The respiratory center--the regulator of the respiratory system

The authors consider the respiratory centre to be the regulator of the respiratory system and to consist of 3 main functional blocks: chemoregulator, respiratory rhythm autogenerator and mechanoregulator, functions of which are provided by the neurons of medulla oblongata. The main aim of chemoregulator block is to maintain the level of ventilation volume speed, which is necessary to compensate the difference between the signals of setting and the firing from the chemoreceptors. The main aim of mechanoregulator block is to provide the functioning of the regulation loop of the respiratory muscles comparing the signals which come from the respiratory autogenerator, and the firing of the mechanoreceptors. The generator unit of the respiratory centre is a set of rhythm-forming associations, the system of 4 neurons (early and late inspiratory and expiratory) are typical among them. The neurons are connected by recurrent inhibitory bonds: the neuron of each rhythm-forming group, successively becoming excited, inhibits the two preceding neurons in the cycle; for all this the neuron of the successive group is released from inhibition and in such a way the rhythmogenesis occurs. The respiratory centre forms a common unit for chemo- and mechanoreceptor loops, through which the circuits of feedback for both loops are connected, providing the regulation of breathing.     

Spectral analysis of respiratory parameters in defensive respiratory reflexes

A detailed analysis of respiratory signals in normal breathing and defensive respiratory reflexes was performed to obtain maximum information that can be used for modelling of respiratory processes. Physiological interpretation of the problem is difficult and requires further measurements to achieve convincing conclusions. We suggest therefore that the search for appropriate methodological backgrounds should contribute to further clarification of the problems concerned with reciprocal linkage of the respiratory signals. Appropriate attention must be paid to investigations aimed at explaining the regulatory mechanisms of breathing.     

Selective infection of lower respiratory tract by respiratory viruses in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.

Thirty preschool children presenting with recurrent respiratory infections and their unaffected siblings were observed prospectively for a year. The index children experienced more episodes of acute respiratory infection than their siblings. Respiratory viruses were the major cause of respiratory infections. The index children had lower respiratory tract disease, predominantly wheeze, during 34% of proved respiratory virus infections compared with 11% of such infections experienced by the control children (p less than 0.02). Atopic children had an increased tendency to wheeze that did not reach significance, but atopy was not associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.     

呼吸道病毒和呼吸道、肠道菌群的相互作用

随着新技术的应用,人们对人体不同部位的微生态系统有了进一步的认识,其中的微生物部分不仅指细菌还包括病毒。病毒的存在可以影响呼吸道和肠道菌群变化,同样呼吸道和肠道菌群状态也影响着病毒对人体的入侵程度。本研究就呼吸道和肠道菌群与呼吸道病毒相互作用关系的研究进展作一综述。     

Active learning of respiratory physiology improves performance on respiratory physiology examinations

Active involvement in the learning process has been suggested to enhance creative thinking, judgement, interpretation, and problem-solving skills. Therefore, educators are encouraged to create an active-learning environment by incorporating active-learning strategies into the class. However, there is very little documentation of the effectiveness of active-learning strategies. Furthermore, faculty are often reluctant to incorporate new strategies without documentation of the effectiveness of these strategies. To address this concern, we compared the performance of two individual classes on an identical respiratory physiology examination. One class was taught respiratory physiology using active-learning strategies. The other class was taught respiratory physiology using the traditional lecture format. The results document that students who learned using active-learning strategies did significantly better (P < 0.05) on the respiratory physiology examination than students who learned by the traditional lecture format (61 +/- 2.2 vs. 86 +/- 1.0). Thus, by actively involving students in the learning process, academic performance is enhanced.     

The development of the respiratory chain of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis during respiratory adaptation

1. Subcellular fractionation of sphaeroplasts produced at different stages during the first 4h of respiratory adaptation of anaerobically grown glucose-de-repressed Saccharomyces carlsbergensis gave mitochondrial fractions that contained all the detectable c- and a-type cytochromes. 2. The rates of cytochrome formation were studied; individual cytochromes were produced at different rates so as to give respiratory chains having widely differing cytochrome ratios. A CO-reacting haemoprotein other than cytochrome a(3) also increased throughout 8h of respiratory adaptation. 3. Even after short periods of aeration, organisms contained mitochondria in which cytochrome-cytochrome interactions and the reaction of cytochrome a(3) with O(2) proceeded at rates almost as fast as in organelles from aerobically grown cells. 4. The technique of flow-flash photolysis enabled kinetic resolution of the reoxidation of cytochromes a(3) and a to be achieved and their individual contributions to extinction changes in the Soret region were assessed. The ratio cytochrome a(3)/cytochrome a increased over the early stages of adaptation.     

Effect of different ways of respiratory support on the parameters of respiratory

We investigated the effect of three types of respiratory support on respiratory parameters in conscious healthy humans. For each type of respiratory support set specific changes in the pattern of volume and temporal parameters. One response to all types of respiratory support was hyperventilating, although varying degrees, and as a consequence, hypocapnia. These changes are not related to the metabolic needs and probably are the result of the interaction mechanisms of automatic and voluntary regulation of breathing movements.     

Mechanoreceptor system of the respiratory center and its contribution to respiratory control

The mechanoreceptor system of the respiratory center (RC) includes airway mechanoreceptors together with their conducting pathways and bulbar neuronal structures conveying impulses from mechanoreceptors to the RCV.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 351–368, May–June, 1992.     

Cardiovascular and respiratory functions

Abstract

In 649 patients during complex balneotherapeutic cure treatment and another 1053 patients during hydrotherapeutic cure treatment (according to Kneipp) blood pressure values were controlled. On an average, systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were reduced, however, at the same time subnormal initial values increased. The individual regression coefficients were significantly correlated with the initial values of systolic as well as of diastolic blood pressure. The cross‐over points of these correlations coincided with the normal values, proving so‐called normalization based on a process of functional adaptation, and this during both modes of treatment. The temporal distributions of maxima in the course of systolic and diastolic blood pressure exhibited a clear cut circaseptan periodic time structure passing the maxima around days 7, 14, and 21. This result again indicates that circaseptan periodicity represents the dominant characteristic time structure of functional adaptive processes leading to normalization.