Blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery in humans during graded exercise on a treadmill

Cerebral blood volume flow and flow velocity have been reported to increase during dynamic exercise, but whether the two increase in parallel and whether both increases occur as functions of exercise intensity remain unsettled. In this study, blood flow velocity in the common carotid artery was measured using the Doppler ultrasound method in eight healthy male students during graded treadmill exercise. The exercise consisted of stepwise progressive increases and decreases in exercise intensity. The peak intensity corresponded to approximately 85% of maximal oxygen consumption. During this exercise, the heart rate (f _c), mean blood pressure (BP) in the brachial artery and mean blood flow velocity (_cc) in the common carotid artery increased as functions of exercise intensity. At the peak exercise intensity, (f _c), BP and _cc increased by 134.5%, 20.5% and 51.8% over the control levels before exercise (P < 0.01), respectively. The resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were determined from the velocity profile and were expected to reflect the distal cerebral blood flow resistance. The RI and PI increased during the graded exercise, but tended to decrease at the highest levels of exercise intensity. As _cc increased with increases in exercise intensity it would be expected that cerebral blood flow would also increase at these higher intensities. It is also suggested that blood flow velocity in the cerebral artery does not proportionately reflect the cerebral blood flow during dynamic exercise, since the cerebral blood flow resistance changes.     

ACE Genotype May Have an Effect on Single versus Multiple Set Preferences in Strength Training

A polymorphic variant of the human angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene was identified. The 'D' (rather than 'I') variant was associated with improvements in strength related to physical training. We set out to determine whether the response to different patterns of strength training might also differ. Ninty-nine Caucasian male non-elite athletes were randomly allocated into one of three groups: 31 non-training/control (CG: 31), single-set (SSG: 35) and multiple-set (MSG: 33). SSG and MSG trained three times a week for 6 weeks. Both training groups were underwent a strength-training program with two mesocycles (12-15 repetition maximum (RM) and 8-12 RM mesocycles). One RM loads in half squat and bench press were assessed before training and after the first and second mesocycles. ACE polymorphisms analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Subjects with ACE II genotype in the MST group had improved strength development in 12-15 RM, while SST and MST groups had similar gains in 8-12 RM. Subjects with ACE DD genotype in both the SSG and the MSG had similar benefits from both 12-15 RM and 8-12 RM. Strength gains for subjects with ACE ID genotype in the SSG were similar to MSG gains in response to 8-12 RM loads but not with 12-15 RM loads. Additionally, subjects with DD genotype had superior strength gains in both strength training groups. Tailoring strength training programmes (single-set vs. multiple set) according to the athlete's ACE genotype may be advantageous.     

The early phase of experimental acute renal failure

Experiments were conducted to establish whether diminished solute reabsorption in the loop of Henle during acute renal failure could explain the loss of urinary concentration and participate in generating a tubuloglomerular feedback-mediated reduction in filtration rate. The electrolyte content of the fluid in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle was determined in situ by monitoring its electrical conductivity after propulsion into the distal tubule with a sudden burst perfusion. The value of the minimum electrolyte concentration decreased exponentially with increasing equilibration time, reaching a steady-state value equivalent to 27±9 mM NaCl in normal kidneys, 34±15 mM in mercuric chloride kidneys and 53±22 mM following ischaemia. A mathematical model was derived to describe the process of sodium chloride dilution from which it was possible to calculate both the permeability and transport velocity of the cortical thick ascending limb. In the normal kidney, the transport velocity was calculated to be 4.65±0.92 ·10^–5 cm/s, a value not significantly different from that of the mercuric chloride or ischaemic kidneys, and the estimated permeability was 1.13±0.52·10^–5 cm/s, not different from that of the mercuric chloride kidneys but significantly lower than that calculated for the ischaemic kidneys. It is concluded that for the more severely damaged ischaemic model, the loss of urinary concentrating ability was accompanied by a reduction in diluting ability of the ascending limb of the short loop of Henle, which appears to be due, at least in part, to an elevation of the passive permeability to sodium chloride in this segment.     

Correlation between percentage fiber type area and myosin heavy chain content in human skeletal muscle

Histochemical methods are routinely used to delineate skeletal muscle fiber types. In the present investigation, this qualitative determination of fiber type composition was compared to the electrophoretically determined myosin heavy chain (MHC) content from a large number of human muscle biopsy samples. Biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis muscle at the beginning and every 2 weeks during 8 weeks of highi-ntensity resistance training from men (n = 13) and woman (n = 8). Muscle was also extracted from nontraining men (n = 7) and women (n = 5) at the same periods. Six muscle fiber types (I, IC, IIAC, IIA, IIAB, and IIB) were determined using basic myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase histochemistry. Cross-sectional areas were determined for the three major fiber types (I, IIA, and IIB) and used to calculate the percentage area of these types. Electrophoretic techniques were used to separate and quantify the percentage MHC content in these same biopsy samples, and these data were then used to compare with the percentage fiber type area. Correlation analyses suggest a relationship between the histochemically assessed percentage fiber type area and the electrophoretically assessed MHC content in human limb musculature. However, because of possible histochemical misclassification of some fibers (especially in trained muscle) both techniques may be essential in yielding important information about fiber type composition and possible fiber type transformations.     

Effects of desglycinamide-lysine vasopressin on a conditioned taste aversion in rats

Vasopressin and other pituitary peptides have been shown to increase resistance to extinction of active and passive shock-avoidance responses. Both paradigms use external cues as warning and punishing stimuli. The present work asked if a variant of vasopressin would have a similar effect on conditioned taste aversions (CTA), which use internal cues as warning and punishing stimuli. Eight groups of rats were defined by factorial combination of Pretreatment during Neophobia and Conditioning (vasopressin vs saline), UCS during Conditioning (pairing saccharin-flavored water with injections of lithium chloride or saline), and Pretreatment during Extinction (vasopressin vs saline). Rats given three saccharin-lithium pairings developed strong aversions. Of the rats with CTAs, those given vasopressin during conditioning, extinction, or both showed increased resistance to extinction on the last four of eight extinction days. Vasopressin had no other effect on drinking of saccharin. Vasopressin thus appears to enhance resistance to extinction of avoidance responses in both external and internal milieus.     

Involvement of a Na−Ca exchange mechanism in contraction induced by low-Na solution in isolated guinea-pig aorta

The possibility of involvement of a Na–Ca exchange mechanism in the contractile responses induced by a reduction of external Na concentration ([Na]₀) has been studied in isolated guinea-pig aorta. Low-Na (11.9 mM) solution (Lisubstituted) produced a contraction in ouabain-treated muscles in the presence of phentolamine (10^–6 M). The magnitude of the contraction was dependent on the duration of the pretreatment with ouabain (2×10^–5 M). Ca-free solution, but not verapamil (10^–6 M), abolished the contraction induced by low-Na solution. The muscles were loaded with various amounts of Na by incubating the tissue with ouabain and varying [Na]₀ (11.9–148.7 mM) in the absence of Ca. The magnitude of the contractions induced in these muscles by low-Na solution containing Ca (2.5 mM) was dependent on the cellular Na content. Loss of cellular Na into low-Na solution followed a single exponential time course and the rate coefficient of Na-loss in the presence of external Ca was about twice as great as in the absence of Ca. Cellular⁴⁵Ca uptake in low-Na solution was significantly greater in Na-loaded tissues (pretreated with ouabain for 3 h) than in normal tissues. The⁴⁵Ca uptake in low-Na solution was not inhibited by verapamil. These results suggest that the contraction induced by low-Na solution is caused by a Ca influx which is dependent on internal Na (a Na–Ca exchange mechanism).     

TNF inhibits malaria hepatic stages in vitro via synthesis of IL-6

We examined the capacity of murine recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rmTNF) to induce an inhibitory effect at the hepatic stage on malaria induced by Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites. When injected three times, 1.0 micrograms of rmTNF was found to protect 78% of mice against a sporozoite challenge. In contrast, whatever the dose and the schedule of administration, no inhibition was observed when purified hepatocyte cultures were infected with P. yoelii. The addition of non-parenchymal hepatic cells to hepatocyte cultures restored the capacity of TNF to modulate hepatic stage development, leading to up to 44% inhibition. Antibodies to interleukin 6 reversed the anti-parasite activity in the co-culture system.     

Amphetamine does not affect the partial punishment effect (PPE)

The effects of amphetamine on the partial punishment effect (PPE) at one trial per day, were examined. Two groups of animals were trained to run in a straight alley. The continuously reinforced (CRF) group received food reward on every trial. The partially punished (PP) group received food reward on every trial but in addition, received footshocks of a gradually increasing intensity in the goal box on a random 50% of the trials. In the test stage, all animals received both food and footshock on each trial. dl-Amphetamine 1.5 mg/kg was administered in a 2 × 2 design, i.e. drug-no drug in training and drug-no drug in test. The partially punished animals exhibited increased persitence in running to the goal box during test, and this partial punishment effect was unaffected by amphetamine.     

国际典型综合类科技期刊公众传播特点及对我国综合类科技期刊公众传播能力建设的启示

【目的】 分析国际顶级综合类科技期刊公众传播模式及特点,为我国科技期刊公众传播能力建设提供建议。【方法】 以Altmetric Top 100入选论文数量最多的Nature、Science和PNAS三刊为研究对象,剖析其在公众传播产品、媒体传播体系和新闻媒体人才支撑等方面的模式和特征。对照分析我国最有影响力的综合类科技期刊《国家科学评论》和《科学通报》的公众传播特点。【结果】 以《国家科学评论》和《科学通报》为代表的我国综合类科技期刊的公众传播能力提升迅速,但仍存在新闻传媒人才短缺、期刊集约化程度不高、公众传播机制尚未建立等问题。【结论】 我国综合类科技期刊需要着力增强传媒人才培育、集约化品牌发展、公众传播机制建设,以促进我国科技期刊公众传播能力提升。