Interleukin-6 release from human skeletal muscle during exercise: relation to AMPK activity.

We tested the hypothesis that IL-6 release from muscle during exercise may be related to muscle activity of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Eight healthy, well-trained young men completed two 60-min trials on a bicycle ergometer at 70% of their peak oxygen uptake in either a glycogen-depleted or a glycogen-loaded state. IL-6 was released from the leg already after 10 min of exercise in the glycogen-depleted state, whereas no significant release was observed at any time in the loaded state. Nevertheless, plasma IL-6 increased similarly in the two trials from approximately 0.8 pg/ml at rest to approximately 4.5 pg/ml after 60 min of exercise. Activity of alpha1-AMPK (160%) and alpha2-AMPK (145%) was increased at rest in the glycogen-depleted compared with the loaded situation. During exercise, alpha1-AMPK activity did not change from resting levels in both trials, whereas alpha2-AMPK activity increased only in the glycogen-depleted state. After 60 min of exercise in the glycogen-depleted state, individual values of alpha2-AMPK activity correlated significantly (r = 0.87, P < 0.006) with individual values of IL-6 release as well as with average IL-6 release over the entire 60 min (r = 0.86, P < 0.006). The present data are compatible with a role for AMPK in IL-6 release during exercise or a role for IL-6 in activating AMPK. Alternatively, both AMPK and IL-6 are independent sensors of a low muscle glycogen concentration during exercise. In addition, leg release of IL-6 cannot alone explain the increase in plasma IL-6 during exercise.     

Heritability of adult body height: a comparative study of twin cohorts in eight countries.

A major component of variation in body height is due to genetic differences, but environmental factors have a substantial contributory effect. In this study we aimed to analyse whether the genetic architecture of body height varies between affluent western societies. We analysed twin data from eight countries comprising 30,111 complete twin pairs by using the univariate genetic model of the Mx statistical package. Body height and zygosity were self-reported in seven populations and measured directly in one population. We found that there was substantial variation in mean body height between countries; body height was least in Italy (177 cm in men and 163 cm in women) and greatest in the Netherlands (184 cm and 171 cm, respectively). In men there was no corresponding variation in heritability of body height, heritability estimates ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 in populations under an additive genes/unique environment (AE) model. Among women the heritability estimates were generally lower than among men with greater variation between countries, ranging from 0.68 to 0.84 when an additive genes/shared environment/unique environment (ACE) model was used. In four populations where an AE model fit equally well or better, heritability ranged from 0.89 to 0.93. This difference between the sexes was mainly due to the effect of the shared environmental component of variance, which appears to be more important among women than among men in our study populations. Our results indicate that, in general, there are only minor differences in the genetic architecture of height between affluent Caucasian populations, especially among men.     

Pre- and Postpubertal LH and Estradiol Pattern in Gilts Subjected to Intermittent Inescapable Electroshock

The effect of intermittent electroshock on LH and es-tradiol secretory pattern and on reaching puberty was studied in 24 prepubertal gilts. Twelve gilts 115-168 days of age received unpredictable and inescapable electroshocks 0-5 times daily between 8 am and 4 pm and 12 gilts served as controls. At an age of 168 ± 0.7 days all gilts were moved, regrouped and exposed to a boar for 30 min. Observa-tions for signs of oestrus were carried out twice daily. Indwelling jugular catheters were inserted into 8 gilts on each treatment after the initial boar contact. Blood samples were collected to determine LH profiles for 4 h every 15 min on day 2 and day 4 after the in-itial boar contact. The remaining 4 gilts on each treatment were catheterized one day prior to the initial boar contact and blood was collected to determine LH profiles the day before initial boar contact and day 1 and day 2 after initial boar contact for 6 h every 15 min. In addition, blood samples were collected and analyzed for LH and estradiol from all gilts daily at 8 am, 12 am and 4 pm for the first 3 days following the initial boar con-tact and thereafter every 4 h until the end of oestrus (diurnal samples). Samples taken daily at noon the first 5 days following initial boar contact were analyzed for Cortisol. The electroshock treatment significantly increased the age at puberty (p=0.04) and tended to decrease the mean LH concentration prior to the preovulatory LH surge (p=0.08) and the maximal concentration of LH during the preovulatory LH surge (p=0.07). The apparent down regulation of the plasma concentration of LH was not as-sociated with increased activity in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in that the basal concentration of Cortisol was not affected by treatment. This indicates that other physiological mechanisms are involved in stress-induced suppression of LH.     

Atypical Aeromonas salmonicida Isolated from Diseased Turbot (Scophtalmus maximus L.)

Atypical Aeromonas salmonicida were isolated from 3 outbreaks of disease among farmed turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.) in 3 different farms, 1 from Norway (Nl) and 2 from Denmark (DK1 and DK2). In all 3 cases, the incidence of disease and mortality was high and the main characteristic pathological finding was skin ulcers and septicaemia. The isolated bacteria were subjected to a thorough phenotypic and genotypic examination and comparison in the laboratory. All 3 isolates belonged to A. salmonicida but dis-played some very different biochemical properties. However, the 2 Danish strains, DK1 and DK2 had identical ribotypes but different from that of Nl, whereas the plasmid pro-files of DK1 and Nl were identical but different from that of DK2. These observations emphasize the need for an improvement of our understanding of the taxonomy and epi-demiology of atypical A. salmonicida.     

Gas compression in lungs decreases peak expiratory flow depending on resistance of peak flowmeter

Pedersen, O. F., T. F. Pedersen, and M. R. Miller. Gascompression in lungs decreases peak expiratory flow depending onresistance of peak flowmeter. J. Appl.Physiol. 83(5): 1517-1521, 1997.It has recentlybeen shown (O. F. Pedersen T. R. Rasmussen, Ø. Omland, T. Sigsgaard, P. H. Quanjer, and M. R. Miller. Eur. Respir. J. 9: 828-833, 1996) that the addedresistance of a mini-Wright peak flowmeter decreases peak expiratoryflow (PEF) by ~8% compared with PEF measured by a pneumotachograph.To explore the reason for this, 10 healthy men (mean age 43 yr, range33-58 yr) were examined in a body plethysmograph with facilitiesto measure mouth flow vs. expired volume as well as the change inthoracic gas volume (Vb) and alveolar pressure(PA). The subjects performed forced vital capacity maneuvers through orifices of different sizes andalso a mini-Wright peak flowmeter. PEF with the meter and other addedresistances were achieved when flow reached the perimeter of theflow-Vb curves. The mini-Wright PEF meter decreased PEF from 11.4 ± 1.5 to 10.3 ± 1.4 (SD) l/s(P < 0.001),PA increased from 6.7 ± 1.9 to 9.3 ± 2.7 kPa (P < 0.001), anincrease equal to the pressure drop across the meter, and caused Vb atPEF to decrease by 0.24 ± 0.09 liter(P < 0.001). We conclude that PEF obtained with an added resistance like a mini-Wright PEF meter is awave-speed-determined maximal flow, but the added resistance causes gascompression because of increasedPA at PEF. Therefore, Vb at PEFand, accordingly, PEF decrease.

     

Appomattoxia ancistrophora gen. et sp. nov., a new Early Cretaceous plant with similarities to Circaeaster and extant Magnoliidae

A new genus and species of fossil angiosperm (Appomattoxia ancistrophora) is established based on well-preserved fruiting units and associated pollen from the Early Cretaceous (Early or Middle Albian) Puddledock locality in the Potomac Group sequence of Virginia, eastern North America. Fruiting units are small, unilocular, and with a single, pendulous, orthotropous seed. The fruit surface is characterized by densely spaced unicellular spines with hooklike tips, which probably functioned in biotic dispersal. Pollen grains adhering to the stigmatic area of many specimens are monocolpate and tectate with granular to columellate infratectal structure, and are similar to dispersed grains assigned to Tucanopollis and Transitoripollis. Comparison of fossil Appomattoxia ancistrophora with extant plants reveals an unusual combination of characters that includes similarities with some magnoliid taxa, particularly Piperales (Piperaceae, Saururaceae) and Laurales (Chloranthaceae), as well as the monotypic ranunculid family Circaeasteraceae. Appomattoxia ancistrophora differs from extant Piperales in having a pendulous rather than erect ovule, and differs from extant Circaeaster in details of the fruit wall, as well as the presence of monosulcate rather than tricolpate pollen.