Breathing pattern in anesthetized chickens: CO2 inhalation and vagotomy

The breathing patterns of 20 anesthetized chickens were studied during progressive suppression of intrapulmonary chemoreceptors (IPC) by various concentrations of CO2 and following bilateral vagotomy. The vagotomy breathing pattern, characterized by a marked accentuation of expiratory times with prolonged expiratory pauses, was markedly different from that induced by CO2 inhalation. Removal of neural input to the central respiratory centers from IPC does not appear to be solely responsible for the altered breathing pattern following vagotomy in birds.     

Inhibition of beta-1 receptor but not vagotomy can abolish the L-NAME evoked bradycardia in anesthetized rat

We reported previously that the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) decreases cardiac output. Several studies have shown that inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis decreases the heart rate. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a single bolus administration of L-NAME on blood pressure and heart rate monitored for one hour in anesthetized rats and the influence of vagotomy and beta1-receptor blocker metoprolol on the L-NAME induced bradycardia. After L-NAME treatment, the blood pressure rose immediately after the injection of the drug (peak response in the third minute: +24%, p<0.001) and fell to the control level in the 20th minute. The heart rate decreased immediately after L-NAME administration, the lowest value being reached in the 10th minute (-14%, p<0.001). However, bradycardia was sustained even after the blood pressure had returned to the control level. Bilateral vagotomy failed to influence the negative chronotropic effect of L-NAME, but bradycardia was completely abolished by metoprolol pretreatment. We concluded that the bradycardia evoked by L-NAME is mainly due to the withdrawal of sympathetic tone upon the heart rate. However, the cause of sustained bradycardia after normalization of blood pressure cannot be elucidated.     

Regenerating cardiac cells: insights from the bench and the clinic

A major challenge in cardiovascular regenerative medicine is the development of novel therapeutic strategies to restore the function of cardiac muscle in the failing heart. The heart has historically been regarded as a terminally differentiated organ that does not have the potential to regenerate. This concept has been updated by the discovery of cardiac stem and progenitor cells that reside in the adult mammalian heart. Whereas diverse types of adult cardiac stem or progenitor cells have been described, we still do not know whether these cells share a common origin. A better understanding of the physiology of cardiac stem and progenitor cells should advance the successful use of regenerative medicine as a viable therapy for heart disease. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the various adult cardiac stem and progenitor cell types that have been discovered. We also review clinical trials presently being undertaken with adult stem cells to repair the injured myocardium in patients with coronary artery disease.     

Immuno-proteomic approach to excitation--contraction coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle: molecular insights revealed by the mitsugumins

A comprehensive understanding of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle requires that all the major components of the Ca(2+) release machinery be resolved. We utilized a unique immuno-proteomic approach to generate a monoclonal antibody library that targets proteins localized to the skeletal muscle triad junction, which provides a structural context to allow efficient E-C coupling. Screening of this library has identified several mitsugumins (MG); proteins that can be localized to the triad junction in mammalian skeletal muscle. Many of these proteins, including MG29 and junctophilin, are important components in maintaining the structural integrity of the triad junction. Other triad proteins, such as calumin, play a more direct role in regulation of muscle Ca(2+) homeostasis. We have recently identified a family of trimeric intracellular cation-selective (TRIC) channels that allow for K(+) movement into the endoplasmic or sarcoplasmic reticulum to counter a portion of the transient negative charge produced by Ca(2+) release into the cytosol. Further study of TRIC channel function and other novel mitsugumins will increase our understanding of E-C coupling and Ca(2+) homoeostasis in muscle physiology and pathophysiology.     

动脉压力感受性反射受损后血浆和心脏、肾脏组织AngⅡ含量的变化

既往的研究表明,动脉压力感受性反射（ABR）功能下降在高血压靶器官损伤中起独立作用。为进一步研究ABR功能下降致器官损伤的可能机制,实验采用去窦弓神经（SAD）大鼠作为ABR受损的动物模型,分别测定清醒、自由活动状态下SAD及对照的假手术组大鼠24h动脉血压、心率、血压波动性（BPV）及心率波动性（HRV）。并采用放免法测定血浆、心脏和肾脏组织的血管紧张素Ⅱ（AngⅡ）含量。结果发现,SAD术后1周大鼠的24h平均收缩压（SBP）、舒张压（DBP）均显著高于对照组及术后18周的慢性期SAD大鼠。SAD术后18周,24h平均SBP、DBP及HR与假手术对照组均无显著差异;24h收缩压波动性（SBPV）和舒张压波动性（DBPV）均显著高于对照组大鼠。SAD大鼠术后1周的血浆、心脏和肾脏组织的AngⅡ含量及术后18周的血浆AngⅡ水平与对照组之间相比无显著差异。而在术后慢性期（18周）,SAD大鼠的心肌及肾组织AngⅡ含量显著高于假手术对照组大鼠。在术后18周时,接受慢性应激刺激的SAD大鼠,其血浆、心肌及肾组织中AngⅡ水平显著高于同处应激状态下的假手术对照组大鼠及未接受应激刺激的SAD大鼠。这些结果表明,SAD术后急性期血压增高,但在慢性期平均血压并无增高,仅BPV增高;慢性期心、肾组织内AngⅡ的分泌增加。在慢性期接受应激可致AngⅡ过度分泌,上述结果提示,BPV增高和心、肾组织AngⅡ含量升高与SAD大鼠发生心脏、肾脏等器官损害有关。     

Carboxyhemoglobinemia, polycythemia, cardiomegaly, and cardiovascular function in the anesthetized rat

The effects of carbon monoxide (CO), polycythemia (PC), and cardiomegaly (CM) on cardiovascular function were investigated in adult rats in which the latter two conditions were induced by 500 ppm CO inhalation for 5-6 weeks. Using an anesthetized open-chest preparation, these rats were compared with normal rats. With CO + PC + CM present, resting cardiac index, stroke index, stroke work, and minute work were elevated (heart rate also in the conscious state), while left ventricle end-diastolic pressure (LVDP) was normal. With PC + CM after CO washout, cardiac index and stroke index returned to normal at normal LVDP. Minute work, peripheral resistance, heart rate, and blood pressure, however, remained above normal. With CM alone, minute work, +dP/dtmax, +dF/dtmax, peripheral resistance, blood pressure, and LVDP declined from the condition with PC + CM. Although most cardiovascular parameters increased in the three conditions above with acutely increased LVDP, only with CM alone was performance augmentation normal. The results (i) reveal several characteristics of the hemodynamic response to chronic carboxyhemoglobinemia, (ii) suggest that the transient hypertension attending CO elimination in the presence of PC results from rapid reversal of peripheral vasodilatation, (iii) demonstrate decreased cardiac functional reserve with CO and (or) polycythemia upon preload challenge, and (iv) provide evidence for the benign nature of CO-induced cardiomegaly alone, on heart function.     

Effects of sinoaortic denervation on glucose utilization in the subfornical organ and pituitary neural lobe during administration of angiotensin II

Angiotensin II infused intravenously into sinoaortic-denervated rats induced drinking and increased glucose utilization in the subfornical organ and pituitary neural lobe in amounts not different from those observed in sham-operated animals. We suggest that inputs from baroreceptors have a negligible influence on glucose metabolism in the subfornical organ during infusion of angiotensin II.     

Metabolic clearance of insulin from the cerebrospinal fluid in the anesthetized rat

Infusion of 125I-(Tyr A14)-insulin at tracer doses into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) resulted in a slow rate of increase in the CSF-labeled insulin during the first 2 hours with a plateau thereafter. Labeled insulin was cleared from the CSF at a higher rate than 3H-inulin, a marker of CSF bulk flow. The labeled insulin was mainly distributed in all the ventricular and periventricular brain regions. Small amounts of degraded insulin appeared in the CSF. Coinfusion with an excess of unlabeled insulin impaired the clearance and degradation of labeled insulin. It also inhibited the labeling in medial hypothalamus, olfactory bulbs and brain stem. In contrast, coinfusion of ribonuclease B (used to test the specificity of uptake) was without any effect. It was concluded that there is an active insulin intake from CSF into brain specific compartments that is presumably essential for the effects of insulin on brain function.     

Mechanism of Mos1 transposition: insights from structural analysis

We present the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of Mos1 transposase, a member of the Tc1/mariner family of transposases. The structure comprises an RNase H-like core, bringing together an aspartic acid triad to form the active site, capped by N- and C-terminal alpha-helices. We have solved structures with either one Mg2+ or two Mn2+ ions in the active site, consistent with a two-metal mechanism for catalysis. The lack of hairpin-stabilizing structural motifs is consistent with the absence of a hairpin intermediate in Mos1 excision. We have built a model for the DNA-binding domain of Mos1 transposase, based on the structure of the bipartite DNA-binding domain of Tc3 transposase. Combining this with the crystal structure of the catalytic domain provides a model for the paired-end complex formed between a dimer of Mos1 transposase and inverted repeat DNA. The implications for the mechanisms of first and second strand cleavage are discussed.     

Effect of ventilation on sodium excretion in the anesthetized dog with unilateral renal denervation

We studied if the effect of mechanical ventilation induced to keep arterial blood gas values within normal physiological limits has any influence on renal sodium excretion in anesthetized dogs (n = 17) subjected to acute unilateral renal denervation. Compared to the control and the postcontrol periods, ventilation elevated arterial pO2 from 86 +/- 5 to 96 +/- 5 mmHg and blood pH from 7.37 +/- 0.02 to 7.41 +/- 0.01 while arterial pCO2 was decreased from 38 +/- 2 to 33 +/- 1 mmHg (p less than 0.05 in all cases). Compared to the innervated kidney urine flow, urinary sodium and potassium excretion from the denervated kidney were markedly elevated both during spontaneous respiration and during mechanical ventilation but GFR and cPAH were similar on the two sides. Ventilation decreased sodium excretion by the denervated kidney from 314 +/- 26 to 252 +/- 31 mumols/min/100 g k. w. (p less than 0.05). No other excretory changes were noted either in the innervated or in the denervated kidneys. Difference in sodium excretion between innervated and denervated kidneys was decreased from 209 +/- 19 to 126 +/- 20 mumole/min/100 g k. w. (p less than 0.001), due to the ventilation induced diminution of sodium excretion from the denervated kidney. It is concluded that mechanical ventilation of anesthetized dogs modifies sodium excretion, and this phenomenon can be demonstrated only in the denervated kidney.     

Loading effect of fibroblast-myocyte coupling on resting potential, impulse propagation, and repolarization: insights from a microstructure model

The numerous nonmyocytes present within the myocardium may establish electrical connections with myocytes through gap junctions, formed naturally or as a result of a cell therapy. The strength of the coupling and its potential impact on action potential characteristics and conduction are not well understood. This study used computer simulation to investigate the load-induced electrophysiological consequences of the coupling of myocytes with fibroblasts, where the fibroblast resting potential, density, distribution, and coupling strength were varied. Conduction velocity (CV), upstroke velocity, and action potential duration (APD) were analyzed for longitudinal and transverse impulse propagation in a two-dimensional microstructure tissue model, developed to represent a monolayer culture of cardiac cells covered by a layer of fibroblasts. The results show that 1) at weak coupling (<0.25 nS), the myocyte resting potential was elevated, leading to CV up to 5% faster than control; 2) at intermediate coupling, the myocyte resting potential elevation saturated, whereas the current flowing from the myocyte to the fibroblast progressively slowed down both CV and upstroke velocity; 3) at strong couplings (>8 nS), all of the effects saturated; and 4) APD at 90% repolarization was usually prolonged by 0-20 ms (up to 60-80 ms for high fibroblast density and coupling) by the coupling to fibroblasts. The changes in APD depended on the fibroblast resting potential. This complex, coupling-dependent interaction of fibroblast and myocytes also has relevance to the integration of other nonmyocytes in the heart, such as those used in cellular therapies.     

Left ventricular endocardial pacing in cardiac resynchronisation therapy: Moving from bench to bedside

In cardiac resynchronisation therapy, failure to implant a left ventricular lead in a coronary sinus branch has been reported in up to 10% of cases. Although surgical insertion of epicardial leads is considered the standard alternative, this is not without morbidity and technical limitations. Endocardial left ventricular pacing can be an alternative as it has been associated with a favourable acute haemodynamic response compared with epicardial pacing in both animal and human studies. In this paper, we discuss left ventricular endocardial pacing and compare it with epicardial surgical implantation. Ease of application and procedural complications and morbidity compare favourably with epicardial surgical techniques. However, with limited experience, the most important concern is the still unknown long-term risk of thromboembolic complications. Therefore, for now endovascular implants should remain reserved for severely symptomatic heart failure patients and patients at high surgical risk of failed coronary sinus implantation.     

Comparison of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling in isolated ventricular myocytes between rat and mouse

Transgenic animals offer many advantages for physiological study. The mouse is the most extensively utilized mammalian model for gene modification. Isolated ventricular myocytes are pivotal for assessment of cardiac function by allowing direct cellular and environmental manipulation without interference from compensatory mechanisms that may exist in vivo. This study was designed to compare the basic excitation-contraction coupling properties of mouse and rat ventricular myocytes. Cardiac myocytes were isolated from age- and gender-matched mice (FVB and C57BL/6) and rats (Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Wistar). Mechanical and intracellular Ca2+ properties were measured with an IonOptix SoftEdge system, including peak shortening (PS), time-to-PS (TPS), time-to-90% relengthening (TR(90)), maximal velocity of shortening and relengthening (+/-dL/dt), and intracellular Ca2+ fura-2 fluorescence intensity and decay rate (tau). Resting cell length was variable among the different species or strains. PS from FVB group was significantly higher than the SD group. TPS and TR(90) were significantly shorter in mice. +dL/dt was similar among all groups whereas -dL/dt was significantly faster in the C57BL/6 group compared to the rat groups. Resting intracellular Ca2+ was lower in mice than in rats, and Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release was variable among the four groups. Intracellular Ca2+ decay was slower in Wistar compared to all other groups. The myocytes from C57BL/6 did not respond to increases in extracellular Ca2+. Myocytes from the FVB group exhibited a lesser reduction in PS in response to elevated stimulus frequency. These data suggest that inherent differences between strains or species should be taken into consideration when comparing results from these different animal models.     

Metabolism and excretion of peptide leukotrienes in the anesthetized rat

The metabolism and excretion of the peptide leukotrienes C4, D4, E4 and N-acetylleukotriene E4 have been studied in the anesthetized rat. The intravenous administration of [3H]leukotriene C4 (2.6 X 10(-11) mol/kg) showed a rapid clearance of radioactivity from the blood and a time-related biliary excretion, recovering 69 +/- 1.6% (n = 6) over 60 min. Less than 1% of total radioactivity was recovered in the urine over the same time period. Similarly, the intravenous administration of [3H]leukotriene D4 (2.5 X 10(-11) mol/kg), [3H]leukotriene E4 (2.5 X 10(-11) mol/kg) and N-acetyl[3H]leukotriene E4 (2.1 X 10(-11) mol/kg) showed a 62 +/- 7.5% (n = 4), 52 +/- 1.5% (n = 4) and 37 +/- 4.6% (n = 5) biliary recovery of radioactivity, respectively, after 60 min. Examination of bile identified leukotriene D4 and N-acetylleukotriene E4 as the main products, although substantial radioactivity, which probably represents unidentified polar products, was present at the solvent fronts of the reverse-phase HPLC. Time course studies indicated a relatively rapid conversion of leukotriene C4 to leukotriene D4, while leukotriene D4 metabolism appeared to be much slower. Leukotriene E4 was a minor product, suggesting that the N-acetylation process is rapid. Incubation of [3H]leukotriene C4 in rat plasma and whole blood in vitro resulted in a slow conversion of leukotriene C4 to leukotriene D4 and leukotriene E4 only. These data suggest that the majority of the leukotriene metabolism and excretion in vivo in the anesthetized rat occurs predominantly in the hepatic system. We conclude that this model is suitable for the measurement of in vivo production of peptide leukotrienes.