and effused and painful knee.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Quadriceps strength (Nm/kg) and activation (central activation ratio) were assessed after each condition was induced.

Results:

Quadriceps strength and activation were highest under the normal knee condition and differed from the 3 experimental knee conditions (P < .05). No differences were noted among the 3 experimental knee conditions for either variable (P > .05).

Conclusions:

Both pain and effusion led to quadriceps dysfunction, but the interaction of the 2 stimuli did not increase the magnitude of the strength or activation deficits. Therefore, pain and effusion can be considered equally potent in eliciting quadriceps inhibition. Given that pain and effusion accompany numerous knee conditions, the prevalence of quadriceps dysfunction is likely high.Key Words: arthrogenic muscle inhibition, central activation failure, voluntary activation, muscles

Key Points

• Knee pain and effusion resulted in arthrogenic muscle inhibition and weakness of the quadriceps.
• The simultaneous presence of pain and effusion did not increase the magnitude of quadriceps dysfunction.
• To reduce arthrogenic muscle inhibition and improve muscle strength, clinicians should employ interventions that target removing both pain and effusion.

Quadriceps weakness is a common consequence of traumatic knee joint injury^1,2 and chronic degenerative knee joint conditions.^3,4 Arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI), a neurologic decline in muscle activation, results in quadriceps weakness and hinders rehabilitation by preventing gains in strength.⁵ The inability to reverse AMI and restore muscle function can lead to decreased physical abilities,⁶ biomechanical deficits,⁷ and possibly reinjury.⁵ Furthermore, researchers^8,9 have suggested that quadriceps weakness resulting from AMI may place patients at risk for developing osteoarthritis in the knee. In light of the substantial influence of quadriceps AMI on these clinically relevant outcomes, we need to improve our understanding of the factors that contribute to this neurologic decline in muscle activity so efforts to target and reverse it can be implemented and gains in strength can be achieved more easily.Joint injury and disease are accompanied by numerous sequelae (ie, pain, swelling, tissue damage, inflammation), so ascertaining which one ultimately leads to neurologic muscle dysfunction is difficult. Whereas a joint effusion can result in AMI,^10–12 the effects of pain are less understood despite many clinicians attributing AMI to pain. Using techniques that introduce knee pain without accompanying injury may provide insights into the role of pain in eliciting AMI.The degree of knee joint damage may play a role in the quantity of AMI that manifests. Hurley et al^13,14 demonstrated that quadriceps AMI, measured using an interpolated-twitch technique, was greater in patients with extensive traumatic knee injury (eg, fractured tibial plateau, ruptured medial collateral ligament, and medial meniscectomy) than patients with isolated joint trauma (ie, isolated anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] rupture). Similarly, patients with more knee joint symptoms (ie, greater number of symptoms and increased severity of symptoms) may present with greater magnitudes of quadriceps inhibition. Recently, investigators¹⁵ have suggested that patients with more pain display less quadriceps strength, supporting this tenet. Given that effusion and pain often present simultaneously with joint injuries and diseases, such as ACL injury and osteoarthritis, examining both the isolated and cumulative effects of these sequelae appears warranted to determine if they influence the magnitude of muscle inhibition.Experimental joint-effusion and pain models are safe and effective experimental methods that allow for the isolated examination of their effects on muscle function. The effusion model, whereby sterile saline is injected directly into the knee joint capsule,⁷ produces a clinically relevant magnitude of the joint effusion that may be present with traumatic injury. Effusion is thought to activate group II afferents responding to stretch or pressure,^16–18 which in turn may facilitate group Ib interneurons and result in quadriceps AMI.⁵ The pain model involves injecting hypertonic saline into the infrapatellar fat pad to produce anteromedial knee pain similar to that described in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.¹⁹ Pain is considered to initiate AMI through activation of group III and IV afferents that act as nocioceptors to signal damage or potential damage to joint structures.^16–18 The firing of these afferents then may lead to facilitation of group Ib interneurons, the flexion reflex, or the gamma loop, ultimately resulting in quadriceps inhibition.²⁰ Thus, these models allow us to create symptoms that are associated with knee injury and have the added benefit of providing a way to examine their effects in isolation.Therefore, the purpose of our study was to determine the effects of pain on quadriceps strength and activation and to learn if simultaneous pain and knee joint effusion would affect the magnitude of quadriceps dysfunction. We hypothesized that pain alone would result in quadriceps inhibition and that the magnitude of inhibition would be greater when effusion and pain were present simultaneously.     

Postinfectious immunodeficiency and autoimmunity: pathogenic and clinical values and implications

Autoimmunity is still a mystery of clinical immunology and medicine as a whole. The etiology and pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders remain unclear and, thus, are assessed as a balance between hereditary predisposition, triggering factors and the appearance of autoantibodies and/or self-reactive T cells. Among the immunological armamentarium, molecular mimicry, based on self-reactive T- and B-cell activation by cross-reactive epitopes of infectious agents, is of special value. Hypotheses regarding the possible involvement of molecular mimicry in the development of postinfectious autoimmunity are currently very intriguing. They provide new approaches for identifying etiological agents that are associated with postinfectious autoimmunity, paired microbial- and tissue-linked epitopes targeted for autoimmune reaction determination, postinfectious autoimmunity pathogenesis recognition and specific prevention, and therapy for autoimmune disorder development.     

Beta-endorphin and drug-induced reward and reinforcement

Although drugs of abuse have different acute mechanisms of action, their brain pathways of reward exhibit common functional effects upon both acute and chronic administration. Long known for its analgesic effect, the opioid beta-endorphin is now shown to induce euphoria, and to have rewarding and reinforcing properties. In this review, we will summarize the present neurobiological and behavioral evidences that support involvement of beta-endorphin in drug-induced reward and reinforcement. Currently, evidence supports a prominent role for beta-endorphin in the reward pathways of cocaine and alcohol. The existing information indicating the importance of beta-endorphin neurotransmission in mediating the reward pathways of nicotine and THC, is thus far circumstantial. The studies described herein employed diverse techniques, such as biochemical measurements of beta-endorphin in various brain sites and plasma, and behavioral measurements, conducted following elimination (via administration of anti-beta-endorphin antibodies or using mutant mice) or augmentation (by intracerebral administration) of beta-endorphin. We suggest that the reward pathways for different addictive drugs converge to a common pathway in which beta-endorphin is a modulating element. beta-Endorphin is involved also with distress. However, reviewing the data collected so far implies a discrete role, beyond that of a stress response, for beta-endorphin in mediating the substance of abuse reward pathway. This may occur via interacting with the mesolimbic dopaminergic system and also by its interesting effects on learning and memory. The functional meaning of beta-endorphin in the process of drug-seeking behavior is discussed.     

PTEN与信号转导及肿瘤

ＴＥＮ[1] (ｐｈｏｓｐｈａｔａｓｅａｎｄｔｅｎｓｉｎｈｏｍｏｌｏｇｙｄｅｌｅｔｅｄｏｎｃｈｒｏｍｏｓｏｍｅｔｅｎ)又名ＭＭＡＣ1 [2 ] (ｍｕｔａｔｅｄｉｎｍｕｔｉｐｌｙａｄａｎｃｅｄｃａｎｃｅｒ 1 )和ＴＥＰ1 [3 ] (ＴＧＦ -βｒｅｇｕｌａｔｅｄａｎｄｅｐｉｔｈｅｌｉａｌｃｅｌｌ -ｒｉｃｈｅｄｐｈｏｓｐｈａｔａｓｅ 1 ) (以下均称为ＰＴＥＮ) ,是 1 997年由 3个研究小组先后发现的一个具有双特异磷酸酶活性的抑癌基因。ＰＴＥＮ基因异常广泛存在于人类多种恶性肿瘤 ,如恶性神经胶质瘤、前列腺癌、子宫内膜癌、黑色素瘤等…     

Tobacco and alcohol and the risk of head and neck cancer

Summary We carried out two case-control studies on the relative risk of head and neck cancer in association with tobacco and alcohol consumption. The first study carried out at the ENT Department of the University hospitals of Heidelberg and Giessen (FRG) comprised 200 male patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck and 800 control subjects matched for sex, age, and residential area (1:4 matching design). Of the tumour patients, 4.5% had never smoked, in contrast to 29.5% of the control group. The average tobacco and alcohol consumption of the patients was approximately twice as high as in the control subjects. The highest alcohol and tobacco consumption was observed in patients suffering from oropharyngeal cancer. Tobacco and alcohol increased the risk of head and neck cancer in a dose-dependent fashion and acted as independent risk factors. In heavy smokers (> 60 pack-years) a relative risk of 23.4 (alcohol adjusted) was calculated. Combined alcohol and tobacco consumption showed a synergistic effect. The risk ratio increased more in a multiplicative than in an additive manner. Oral and laryngeal cancer were associated with the highest tobacco-associated risk values. The highest ethanol-associated risk values were associated with oropharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. The second study was carried out at the ENT Department of the University of Heidelberg on 164 males with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and 656 control subjects matched for sex, age and residential area (1:4 matching design). Of the cases, 4.2% had never smoked, compared with 28.5% of the control subjects. The risk of laryngeal cancer by tobacco consumption was dose dependent, reaching a maximum value of 9.1 (adjusted for alcohol) for a consumption of more than 50 tobacco-years (TY). The relative risk of laryngeal cancer associated with alcohol intake was also dose dependent, reaching a value of 9.0 (adjusted for tobacco) for a mean daily consumption of more than 75 g alcohol. An analysis of subsite specific risks showed that heavy smokers (> 50 TY) carried a nearly ten times higher risk of supraglottic cancer than of glottic cancer. The risk of supraglottic cancer from alcohol consumption was also higher than that of glottic cancer.     

Muscle strength and serum testosterone,cortisol and SHBG concentrations in middle-aged and elderly men and women

Forty healthy males (M) and females (F) divided into two different age groups i.e. M50 years (range 44–57; n= 9), F50 years (range 43–54; n= 9), M70 years (range 64–73; n= 11) and F70 years (range 63–73; n= 11) volunteered as subjects for examination of muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and maximal voluntary isometric force production characteristics of the leg extensor muscles and serum androgen and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations. The CSA in the male groups was greatly larger (P < 0.01) than in the female groups and both elderly groups demonstrated slightly (n.s.) smaller values in the CSA than the two middle-aged groups. Maximal force of 2854 ± 452 N in M50 was greater (P < 0.05) than that of 2627 ± 752 N recorded for F50 as well as the force of 2787 ± 843 in M70 was greater (P < 0.001) than that of 1849 ± 295 recorded for F70. The force between F50 and F70 differed significantly (P < 0.05) from each other. The maximal rate of force production in M50 was greater (P < 0.01) than in F50 as well as in M70 greater (P < 0.001) than in F70. Both middle-aged groups demonstrated greater (P < 0.05) values than the respective elderly groups of the same sex. The individual values in the CSA correlated with the values in maximal force both in the middle-aged subjects (r= 0.66; P < 0.01) and in the elderly subjects (r= 0.69; P < 0.01). The mean concentration of serum testosterone in M50 was slightly (n.s.) greater than in M70 and in F50 significantly (P < 0.05) greater than in F70. Serum SHBG levels were lower in the males (P < 0.01) than in the females and serum testosterone/SHBG ratio in M70 and in F70 were lower (P < 0.05) than in M50 and in F50, respectively. In the females significant positive correlations were observed between the individual values in serum testosterone concentration and the values both in the CSA (r= 0.46; P < 0.05) and in maximal force (r= 0.62; P < 0.01) as well as between serum testosterone/SHBG ratio and both the CSA (r= 0.55; P < 0.05) and maximal force (r= 0.68; P < 0.01). The present results imply that the decreasing basal level of blood testosterone over the years in aging people, especially in females, may lead to decreasing anabolic effects on muscles thus having an association with age-related declines in the maximal voluntary neuromuscular performance capacity in aging people.     

Platelet-activating factor receptor and respiratory and metabolic responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia

Activation of the platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) regulates neural transmission. A PAFR blocker reduced the peak hypoxic (pHVR) but not hypercapnic ventilatory (HCVR) responses in rats [Am. J. Physiol. 275 (1998) R604]. To further examine the role of PAFR in respiratory control, genotype-verified PAFR -/- and PAFR +/+ adult male mice underwent hypoxic and hypercapnic challenges. HCVR was similar in the two groups (p-NS). However, pHVR was significantly reduced in PAFR -/- mice (38 +/- 13% baseline [S.D.]) compared to PAFR +/+ mice (78 +/- 16% baseline; P < 0.001, ANOVA), with reduced tidal volume recruitments during pHVR. In addition, hypoxic ventilatory depression was attenuated in PAFR -/- mice (P < 0.01), and was primarily due to attenuation of the time-dependent decreases in oxygen consumption during sustained hypoxia (P < 0.01). Thus, PAFR expression/function modulates components of the acute ventilatory and metabolic adaptations to hypoxia but not to hypercapnia. Imbalances in PAFR activity may lead to maladaptive regulation of the tightly controlled metabolic-ventilatory relationships during hypoxia.