Assessment of pathological changes in fish muscle tissue, forming as a result of exposure to toxic factors in the environment

Our investigation of muscle tissue of fishes, inhabiting the regions with unfavorable ecological conditions (the river Volga), permitted to select four types of degenerative changes in muscle tissue. These alterations are associated with both the phylogenetic status of fish species and ecological dispositions of species. Using different methods of investigation several types of muscle destruction were shown. I. Destruction of myofibrillar apparatus (lysis of protofibrils), with sarcolemma remaining intact. II. Destruction of the myofibrillar apparatus, with sarcolemma, T-system, and sarcoplasmic reticulum being disrupted. III. Invasion of muscle fibers by lymphoid cells and macrophages; with sarcolemma being intact. IV. Lysis of sarcolemma by proteolytic enzymes of lymphoid elements; with muscle fibers being disintegrated. The objects of this study were muscle tissues of 8 fish species (Acipenser gueldenstadti, A. stellatus, A. ruthenus, Lucioprerca lucioperca, Esox lucius, Perca fluviatilis, Tinca tinca, Caprinus carpio). The white muscle degeneration followed the patterns of types I and II, while that of red muscles corresponded to types III and IV. White and red muscles of the Chondrostei fishes (sturgeon, stellate, sterlet) undergo destruction more frequently, than muscles of the Holostei fishes (pike, perch, zander, sazan, tench). Degenerative processes of white and red muscles of fish-eating fishes were more obvious than those of herbivorous fishes.     

Positive reinforcement training in rhesus macaques—training progress as a result of training frequency

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) efficiency was examined as a function of training frequency in 33 pair‐ or triple‐housed female rhesus macaques. The animals were trained three times a week, once a day or twice a day, using PRT and a clicker as a secondary reinforcer. All animals were trained on 30 sessions, with an average of 5 min per training session per animal. The behaviors, trained in succession, were Targeting (reliably touching and following a Target); Collaborating (dominant animals allowing subordinates to train while stationing); Box‐training (accepting being enclosed in a small compartment while responding to Target training) and initial Injection training. Fulfilled criteria for Targeting were obtained in 32/33 animals in a median of nine training sessions. Collaboration was obtained in 27/33 animals in a median of 15 training sessions. However, only four animals completed Box‐training during the 30 training sessions and started Injection training. When comparing training success in terms of number of training sessions, training twice a day was less efficient than the other two treatments. In terms of daily progress, our results suggest that from a management perspective, daily training is more conducive to quick training success than thrice weekly training. In addition, in this study no further advantages could be gained from training twice a day. Am. J. Primatol. 71:373–379, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Structural changes in the pars intermedia of the cichlid teleost Sarotherodon mossambicus as a result of background adaptation and illumination

Summary The pars intermedia of Sarotherodon mossambicus (Tilapia mossambica) contains two cell types which can be differentiated at both the light and electron microscopic level. The predominant cell type is lead haematoxyline positive, and has been shown to be the MSH producing cell type by means of immunocytochemical staining at the ultrastructural level. The changes in cellular and nuclear volume, as well as the results of stereological measurements on the cytoplasmic organelles, show that the activity of MSH cells is high on a black background and low on a white background or in total darkness. In blinded fish under a normal day-night regime the activity of the MSH cell is as high as that in black adapted fish, whereas the activity is low when the blinded fish are kept in total darkness. From the observed differences in activity of the MSH cells between the experimental groups, it is concluded that the MSH cells are not activated by the absence of reflected light, but by a high ratio between direct and reflected light. A second light-sensitive organ, supposedly the pineal gland, is also involved in the background response of the MSH producing cells.     

Structural changes in the pars intermedia of the cichlid teleost Sarotherodon mossambicus as a result of background adaptation and illumination

Summary The pars intermedia of Sarotherodon mossambicus contains two structurally different endocrine cell types. The predominant cell type is assumed to synthesize MSH and related peptides. The second cell type is PAS positive; its function and products are unknown. In this second cell type changes occur in relation to background colour and illumination. Thus, PAS positive cells of fish adapted to a white background are less numerous and metabolically less active than those of fish adapted to a black background, and are most active in fish kept in total darkness. In blinded fish, whether in light or in darkness, the activity of the PAS positive cells is similar to that of the black background-adapted animals. The significance of these responses in relation to the control of background adaptation is discussed.     

Structural changes in the pars intermedia of the cichlid teleost Sarotherodon mossambicus as a result of background adaptation and illumination

Summary The MSH producing cells in the pars intermedia of Sarotherodon mossambicus have been shown to be involved in background adaptation processes. Reflected light received by the eyes affects the activity of these cells. In the present study the hypothesis has been tested that also the pineal organ, as a second photoreceptor, is involved in regulation of the metabolic activity of the MSH cells. The pineal organ appears to contain photoreceptor cells and is considered to be capable of transferring information about light conditions to the animal. Removal of the pineal organ of fish kept on a black background has no effect on activity of MSH cells, whereas the activity of these cells in fish kept in darkness is increased. Thus it seems that the pineal organ exercises its influence on MSH cells only in darkness and that this influence results in a reduced activity of these cells. It is therefore concluded that the metabolic activity of MSH cells is inhibited not only by reflected light received by the eyes, but also by the action of the pineal organ as a result of the absence of illumination.No structural signs of secretory activity can be observed in the pineal, which might indicate synthesis or release of substances like melatonin. However, administration of melatonin reduces the activity of MSH cells. Neither pinealectomy nor treatment with melatonin has any influence on the second cell type of the pars intermedia, the PAS positive cells.     

Microbial changes occurring in soil as a result of storage

Summary Changes in numbers of various microbial groups in the interim between collection and analysis of a tropical soil were determined. Although the number of most organisms decreased as a result of storage, the percentage distribution of several groups increased. The greatest decreases occurred in the top layers of soil. Both the numbers and the relative distribution of actinomycetes increased after storage. The possible significance of this increase in the detection of fungistatic materials in soil is discussed. Numbers of fungi were higher after storage in all soil depths, except in the top layer where essentially no change occurred. The vertical distribution and relative frequency of isolation of fungal species after storage is presented. The percentage distribution of spore-forming and CO₂-tolerant bacteria was higher after storage, but that of CO₂-tolerant fungi was lower.The significance of these results in soil microbiological studies, as well as possible causes of the changes, are discussed.     

Inheritance of human muscle enzyme adaptation to isokinetic strength training

Five monozygotic twin pairs were submitted to a 10-week isokinetic strength training program and biochemical characteristics measured before and after training to determine the role of heredity in skeletal muscle adaptation, while 5 unrelated sedentary subjects served as control group. Experimental subjects performed twice 3 series of 5 bilateral reciprocal alternating knee flexions and extensions at a velocity of 90 degrees/s 5 times per week. Before and after the training period, for each subject, the peak muscular torque output was measured at the same velocity and the vastus lateralis muscle was biopsied for biochemical determinations. No significant change was observed in the control group. Training increased peak muscular torque output by 24%. The activities of hexokinase, malate dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase also increased significantly by 28, 26 and 38%, respectively. Interindividual variations in the response of these variables to training were noted but these were shown to be independent of the genotype. No overall effect of training was observed for oxoglutarate dehydrogenase activity (OGDH). However, changes were seen in individual pairs of twins and these were in opposite directions in some pairs compared to others, thus explaining the absence of a general training effect. Significant intrapair resemblance in the training response was present for OGDH (r = 0.76), indicating that the sensitivity to isokinetic strength training for OGDH was highly variable, not random and probably genetically determined.     

Mitochondrial enzymatic adaptation of skeletal muscle to endurance training.

Some mitochondrial enzymatic activities (succinate dehydrogenase, NADH cytochrome reductase, cytochrome oxidase) were studied in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle of the rat. The modifications of the enzyme activity, induced by endurance training, were found to be functions of 1) daily work load and 2) total training time. The treatment with an effective dose of vasodilating substances (papaverine, nicergoline, dipyridamole, and bamethan) showed that 1) nicergoline, bamethan, and dipyridamole were differently able to shorten the time of appearance of the increase in the enzymatic activities; 2) however, long-term treatments with these drugs did not prove able to modify the plateau level of the enzymatic activity increase, for a given amount of endurance training; 3) the pharmacodynamic effect on enzymatic activities was in no way related to the vasodilating effect of these drugs, since the effect was not observed with papaverine. The transition from a given level of endurance training to a lower one led to a proportional decrease of the mitochondrial enzymatic activities, thus pointing out the relation between amount of training and enzymatic activity. The drugs studied were unable to modify the decrease of enzymatic activity induced by lower work load.     

Physiological changes and gastro-intestinal symptoms as a result of ultra-endurance running

One hundred and seventy-two competitors of the Swiss Alpine Marathon, Davos, Switzerland, 1988, volunteered for this research project. Of these volunteers 170 (158 men, 12 women) finished the race (99%). The race length was 67 km with an altitude difference of 1,900 m between the highest and lowest points. Mean age was 39 (SEM 0.8) years. Average finishing times were 8 h 18 min (men) and 8 h 56 min (women). Loss of body mass averaged 3.4% body mass [mean 3.3 (SEM 0.2)%; 4.0 (SEM 0.4)%; men and women, respectively]. Blood samples from a subgroup of 89 subjects (6 women and 83 men) were taken prior to and immediately after completion of the race. Changes in haemoglobin (9.3 mmol.l-1 pre-race, 9.7 mmol.l-1 post-race) and packed cell volume (0.44 pre, 0.48 post-race) were in line with the moderate level of dehydration displayed by changes in body mass. Mean plasma volume decreased by 8.3%. No significant changes in plasma osmolality, sodium, or chloride were observed but plasma potassium did increase by 5% (4.2 mmol.l-1 pre-race, 4.4 mmol.l-1 post-race). Mean fluid consumption was 3290 (SEM 103) ml. Forty-three percent of all subjects, and 33% of those who gave blood samples, complained of gastro-intestinal (GI) distress during the race. No direct relationship was found between the quantity or quality of beverage consumed and the prevalence of GI symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The morphofunctional transformation of skeletal muscle as a consequence of electroneurostimulation training]

By means of histological and histochemical methods slices of biopsies of the canine musculus latissimus dorsi have been investigated after electroneurostimulation for three months through the thoracodorsal nerve in situ and after cutting its initial part. Frequency of contractions increases gradually from 30 up to 80 per 1 min every 2 weeks. The preparations are stained with hematoxylin--eosin. Histochemical reactions for adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) (incubational medium pH 4.3 and 10.3) and for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are performed. The muscle, stimulated in situ, preserves its normal structure. Transformation of muscle contractions from fast to slow, as well as increasing AChE activity in myoneural synapses are revealed. The muscle, stimulated after its cutting at its beginning, is subjected to adipose dystrophy. Activity of ATPase and AChE do not differ from that in the control.     

Evaluation of the enzyme thermistor as a specific detector for chromatographic procedures

The successful application of a simple flow calorimeter, called the enzyme thermistor, to the specific monitoring of different enzymes in the eluants from some common chromatographic procedures is described. The enzyme thermistor enables a specific enzyme to be continuously determined even in optically dense solutions where spectrophotometric procedures cannot be used. The instrument can be operated either on-line or it can be used for discrete samples. The sensitivity is in the order of 0.1 IU/ml for most enzymes.     

The whole as a result of self-organization

On the basis of the experimental discovery of characteristic eigenfrequencies of the human body, the living organism is considered as a quantum system and a dissipative structure, the long-range coherence of which is provided by electromagnetic interaction.Among dissipative structures a special class is discerned for stable intact systems. Included along with living objects in this class are other fundamental structural material units with discrete characteristic frequencies of single-particle type (the nucleus, atom, molecule).     

Follow-up visits as a measure of adaptation process to removable prostheses

Objectives: The paper was aimed to establish the influence of some general and local factors on adaptation process to removable prostheses (RPs). The adaptation process is a complex issue, which is often associated with painful reactions. Those complaints force patients to visit a dentist who makes alterations to reduce the patient's discomfort. Material and methods: The study involved analysis of 300 dental records of patients who visited our Department for RPs. The authors analysed the influence of gender, age, condition of general health, maintenance of the prosthetic base tissues and the kind of prostheses on the process of adaptation. It was measured by means of a number of follow‐up visits of the patients to our polyclinic. The findings were analysed statistically by means of chi‐squared test. The level of significance was assumed to be p < 0.05. Results and conclusions: Adaptation to RPs without any correction was revealed by about one‐fifth of patients. Men adapted to RPs better than women. The biggest problems with adaptation to RPs were observed in patients using a complete and partial prosthesis simultaneously. The number of follow‐up visits by patients who were treated with RPs for the first time or had been treated before was almost the same. Adaptation of RPs on an atrophic muco‐osseous ridge was associated with more multiple visits than in the case of a well‐preserved ridge. Healthy patients adapt to RPs better than patients with systemic disorders. Taking into account the limitations of the study, the number of follow‐up visits may be used as a helpful indicator of the adaptation process.     

The changes in the energy metabolism of human muscle induced by training

The biochemical effects of training programmes have been studied with a kinetic model of central metabolism, using enzyme activities and metabolite concentrations measured at rest and after 30 s maximum-intensity exercise, collected before and after long and short periods of training, which differed only by the duration of the rest intervals. After short periods of training the glycolytic flux at rest was three times higher than it had been before training, whereas during exercise the flux and energy consumption remained the same as before training. Long periods of training had less effect on the glycolytic flux at rest, but increased it in response to exercise, increasing the contribution of oxidative phosphorylation.