Temperature and respiratory function in ectothermic vertebrates

Pulmonary ventilation is adjusted to maintain balance between O₂ demands and CO₂ elimination, which is essential for acid–base status in land ectothermic vertebrates. Rising temperatures cause increases in O₂ consumption (Q₁₀ effect) and decreases in the O₂ affinity of hemoglobin (a rightward shift in the oxygen–hemoglobin dissociation curve). These changes in air-breathing ectotherms are not proportional, i.e., the increased ventilation is relatively smaller than the change in metabolic rate. Therefore, the ratio between ventilation and metabolic rate is reduced, and consequently blood pH changes inversely with temperature. The combination of high temperatures and hypoxia exposure results in an amplified increase of ventilation, which may be explained by the balance between increased O₂-demand and decreased O₂-supply as well as increased O₂-chemoreceptors sensitivity. High temperature also increases pulmonary diffusing capacity. Global warming is expected to have significant impacts on the world’s climate, with temperature changes affecting living organisms, in relation to their physiology and distribution. These physiological mechanisms and their capacity to respond appropriately to temperature illustrate the complexity of the relationship between ambient temperature and the respiratory function in ectothermic vertebrates, which are particularly susceptible to change in their environment.     

Bombesin-induced stimulation of cardiac parasympathetic innervation

The central nervous system effects of bombesin on cardiovascular function were examined in conscious, freely-moving rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of bombesin elevated mean arterial pressure, reduced heart rate and inhibited cold-induced tachycardia. Adrenalectomy prevented bombesin-induced elevations of mean arterial pressure. In contrast, bombesin-induced bradycardia was neither adrenal-dependent nor a baroreceptor-mediated reflex response to increased arterial pressure. Systemic atropine methyl nitrate treatment attenuated bombesin-induced bradycardia, suggesting that bombesin acts within the central nervous system to stimulate cardiac vagal activity.     

Notch信号途径与心血管发育

Notch信号传导途径在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物中广泛存在且高度保守,此途径介导局部细胞之间的相互作用.它出现在多种细胞命运决定之中,调控它们的时空表达,在整个胚胎发育中起重要作用.主要综述了Notch信号途径在心血管发育过程之中的重要作用及其作用机制.     

Development of respiratory function in perinatal ontogenesis

In development of respiratory function in rats, mice, and other representatives of placental animals there exists the general plan of formation of rhythm: from single contractions of respiratory musculature to formation of bursts and complexes alternating periodically with pauses and apnea intervals and subsequent rhythm stabilization. These peculiarities are closely connected with the states of sleep and wakefulness. A concept is put forward about a certain sequence of functional maturation and ways of regulation of activity of the breathing rhythm pacemaker. At the first stage the autogenic rhythmical activity is determined by pacemaker properties of a part of neurons of the medulla rostral ventrolateral part. It cannot be ruled out that the first respiratory discharges in spinal cord ventral roots might have been a manifestation of the nervous network rhythmogenic properties. The direct sensitivity of central neurons to chemical composition of the medium and to some neuromodulators serves as the first regulatory mechanism. Somewhat later, inhibitory control is established from supramedullary structures, with an increase of the role of peripheral receptors in regulation of respiration.     

The cardiac nanoenvironment: form and function at the nanoscale

Mechanical forces in the cardiovascular system occur over a wide range of length scales. At the whole organ level, large scale forces drive the beating heart as a synergistic unit. On the microscale, individual cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) exhibit dynamic reciprocity, with mechanical feedback moving bidirectionally. Finally, in the nanometer regime, molecular features of cells and the ECM show remarkable sensitivity to mechanical cues. While small, these nanoscale properties are in many cases directly responsible for the mechanosensitive signaling processes that elicit cellular outcomes. Given the inherent challenges in observing, quantifying, and reconstituting this nanoscale environment, it is not surprising that this landscape has been understudied compared to larger length scales. Here, we aim to shine light upon the cardiac nanoenvironment, which plays a crucial role in maintaining physiological homeostasis while also underlying pathological processes. Thus, we will highlight strategies aimed at (1) elucidating the nanoscale components of the cardiac matrix, and (2) designing new materials and biosystems capable of mimicking these features in vitro.     

Numb和numblike基因对小鼠胚胎期心血管发育的影响

Numb是近年来发现的第一个在多细胞生物中决定细胞命运的信号分子。在哺乳动物中,有4种不同的剪接形式,和同源分子numblike一起构成5种不同的分子。我们用血管内皮细胞特异性重组酶Tie2-cre同时介导敲除numb和numblike,发现小鼠在胚胎期E10.0出现表型,体积变小,E10.5出现心包积液(pericardial effusion)的病理模型,背主动脉管径显著变细,心脏小梁柱显著减少,E11.0前死亡。这些结果说明numb和numblike在心血管发育中有重要作用。本实验对研究心血管发育的分子细胞机制有重要指导意义,并将加深对心血管疾病发生新的认识。     

Cardiac development in zebrafish: coordination of form and function

Organogenesis is a dynamic process involving multiple phases of pattern formation and morphogenesis. For example, heart formation involves the specification and differentiation of cardiac precursors, the integration of precursors into a tube, and the remodeling of the embryonic tube to create a fully functional organ. Recently, the zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model organism for the analysis of cardiac development. In particular, zebrafish mutations have revealed specific genetic requirements for cardiac fate determination, migration, fusion, tube assembly, looping, and remodeling. These processes ensure proper cardiac function; likewise, cardiac function may influence aspects of cardiac morphogenesis.     

Effects of starvation,chilling, and injury on endocrine gland function in Galleria mellonella

Starvation, chilling, and injury of last instar Galleria mellonella larvae typically elicit extra larval molts or a delay in pupation. The primary sites of action and the nature of the signals by which these treatments affect development are not known. However, since the connections of the brain to the nerve cord are crucial for the effects of starvation and chilling, these signals apparently affect the brain-centered program of developmental regulation via the nerve cord. Chilling, and occasionally starvation, cause extra larval molts in last instar larvae treated prior to the nervous inhibition of their corpora allata; release of a cerebral allatotropin, which stimulates the production of juvenile hormone, appears to be involved in this effect. After this time, a delay in pupation is the principal effect of starvation and chilling, and is apparently due to a temporal inhibition of the release of the prothoracicotropic hormone. Chilling also appears to inhibit unstimulated ecdysteroid production by the prothoracic glands. The effect of injury is not mediated by the nerve cord, but appears to involve an inhibitory humoral factor that affects either the brain or the prothoracic glands themselves. Injury also stimulates juvenile hormone production, an effect which is enhanced when the brain is separated from the nerve cord and which is evidenced by a delay of ecdysis and the occasional retention of some larval features in the ecdysed insects. None of the effects of these various treatments on the brain and the endocrine glands persist when the brains or glands are implanted into untreated hosts.     

Change of cardiac function, but not form, in postprandial pythons

Pythons are renowned for a rapid and pronounced postprandial growth of the heart that coincides with a several-fold elevation of cardiac output that lasts for several days. Here we investigate whether ventricular morphology is affected by digestive state in two species of pythons (Python regius and Python molurus) and we determine the cardiac right-to-left shunt during the postprandial period in P. regius. Both species experienced several-fold increases in metabolism and mass of the digestive organs by 24 and 48 h after ingestion of meals equivalent to 25% of body mass. Surprisingly there were no changes in ventricular mass or dimensions as we used a meal size and husbandry conditions similar to studies finding rapid and significant growth. Based on these data and literature we therefore suggest that postprandial cardiac growth should be regarded as a facultative rather than obligatory component of the renowned postprandial response. The cardiac right-to-left shunt, calculated on the basis of oxygen concentrations in the left and right atria and the dorsal aorta, was negligible in fasting P. regius, but increased to 10-15% during digestion. Such shunt levels are very low compared to other reptiles and does not support a recent proposal that shunts may facilitate digestion in reptiles.     

人类胚胎心血管发生发育的形态学研究

心血管系统是胚胎第一个发生作用的系统,其形成是在一系列相关基因的调控作用下各种细胞迁移、分化和精确组合的结果.就目前人类胚胎心血管发生发育及其有关的影响因素等方面的研究进展做一简要的综述.     

心肌锚定重复序列蛋白CARP的研究进展

CARP是新发现的具有锚定重复序列,并在哺乳类动物中呈心肌特异性表达的蛋白,它在肌肉发育过程中对转录调控、肌纤维组装和拉伸信号传递等方面发挥重要的作用。本文综述了CARP基因与蛋白质结构、CARP的表达模式及其表达调控、参与调节CARP的细胞内信号转导通路、CARP在肌肉发育中的作用,以及MARP家族其他成员。     

肾脏发育的分子调控机制

随着分子生物学技术的迅猛发展和广泛应用,参与肾脏发育过程的新基因相继被发现,肾脏发育过程中复杂的分子信号调控机制也得到进一步的研究,为阐明肾脏疾病的发病机制及从基因水平开展治疗提供了新的思路。文章对肾脏发育的3个阶段,即输尿管芽的发生和分支形成、生后肾原基的早期上皮性分化、肾小球血管球的发生和发育的分子信号调控研究进展进行了总结,主要涉及多种转录因子、生长因子及细胞因子,同时细胞外基质和黏附分子也参与其调控。     

The cellular function and molecular mechanism of formaldehyde in cardiovascular disease and heart development

As a common air pollutant, formaldehyde is widely present in nature, industrial production and consumer products. Endogenous formaldehyde is mainly produced through the oxidative deamination of methylamine catalysed by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and is ubiquitous in human body fluids, tissues and cells. Vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells are rich in this formaldehyde-producing enzyme and are easily damaged owing to consequent cytotoxicity. Consistent with this, increasing evidence suggests that the cardiovascular system and stages of heart development are also susceptible to the harmful effects of formaldehyde. Exposure to formaldehyde from different sources can induce heart disease such as arrhythmia, myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF) and atherosclerosis (AS). In particular, long-term exposure to high concentrations of formaldehyde in pregnant women is more likely to affect embryonic development and cause heart malformations than long-term exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde. Specifically, the ability of mouse embryos to effect formaldehyde clearance is far lower than that of the rat embryos, more readily allowing its accumulation. Formaldehyde may also exert toxic effects on heart development by inducing oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. This review focuses on the current progress in understanding the influence and underlying mechanisms of formaldehyde on cardiovascular disease and heart development.     

林木花发育的基因调控

花发育是林木生长发育过程中的重要阶段。林木的花发育分为开花诱导、花的发端和花器官发育3个阶段,是由多种基因参与的十分复杂的调控过程。本文对林木在花发育过程中的基因调控进行了综述,并对林木花发育领域的研究前景进行了展望。     

Review on testicular development, structure, function, and regulation in common marmoset

BACKGROUND: The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World primate that has been used increasingly in toxicological evaluations including testing for testicular toxicity of pharmaceutical and environmental chemicals. Information on structural and functional characteristics of the testis in common marmosets ("marmoset" in this review) is critical for designing experiments, interpreting data collected, and determining relevance to humans in risk assessment. METHODS: This study provides a comprehensive review on testicular development, structure, function, and regulation in common marmosets. RESULTS: There is little information regarding testicular formation and development during gestation. Based on the overall pattern of embryonic development in marmosets, it is postulated that gonadal formation and testicular differentiation most likely takes place during gestational Week 6-12. After birth, the neonatal period of the first 2-3 weeks and the pubertal period from Months 6-12 are critical for establishment of spermatogenesis in the adult. In the adult, a nine-stage model has been used to describe the organization of seminiferous epithelium and multiple stages per tubular cross-section have been observed. Seminiferous epithelium is organized in a wave or partial-wave manner. There are on average two stages per cross-section of seminiferous tubules in adult marmoset testis. Sertoli cells in the marmoset have a uniform morphology. Marmoset spermatogenesis has a high efficiency. The prime determinant of germ cell production is proliferation and survival of spermatogonia. Sertoli cell proliferation during the neonatal period is regulated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), but chorionic gonadotropin (CG), instead of luteinizing hormone (LH), is the only gonadotropin with luteinizing function in marmoset. The receptor gene for CG in marmoset is unique in that it does not have exon 10. Marmosets have a "generalized steroid hormone resistance," i.e., relatively high levels of steroid hormones in circulation and relatively low response to exogenous steroids. Blockage of FSH, CG, and testosterone production during the first 3 months after birth does not cause permanent damage to the male reproductive system. Initiation of spermatogenesis in the marmoset requires unique factors that are probably not present in other mammals. Normal male marmosets respond to estradiol injection positively (increased LH or CG levels), a pattern seen in normal females or castrated males, but not usually in normal males of other mammalian species. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the endocrine system including the testis in marmosets has some unique features that have not been observed in rodents, Old World primates, and humans, but detailed comparison in these features among these species will be presented in another review. Based on the data available, marmoset seems to be an interesting model for comparative studies. However, interpretation of experimental findings on the testicular effects in marmosets should be made with serious caution. Depending on potential mode of testicular actions of the chemical under investigation, marmoset may have very limited value in predicting potential testicular or steroid hormone-related endocrine effects of test chemicals in humans.