Stimulation of groups III and IV phrenic afferents reflexly decreases total lung resistance in dogs

Little is known about the reflex effect on airway caliber evoked by stimulation of phrenic afferents. Therefore, in chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed dogs, we recorded airflow, airway pressure, arterial pressure, and heart rate while electrically stimulating a phrenic nerve. Total lung resistance was calculated breath by breath. The phrenic nerve was stimulated at 3, 5, 20, 70, 140, and 200 times motor threshold and the compound action potential was recorded. Stimulation of the phrenic nerve at three and five times threshold, which activated groups I, II, and a few group III fibers, had no effect on any of the variables measured. Stimulation at 20 times threshold, which activated many group III fibers and groups I and II fibers, reflexly decreased resistance. Stimulation at 70, 140, and 200 times threshold, which activated groups I-IV fibers, evoked progressively greater decreases in lung resistance. The reflex bronchodilation evoked by phrenic nerve stimulation was unaffected by propranolol or phentolamine but was abolished by atropine. We conclude that activation of groups III and IV phrenic nerve afferents reflexly decreased total lung resistance by withdrawing cholinergic tone to airway smooth muscle.     

Stimulation of H fields of Forel decreases total lung resistance in dogs

Although there is considerable evidence that the H fields of Forel of the posterior diencephalon play an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular function, little is known about the role these areas play in the control of airway caliber. In chloralose-anesthetized paralyzed dogs, we used both electrical and chemical means to stimulate the H fields of Forel, while we monitored breath-by-breath changes in total lung resistance (TLR), a functional index of airway caliber. Electrical stimulation (200-250 microA, 80 Hz, 0.75 ms) of 82 histologically confirmed sites significantly decreased TLR from 9.2 +/- 0.4 to 7.9 +/- 0.4 cmH2O.l-1.s (P less than 0.01). The bronchodilation evoked by electrical stimulation was unaffected by beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol but was abolished by cholinergic blockade with atropine. The increases in airway caliber evoked by stimulation were often accompanied by increases in phrenic nerve activity. Chemical stimulation of 21 of 82 sites with microinjections of DL-homocysteic acid (83 nl, 0.2 and 0.5 M), which stimulates cell bodies but not fibers of passage, also decreased TLR from 8.3 +/- 0.5 to 7.3 +/- 0.5 cmH2O.l-1.s (P less than 0.03). We conclude that stimulation of cell bodies in the H fields of Forel produces bronchodilation by withdrawal of cholinergic tone to airway smooth muscle.     

Stimulation of the caudal ventrolateral medulla decreases total lung resistance in dogs

Although the role played by the caudal ventrolateral medulla in the regulation of the cardiovascular system has been extensively investigated, little is known about the role played by this area in the regulation of airway caliber. Therefore, in alpha-chloralose-anesthetized dogs, we used both electrical and chemical means to stimulate the caudal ventrolateral medulla while we monitored changes in total lung resistance breath by breath. We found that electrical stimulation (25 microA) of 26 sites in this area significantly decreased total lung resistance from 7.1 +/- 0.4 to 5.7 +/- 0.3 cmH2O.1-1.s (P less than 0.001). The bronchodilation evoked by electrical stimulation was unaffected by beta-adrenergic blockade but was abolished by cholinergic blockade. In addition, chemical stimulation of seven sites in the caudal ventrolateral medulla with microinjections of DL-homocysteic acid (0.2 M; 66 nl), which stimulates cell bodies but not fibers of passage, also decreased total lung resistance from 8.3 +/- 1.1 to 6.5 +/- 0.8 cmH2O.l-1.s (P less than 0.01). In contrast, microinjections of DL-homocysteic acid into the nucleus ambiguus (n = 6) increased total lung resistance from 7.5 +/- 0.5 to 9.2 +/- 0.4 cmH2O.l-1.s (P less than 0.05). We conclude that the caudal ventrolateral medulla contains a pool of cell bodies whose excitation causes bronchodilation by withdrawing cholinergic input to airway smooth muscle.     

Chronic propranolol treatment decreases pulmonary artery pressure in conscious dogs

Daily administration of propranolol to 9 chronically instrumented, trained dogs for 2 weeks caused significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in heart rate (70 +/- 8 to 57 +/- 6 beats/min), cardiac output (3.6 +/- 0.3 to 2.9 +/- 0.2 liters/min), pulmonary arterial pressure (15.7 +/- 0.5 to 10.0 +/- 0.5 mm Hg) and total pulmonary vascular resistance (4.6 +/- 0.6 to 3.3 +/- 0.4 units). Nadolol, a structurally dissimilar beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, caused a similar decrease in total pulmonary resistance. Acute meclofenamate administration did not return to normal pulmonary arterial pressure and resistance in the dogs chronically treated with beta-adrenergic receptor blockers. We therefore conclude that chronic beta-adrenergic receptor blockade lowered pulmonary arterial pressure and resistance by a mechanism independent of cyclooxygenase. In addition, chronic beta-adrenergic receptor blockade did not affect the potential for hypoxic vasoconstriction.     

Pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors reflexly increase airway secretion in dogs

We attempted to determine whether stimulation of pulmonary rapidly adapting receptors (RARs) increase tracheal submucosal gland secretion in anesthetized open-chest dogs. Electroneurographic studies of pulmonary afferents established that RARs but not lung C-fibers were stimulated by intermittent lung collapse during deflation, collapse being produced by removing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP, 4 cmH2O) or by applying negative end-expiratory pressure (NEEP, -4 cmH2O). We measured tracheal secretion by the "hillocks" method. Removing PEEP or applying NEEP for 1 min increased secretion from a base line of 6.0 +/- 1.1 to 11.8 +/- 1.7 and 22.0 +/- 2.8 hillocks.cm-2.min-1, respectively (P less than 0.005). After PEEP was restored, dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn) was 37% below control, and secretion remained elevated (P less than 0.05). A decrease in Cdyn stimulates RARs but not other pulmonary afferents. Hyperinflation, which restored Cdyn and RAR activity to control, returned secretion rate to base line. Secretory responses to lung collapse were abolished by vagal cooling (6 degrees C), by pulmonary vagal section, or by atropine. We conclude that RAR stimulation reflexly increases airway secretion. We cannot exclude the possibility that reduced input from slowly adapting stretch receptors contributed to the secretory response.     

Pulmonary C-fibers reflexly increase secretion by tracheal submucosal glands in dogs

Stimulation of bronchial C-fibers evokes a reflex increase in secretion by tracheal submucosal glands, but the influence of pulmonary C-fibers on tracheal gland secretion is uncertain. In anesthetized dogs with open chests, we sprayed powdered tantalum on the exposed mucosa of a segment of the upper trachea to measure the rate of secretion by submucosal glands. Secretions from the gland ducts caused elevations (hillocks) in the tantalum layer. We counted hillocks at 10-s intervals for 60 s before and 60 s after we injected capsaicin (10-20 micrograms/kg) into the right atrium to stimulate pulmonary C-fiber endings. Right atrial injection of capsaicin increased the rate of hillock formation fourfold, but left atrial injection had no significant effect. The response was abolished by cutting the vagus nerves or cooling them to 0 degree C. We conclude that the reflex increase in tracheal submucosal gland secretion evoked by right atrial injection of capsaicin was initiated as capsaicin passed through the pulmonary vascular bed, and hence that pulmonary C-fibers, like bronchial C-fibers, reflexly increase airway secretion.     

Stimulation of splanchnic afferents reflexly relaxes tracheal smooth muscle in dogs

Although chemical stimulation of abdominal visceral afferents has been shown to reflexly increase cardiovascular and ventilatory function, the effect of stimulating these afferents on airway smooth muscle is unknown. Therefore, we recorded transverse smooth muscle tension from an innervated segment of trachea in chloralose-anesthetized dogs while we topically applied capsaicin (200 micrograms/ml) and bradykinin (0.01-10 micrograms/ml) to the serosal surfaces of the stomach, small intestine, and gallbladder. Application of these irritant substances to the stomach and small intestine decreased tracheal tension and increased mean arterial pressure. However, application of capsaicin and bradykinin to the gallbladder had only small effects on both of these variables. Cutting the splanchnic nerves abolished or greatly attenuated the decreases in tension and increases in mean arterial pressure, whereas cutting the vagi had no effect on them. We conclude that stimulation of splanchnic afferent endings in the stomach and small intestine reflexly relaxes tracheal smooth muscle in dogs. This effect may be one component of the constellation of autonomic responses reflexly evoked by abdominal visceral pain and inflammation.     

Respiratory ventilation during muscular contraction in man

Brief contraction of arm muscles affects respiratory ventilation either by increasing respiratory frequency or by increasing the instantaneous flow. Both these changes occur at a time subsequent to muscle contraction and can be attributed to a reflex mechanism originating from the muscles.     

Hindlimb unweighting decreases endothelium-dependent dilation and eNOS expression in soleus not gastrocnemius.

We tested the hypothesis that hindlimb unweighting (HLU) decreases endothelium-dependent vasodilation and expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) in arteries of skeletal muscle with reduced blood flow during HLU. Sprague-Dawley rats (300-350 g) were exposed to HLU (n = 15) or control (n = 15) conditions for 14 days. ACh-induced dilation was assessed in muscle with reduced [soleus (Sol)] or unchanged [gastrocnemius (Gast)] blood flow during HLU. eNOS and SOD-1 expression were measured in feed arteries (FA) and in first-order (1A), second-order (2A), and third-order (3A) arterioles. Dilation to infusion of ACh in vivo was blunted in Sol but not Gast. In arteries of Sol muscle, HLU decreased eNOS mRNA and protein content. eNOS mRNA content was significantly less in Sol FA (35%), 1A arterioles (25%) and 2A arterioles (18%). eNOS protein content was less in Sol FA (64%) and 1A arterioles (65%) from HLU rats. In arteries of Gast, HLU did not decrease eNOS mRNA or protein. SOD-1 mRNA expression was less in Sol 2A arterioles (31%) and 3A arterioles (29%) of HLU rats. SOD-1 protein content was less in Sol FA (67%) but not arterioles. SOD-1 mRNA and protein content were not decreased in arteries from Gast. These data indicate that HLU decreases endothelium-dependent vasodilation, eNOS expression, and SOD-1 expression primarily in arteries of Sol muscle where blood flow is reduced during HLU.     

Distribution of pulmonary vascular resistance during lactic acid infusion in dogs

We sought to determine the longitudinal distribution of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in acute lactic acidosis utilizing pulmonary artery and vein balloon occlusion techniques (Holloway et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 54: 840-851, 1983). In anesthetized dogs, both a systemic vein (I-V) infusion and systemic artery (I-A) infusion of L-lactic acid were studied to control for potential effects of factors other than pH on PVR. During progressive I-A infusion (n = 9) to a pH of 6.94 +/- 0.06 there was no significant change in PVR or its distribution. In contrast, I-V infusion (n = 9) to a pH of 7.08 +/- 0.09 increased median PVR from 3.6 to 21.7 mmHg.1(-1).min (P less than 0.001), due to an increase in middle segment resistance (0.0-15.4 mmHg.1(-1).min, P less than 0.02). Examination by light and electron microscopy demonstrated pulmonary capillary obstruction with hemolyzed erythrocyte (RBC) membranes with I-V infusion, but representative I-A animals did not demonstrate these findings. Conceivably, the systemic vascular bed filtered the fragmented RBC membranes in the I-A model, but this microvascular obstruction with altered RBCs and RBC fragments caused the pulmonary hypertension observed in the I-V infusion. We conclude that lactic acidosis does not increase pulmonary vascular tone in dogs, a finding compatible with most previous studies in which observed increases in PVR may be attributed to other effects from I-V acid infusion on circulating blood elements.     

Acetylcarnitine formation during intense muscular contraction in humans

To study the changes in carnitine during intense muscular effort subjects underwent 4 min intermittent electrical stimulation of the quadriceps femoris muscle and on a separate occasion performed 4 min exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle were taken at rest and after 2 and 4 min of stimulation or exercise. Resting mean muscle total carnitine content was 20.0 mmol/kg dry muscle. Approximately 77% was free carnitine and 19% acetylcarnitine. Four minutes of stimulation or intense exercise did not effect total carnitine but did result in a marked fall in free carnitine and almost equivalent rise in acetylcarnitine. The results indicate that acetylcarnitine is a major metabolite formed during intense muscular effort and that carnitine may function in the regulation of the acetyl-CoA/CoA ratio by buffering excess production of acetyl units.     

Acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in conscious dogs decreases renin and is unaffected by losartan.

Acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) may be mediated by vasoactive peptides. We studied eight conscious, chronically tracheostomized dogs kept on a standardized dietary sodium intake. Normoxia (40 min) was followed by hypoxia (40 min, breathing 10% oxygen, arterial oxygen pressures 36 +/- 1 Torr) during both control (Con) and losartan experiments (Los; iv infusion of 100 microg. min-1. kg-1 losartan). During hypoxia, minute ventilation (by 0.9 l/min in Con, by 1.3 l/min in Los), cardiac output (by 0.36 l/min in Con, by 0.30 l/min in Los), heart rate (by 11 beats/min in Con, by 30 beats/min in Los), pulmonary artery pressure (by 9 mmHg in both protocols), and pulmonary vascular resistance (by 280 and 254 dyn. s. cm-5 in Con and Los, respectively) increased. Mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance did not change. In Con, PRA decreased from 4.2 +/- 0.7 to 2.5 +/- 0.5 ng ANG I. ml-1. h-1, and plasma ANG II decreased from 11.9 +/- 3.0 to 8.2 +/- 2.1 pg/ml. The renin-angiotensin system is inhibited during acute hypoxia despite sympathetic activation. Under these conditions, ANG II AT1-receptor antagonism does not attenuate HPV.     

Hindlimb unloading decreases thioredoxin-related antioxidant proteins and increases thioredoxin-binding protein-2 in rat skeletal muscle

To investigate role(s) of thioredoxin-related antioxidant proteins in disuse muscle atrophy, we examined the levels of thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), peroxiredoxin-3/SP-22 (Prx-3) and thioredoxin-binding protein-2 (TBP-2) in rat soleus muscle subjected to hindlimb unloading (HU) for 2, 4, 7 or 14 days. The muscle weight loss was initially observed on day 4. The increases in aclorein- and malondialdehyde-modified proteins, and the decreases in the levels of Trx-1, Prx-3 and Mn-SOD were observed in the late phase of muscle atrophy, whereas, the increase in mRNA expression of TBP-2, a negative regulator of thioredoxin, preceded muscle atrophy. These findings suggest that the decrease of those antioxidant proteins, particularly a marked decrease of Trx-1, may be responsible for the enhanced oxidative damage during the late phase of disuse muscle atrophy. Furthermore, the increase in TBP-2 preceding the muscle atrophy may suppress the thioredoxin-mediated redox signaling, which can be an initial trigger leading to disuse muscle atrophy.     

Hindlimb casting decreases muscle mass in part by proteasome-dependent proteolysis but independent of protein synthesis

The hypothesis of the present study was that rats subjected to short-term unilateral hindlimb immobilization would incur skeletal muscle wasting and concomitant alterations in protein synthesis, controllers of translation, and indexes of protein degradation. Rats were unilaterally casted for 1, 3, or 5 days to avoid complications associated with other disuse models. In the casted limb, gastrocnemius wet weight decreased 12% after 3 days and thereafter remained constant. In contrast, the contralateral control leg displayed a steady growth rate over time. The rate of protein synthesis and translational efficiency were unchanged in the immobilized muscle at day 5. The total amount and phosphorylation state of regulators of translational initiation and elongation were unaltered. The mRNA contents of polyubiquitin and the ubiquitin ligases muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx)/Atrogin-1 and muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) were elevated in immobilized muscle at all time points, with peak expression occurring at day 3. Daily injection of the type II glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU-486 did not prevent decreases in gastrocnemius wet weight nor increases in mRNA for MAFbx/Atrogin-1 and MuRF1. However, in vivo administration of the proteasome inhibitor Velcade prevented 53% of wet weight loss associated with 3 days of immobilization. These data suggest that the loss of skeletal muscle mass in this model of disuse appears to be glucocorticoid independent, can be partially rescued with a potent proteasome inhibitor, and is associated with enhanced mRNA expression of multiple factors that contribute to ubiquitin- proteasome-dependent degradation and are likely to control the remodeling of immobilized skeletal muscle during atrophy.