Muscle metaboreflex contribution to cardiovascular regulation during dynamic exercise in microgravity: insights from mission STS-107 of the space shuttle Columbia

One of the most important features of prolonged weightlessness is a progressive impairment of muscular function with a consequent decrease in exercise capacity. We tested the hypothesis that the impairment in musculo-skeletal function that occurs in microgravity results in a potentiation of the muscle metaboreflex mechanism and also affects baroreflex modulation of heart rate (HR) during exercise. Four astronauts participating in the 16 day Columbia shuttle mission (STS-107) were studied 72–71 days before launch and on days 12–13 in-flight. The protocol consisted of 6 min bicycle exercise at 50% of individual     followed by 4 min of postexercise leg circulatory occlusion (PECO). At rest, systolic (S) and diastolic (D) blood pressure (BP), R-R interval and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) did not differ significantly between pre- and in-flight measurements. Both pre- and in-flight, SBP increased and R-R interval and BRS decreased during exercise, whereas DBP did not change. During PECO preflight, SBP and DBP were higher than at rest, whereas R-R interval and BRS recovered to resting levels. During PECO in-flight, SBP and DBP were significantly higher whereas R-R interval and BRS remained significantly lower than at rest. The part of the SBP response (Δ) that was maintained by PECO was significantly greater during spaceflight than before (34.5 ± 8.8 versus 13.8 ± 11.9 mmHg, P = 0.03). The tachycardic response to PECO was also significantly greater during spaceflight than preflight (−141.5 ± 25.2 versus −90.5 ± 33.3 ms, P = 0.02). This study suggests that the muscle metaboreflex is enhanced during dynamic exercise in space and that the potentiation of the muscle metaboreflex affects the vagally mediated arterial baroreflex contribution to HR control.     

Sensory, motor somatic, and autonomic neurons projecting to the porcine cremaster muscle

The location of sensory, somatic, and autonomic neurons projecting to the pig cremaster muscle (CM) was studied by means of the retrograde neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB) technique. FB was randomly injected in the left CM of four impuberal pigs and serial sections of sensory and autonomic ganglia and spinal cord were examined under a fluorescence microscope. Additionally, some indications about the number and size of labeled neurons were given. Sensory pseudounipolar somata were located ipsilaterally in the L2-L6 and S1-S2 dorsal root ganglia, their total number ranging between 125 and 194, their mean diameter between 24 and 89 microm. Somatic multipolar motoneurons were located ipsilaterally in the L2-L4 neuromeres of the spinal cord, their total number ranging between 53 and 169, their mean diameter between 29 and 53 microm. Autonomic multipolar paravertebral ganglia neurons were located ipsilaterally from L1 to S4 and contralaterally from L2 to S2. Their total number ranged from 2,015 to 3,067 and their mean diameter between 25 and 55 microm. The multipolar caudal mesenteric ganglia neurons were located bilaterally, their total number ranging between 14 and 1,408 and their diameter from 22 to 39 microm. In two subjects only, multipolar neurons were also found ipsilaterally in the microganglia of pelvic plexus (2 and 13 neurons). Their mean diameter ranged between 28 and 54 microm. Our study documented that the CM-projecting neurons were located at different neural levels, with a predominance in the autonomic ganglia.     

Heart rate and blood pressure time courses during prolonged dry apnoea in breath-hold divers

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the ocular surface area (OSA) and the eye blink frequency (BF) are affected by a high versus a low-monitor position during visual display unit (VDU) work with varying cognitive demands. In a balanced randomized (2 × 2) design ten healthy subjects (five males, five females) completed two different tasks on the VDU in a simulated office environment (23°C and 30–35% relative humidity); an active task with demands on vision and hand-eye coordination, and a passive task. Two monitor positions were used: high (the monitors’ upper edge at the same height as the subjects’ eyes) and low (lowered by 25° and perpendicular to gaze angle). Each task lasted 10 min. An OSA-proxy was measured from video recordings, and BF was sampled by electrooculography. The effect of lowering the gaze angle by 25° decreased the OSA-proxy significantly (P < 0.01) during the active task, indicating that a low position of the monitor may be preferable even though the BF also decreased. Overall, the OSA-proxy was 6% higher during the active task compared to the passive while BF during the active task was 69% lower than during the passive task. The low BF during the active task was succeded by a burst with high BF after cessation of the active task, indicating a compensatory blinking process. This stresses that interchange of work tasks with different cognitive load is as important as the monitor position in the prevention of visual and musculoskeletal disorders.     

Essential pathogenic role of endogenous IL-18 in murine diabetes induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin. Prevention of hyperglycemia and insulitis by a recombinant IL-18-binding protein: Fc construct

IL-18 is a cytokine structurally and functionally related to IL-1 that, in synergy with IL-12, stimulates the synthesis of IFN-gamma from T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Because IFN-gamma plays a key pathogenic role in the development of murine immunoinflammatory diabetes induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin (STZ) we investigated the effect of negating the actions of endogenous IL-18 in this model by administering recombinant IL-18-binding protein:Fc (IL-18 bp:Fc). C57BL/6 mice were injected once daily with 40 mg/kg STZ for 5 consecutive days, day 0 being the first day of STZ challenge. Relative to control animals treated in parallel with either PBS or human IgG, mice treated from day -3 to day 7 with daily doses of 150 microg of IL-18 bp:Fc exhibited lower incidence of diabetes and milder insulitis. In contrast, mice that were treated with IL-18 bp:Fc from day 7 to day 14 exhibited clinical and histological signs of STZ-induced diabetes similar to those of control mice treated with IgG. The protective effect of IL-18 bp:Fc was accompanied by modified ex vivo immune responses, in that spleen cells and peritoneal macrophages contained fewer IFN-gamma secreting cells and released lower amounts of nitrite (an index of nitric oxide production) and IL-1beta. We conclude that intact IL-18 function is essential for the full diabetogenic effect of low dose STZ in C57BL/6 mice.     

R0 resection in the treatment of gastric cancer: Room for improvement

Gastric carcinoma is one of the most frequent malignancies in the world and its clinical behavior especially depends on the metastatic potential of the tumor.In particular,lymphatic metastasis is one of the main predictors of tumor recurrence and survival,and current pathological staging systems reflect the concept that lymphatic spread is the most relevant prognostic factor in patients undergoing curative resection.This is compounded by the observation that two-thirds of gastric cancer in the Western world...     

HCV infection and pericarditis: an extrahepatic manifestation?

The authors describe a clinical case in which they found the unusual combination of acute hepatitis caused by HCV and pericarditis in a young person, resulting in complete recovery from the pericarditis but in a deterioration of the chronic HCV. A close examination of the literature on this subject revealed that, although no similar case was recorded, an aetiological relationship between the hepatitis C virus and pericarditis cannot be excluded since an HCV infection often gives rise to extra-hepatic cardiac problems.     

Effect of treatment with myo-inositol on semen parameters of patients undergoing an IVF cycle: in vivo study

Introduction: Myo-inositol (MI) is a precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol polyphosphates (PIPs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of its administration on semen parameters of male patients undergoing an in vitro fertilization cycles.

Methods: In vivo study. Samples were semen of 62 patients divided into three different groups: healthy fertile patients (Group A); patients with oligoasthenospermia (OA) (Group B); control group (CTR). The collected samples were analyzed by optic microscopy in order to evaluate semen’s volume, spermatozoa’s number and motility before and after density-gradient separation method. These parameters were evaluated before and after administration of 4000?mg/die of MI and 400?µg of folic acid for 2 months. The results were analyzed statistically with Student's t-test.

Results: After treatment there was a significant increase of basal and after density-gradient separation method spermatozoa concentration in Group B, and a significant increase of spermatozoa count after density-gradient separation method in Group A. The motility values were higher in healthy men than patients with OA before treatment, but there was no improvement in both groups after treatment.

Conclusions: Exogenous administration of MI significantly improves semen’s parameters both in patients with OA and in normal fertile men.     

Design of a multiplex nested PCR for genotyping of the NSP4 from group A rotavirus

A novel PCR method was developed to discriminate amongst genotypes A-C of the rotavirus non-structural protein 4 (NSP4). Genotype-specific primers were designed that correctly identified the NSP4 genotype when evaluated as a multiplex PCR with cell culture adapted rotavirus strains. Rotavirus strains B223 SGIG6P6[1], NCDV SGIG6P6[1] and SA11 SGIG3P5B[2] were used as control for NSP4 genotype A; A34 SGIG5P14[23], Gottfried SGIIG4P2B[6] and Wa SGIIG1P1A[8] for NSP4 genotype B; RRV SGIG3P5B[3] for NSP4 genotype C. Subsequently, the same set of specific primers was used to genotype a set of 77 Swedish clinical samples. The results showed that all human clinical samples analyzed belong to the NSP4 genotype B and the VP6 subgroup II.     

Anti-MOG autoantibodies in Italian multiple sclerosis patients: specificity, sensitivity and clinical association

There is considerable evidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into the CNS and demyelination. Several myelin proteins may be encephalitogenic, including myelin basic protein, proteolipid protein and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), the latter being expressed on the external layer of myelin sheaths and hence accessible to antibody attack. We investigated MOG autoreactivity in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by ELISA, employing the recombinant extracellular domain of MOG as antigen. We tested serum samples from 262 MS patients (175 relapsing-remitting, 43 primary progressive and 44 secondary progressive), 131 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) and 307 healthy controls. No patients or controls were receiving immunomodulating treatments. We found anti-MOG antibodies in the serum of 13.7% MS patients, mainly in those with secondary progressive MS (25%), in 13.7% of OND patients and in 6.2% of controls. We found a direct correlation (R(2) = 0.6, P = 0.002) between disease severity and anti-MOG titer only in patients with primary and secondary progressive MS. Anti-MOG antibodies were present in the CSF of 11.4% MS patients and 18.9% OND patients. Intrathecal synthesis of anti-MOG antibodies was demonstrated in four (4.5%) of MS patients and no OND patients. Anti-MOG antibodies are not specific for MS; however, they may characterize a subset of MS patients and this may be revealed by serial assays in relation to changing disease phase.     

Clade analysis and surface antigen polymorphism of hepatitis B virus American genotypes

Eight genotypes (A-H) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been described, HBV genotypes F and H being autochthonous to America. HBV genotype F has been classified in four clusters. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the molecular epidemiology of HBV American genotypes, as well as to analyze the genotype-related polymorphism in some functional domains of the surface proteins. The sequences of the S region of 106 isolates genotype F and H were analyzed, out of which 47 isolates genotype F circulated in different Venezuelan populations. Most of the Venezuelan isolates genotype F were grouped in cluster III (n = 39) and 7 in cluster II. One isolate obtained from a blood donor could not be classified in any clade and harbored amino acid substitutions characteristic of a vaccine escape mutant (G145R) and a stop codon in the surface antigen. Amino acid analysis of the PreS and S gene products showed unique genetic characteristics in genotype F and H sequences in some important domains involved in the early steps of infection. Out of 30 available sequences, two complete genome sequences of HBV genotype F from Venezuela were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of these complete genomes confirmed the presence of four clusters inside genotype F, differing in more than 4% nucleotide divergence. Our extended analysis showed that genotype F clades Ia, III, and IV exhibit a restricted geographic distribution (Central America, the North and the South of South America, respectively) while clades Ib and II are found in all the Americas except in the Northern South America and North America respectively.