Effects of isolated and combined exposures to whole-body vibration and noise on auditory-event related brain potentials and psychophysical assessment

Summary Auditory event-related brain potentials (ERP) in response to two different tone stimuli (1.1 kHz or 1 kHz, 80 dB, 50 ms; given by headphones at a regular interstimulus interval of 5 s with a probability distribution of 70:30) were recorded from 12 healthy male subjects (Ss) during four different conditions with two repetitions: A - 60 dBA white noise (wN), no wholebody vibration (WBV); B - 60 dBA wN plus sinusoidal WBV in the a_z-direction with a frequency of 2.01 Hz and acceleration of 2 m ·s^–2 root mean square; C - 80 dBA wN, no WBV; D - 80 dBA wN plus WBV. Each condition consisted of two runs of about 11 min interrupted by a break of 4 min. During the break with continuing exposure, but without auditory stimuli, Ss judged the difficulty of the tone-detection task and intensity of noise by means of cross-modality matching (CMM). Vibration-synchronous activity in the electrocardiogram was eliminated by a subtraction-technique. Noise caused an attenuation of the N1 and P2 amplitudes and prolongation of P3 latencies. The WBV did not cause systematic ERP effects. Condition B was associated with higher N1 and smaller P3 amplitudes. The factor condition had a significant effect on the peak latencies of P3 to target stimuli and the task difficulty judged by CMM. Both effects exhibited significant linear increases in the sequence of conditions A, B, C, D. For the evaluation of exposure conditions at work, it can be suggested that noise has a strong systematic effect which can be enhanced by WBV. The P3 latency is considered as an advantageous measure for the detection of objective effects of physical environmental factors, correlating with relevant subjective responses.     

Study on the mechanism of the appearance of noise effects

Summary This study was undertaken to investigate the dose-response relationship between the biological effect and noise exposure, and to consider the mechanism of the appearance of noise effects. Rats were exposed to noise at intensities of 60 dB (A), 80 dB (A) and 100 dB (A) for 240 min and examined for the change of activities of dopamine--hydroxylase (DBH) in serum and adrenal glands. Plasma cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate (c-AMP) levels were also measured. Some rats were given 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) as a chemical sympathectomyzing agent 20 h before noise exposure in order to consider the mechanism of the appearance of noise effects. By noise exposure, serum DBH activity was significantly (P<0.01) increased at each intensity compared with the control group, but there were no remarkable changes in adrenal DBH activity. Plasma c-AMP level was also significantly elevated in response to the noise stress. When the rats, which had been pretreated with 6-OHDA, were exposed to noise with an intensity of 100 dB (A), the response of serum DBH activity was no longer observed. Therefore it is suggested that the effect due to noise exposure appears through the post-ganglionic sympathetic nerve fiber.     

Elevation of plasma viscosity induces sustained NO-mediated dilation in the hamster cremaster microcirculation in vivo

 We studied whether a flow-independent increase of luminal wall shear stress (WSS) could dilate hamster arterioles in vivo and which endothelial mediators are potentially involved. To this end the plasma viscosity was elevated by exchanging blood for dextran-erythrocyte solution thereby augmenting WSS. Diameters of small and large arterioles as well as red blood cell velocities were measured before and after exchange of blood for solutions of identical haematocrit containing either high- (HMWD) or low-molecular weight dextran (LMWD). The potential role of endothelial autacoids was investigated by local application of the NO-synthase inhibitor N ^G-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), the inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, indomethacin (3 μM), or the K⁺-channel blocker, tetrabutylammonium (TBA, 0.1 mM) to assess the potential effects of EDHF. HMWD (n = 11 animals) increased plasma viscosity by 64 ± 3% and dilated arterioles of all branching orders (A1–A4) significantly [by 24 ± 3% (A1–A2) and 32 ± 3% (A3–A4)]. This dilation compensated fully for the calculated initial increase of WSS. LMWD (n = 6) did not affect plasma viscosity or arteriolar diameters. Tissue treatment with L-NNA (30–300 μM, n = 12) substantially diminished the HMWD-induced dilation in small arterioles (A3–A4; to 13 ± 3%; P<0.05) and virtually abolished it in large ones (A1–A2). Consequently, the calculated WSS increased significantly in these arterioles (by 31 ± 5%). TBA combined with L-NNA (n = 4) did not reduce further the remaining dilation. Indomethacin (n = 6) had no effect on HMWD-induced dilation. We conclude that an increase of WSS induces a mainly NO-mediated arteriolar dilation. This dilation occurs in all arteriolar branching orders and is of sufficient magnitude to compensate for the initial WSS-increase. Thus, any elevations of WSS fulfil the requirement for a signal to change diameter along the arteriolar tree in a coordinated manner. The fully compensating dilation which we observed indicates that WSS is a controlled variable. It does, however, raise questions as to its role as a continuous endothelial stimulus. Received: 2 August 1996 / Received after revision: 24 February 1997 / Accepted: 14 April 1997     

一氧化氮供体和他汀对B组柯萨奇病毒感染的实验研究

目的研究硝酸酯类和他汀类等一氧化氮（NO）供体的抗柯萨奇病毒B组3型（CVB3）的作用及其特点和机制。方法用TCID50和空斑形成实验测定CVB3的毒力；MTT法确定NO供体药物的无毒性浓度；利用细胞病变效应（CPE）抑制实验和空斑形成抑制实验分析NO供体药物对CVB3在HeLa细胞和ECV．304细胞中增殖的抑制作用；并分析硝酸甘油（GRIN）不同给药次数、NO浓度变化以及NO浓度与GTN对CVB3抑制效应间的相关性。结果硝酸酯类药物GTN、硝酸异山梨酯可明显抑制CVB3所致的CPE及空斑形成（P〈0．05），他汀类药辛伐他汀、洛伐他汀均未显示抑制CVB3所致的CPE（P〉0．05）；CVB3接种前预先与GTN作用、CVB3接种同时加入GTN两种条件下CPE抑制率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；CVB3攻击后多次给予GTN的组间CPE抑制率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05），但在CVB3攻击前不同时间点给予GTN的组间CPE抑制率差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）；NO浓度与不同时间点给予GrIN的CPE抑制结果呈正相关（r=0．97，P〈0．01）。结论NO供体类药物硝酸酯类具有明确的抗CVB3感染作用，其抗CVB3增殖的作用与NO浓度呈正相关；他汀类药物在本实验条件下未观察到抗CVB3增殖作用，原因可能是细胞类型与他汀不匹配。     

Microelectrode amplifier with improved method of input-capacitance neutralisation

A circuit is described which allows the input capacitance of an f.e.t. input integrated circuit to be used both as the feedback capacitance to neutralise the total input capacitance and to inject current pulses into the input. Compared with the conventional method of adding discrete capacitors to perform these functions, this design results in a lower total capacitance at the input, which reduces the high-frequency noise generated by the amplifier and facilitates the achievement of a low effective capacitance. A modified version having an ultralow (0·1pA) input current, for use with ion-sensitive microelectrodes, is also described.     

用ESR检测兔心肌顿抑时一氧化氮的动态变化

目的：用顺磁共振技术（ESR）测定兔在心肌缺血再灌注过程中心肌顿抑时，血液中一氧化氮（NO）动态变化。方法：结扎前降支制成心肌缺血-再灌注模型，经颈动脉左心室插管，多导生理仪记录左心室最大上升速率（dp/dt_max）、心室舒张末压力、动脉血压、心率等血液动力学指标。分别于缺血前、缺血5 min、10 min，再灌注5 min、10 min、30 min、60 min、90 min、120 min各时点取静脉血1 mL，在电子自旋共振仪记录NO波谱，测定NO水平。结果：在再灌注5 min、120 min时，NO浓度明显高于缺血前[(23.4±4.8) mm vs (12.0±0.5) mm，(21.4±1.8) mm vs (12.0±0.5) mm，P<0.01]。心肌收缩功能在缺血5 min时已经开始受损[(4965±295.6) mmHg/s vs (3967±315.3) mmHg/s，与缺血前比较P<0.01]，但是在再灌注5 min时明显低于缺血5 min时[(3327±120.4) mmHg/s vs(3967±315.3) mmHg/s，P<0.05]。结论：再灌注早期NO升高而心肌收缩力下降，提示NO对早期缺血再灌时心肌顿抑有加重作用。     

妊高征患者胎盘血循环中血管舒、缩物质水平的改变及意义

目的　通过测定胎盘部位子宫静脉血中一氧化氮 (nitricoxide,NO)及内皮素 (endothelin ,ET)的浓度 ,并与外周血中同类物质的对比 ,了解妊高征时胎盘血管的病变程度及其与外周血中血管活性物质浓度改变的关系。方法　分别于剖宫产手术前及手术中抽取胎盘部位子宫静脉血和外周静脉血 ,应用硝酸根还原酶与Griess反应相结合的方法测定NO ;应用放射免疫分析法测定ET。结果　妊高征组胎盘部位子宫静脉血中NO2 -/NO3 -为 (70 2 6± 12 6 0 ) μmol/l,外周血清NO-2 /NO-3 为 (6 5 5 2± 14 88) μmol/l,二者之间无显著差异。妊高征组外周血浆ET水平为 (5 3 72± 15 2 8)ng/L ,胎盘部位子宫静脉血浆ET水平为 (5 2 80± 14 19)ng/L ,两者之间无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 1)。与正常晚孕组比较 ,妊高征组血中ET、NO-2 /NO-3 水平均显著增高 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　妊高征患者的子宫、胎盘循环系统血管舒、缩物质平衡失调 ,血管内皮系统的功能亦遭到破坏 ;妊高征患者胎盘血循环ET、NO水平升高 ,但与外周血中ET、NO水平的升高无关。     

Mechanisms of peptide YY release induced by an intraduodenal meal in rats: neural regulation by proximal gut

 Peptide YY (PYY) release in anaesthetized rats was studied during the 2 h following the intraduodenal administration of a semi-liquid meal of 21 kJ. Surgical and pharmacological manipulations were performed in order to analyse the mechanisms of PYY release. Postprandial PYY release was suppressed or strongly decreased by caecocolonectomy, truncal vagotomy, tetrodotoxin, hexamethonium, sensory denervation by perivagal capsaicin, and by the NO-synthase inhibitor L-N-arginine methyl ester, while atropine, adrenergic blockers, antagonists of type-A or type-B cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors or bombesin receptors had no effect. Comparing the digestive transit of the semi-liquid meal with the amount of PYY contained in the small bowel wall showed that nutrients had not reached the area rich in cells containing PYY by 30 min, the time at which there was a large PYY release in plasma. By 120 min, the meal front had travelled 72% of the small intestine length, just beginning to reach the PYY-rich part of the ileum. We conclude that the main postprandial PYY release studied in this model comes from ileal and colonic L-cells indirectly stimulated through a neural mechanism originating in the proximal gut and involving sensory vagal fibres, nicotinic synapses and NO release, while CCK and bombesin do not seem to be physiologically involved. Received: 17 July 1996 / Received after revision: 11 October 1996 / Accepted: 18 October 1996     

大鼠下丘脑一氧化氮合酶（NOS）阳性神经元的分布

观察大鼠下丘脑各核团NOS阳性神经元的分布。采用还原型尼克酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸脱氢酶（NADPH－d）法，结果显示，大量NOS阳性神经元见于下丘脑外侧区、视上核（SO）和室旁核（Pa）；出现较多NOS阳性神经元的部位是视前大细胞核，见到少量NOS阳性神经元的部位是室周核、视前内侧区、视前外侧区和下丘脑前区。结论：NOS阳性神经元分布于下丘脑的许多核团。     

Pre-exposure of murine macrophages to lipopolysaccharide inhibits the induction of nitric oxide synthase and reduces leishmanicidal activity

Murine macrophages produce nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine on stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), alone or with interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The effect of incubation of macrophages with low concentrations of LPS on NO synthesis on subsequent stimulation was investigated, using a murine macrophage cell line, J774, and peritoneal macrophages from CBA mice. Cells which had been incubated with LPS produced significantly lower amounts of NO, and expressed lower levels of NO synthase activity, following stimulation with IFN-γ and LPS, or with a high concentration of LPS. This effect was not reversed by tumor necrosis factor-α. The ability of CBA macrophages to kill the intracellular parasite Leishmania major was markedly reduced by pre-incubation with LPS. Reduced NO production by macrophages previously exposed to LPS is a manifestation of endotoxin tolerance, and may represent an important means of regulation of NO synthesis and thus a survival mechanism for intracellular parasites.