Headache at high altitude is not related to internal carotid arterial blood velocity

The cause of headache in persons going to high altitude is unknown. Relatively severe hypoxemia in susceptible subjects could induce large increases in cerebral blood flow that then could initiate the headache. Thus we measured noninvasively, by Doppler ultrasound, changes in internal carotid arterial blood velocity (velocity) in 12 subjects in Denver (1,600 m) and repeatedly up to 7 h at a simulated altitude of 4,800 m (barometric pressure = 430 Torr). Six subjects, selected because of prior history of high-altitude headache, developed comparatively severe headache at 4,800 m, and four subjects, without such history, remained well. Two subjects developed moderate headache. Velocity at 4,800 m did not correlate with symptom development, arterial O2 saturation, or end-tidal PCO2. Also, neither velocity nor blood pressure was consistently elevated above the Denver base-line values. During measurements of hypercapnic ventilatory response in Denver, velocity increased linearly with end-tidal PCO2, confirming that our Doppler method could demonstrate an increase. Also, 30 min of isocapnic or poikilocapnic hypoxia caused small increases in velocity (+8 and +6%) during the base-line measurement at low altitude. Although even a small increase in cerebral perfusion could contribute to headache symptoms at high altitude, cerebral blood flow does not appear to play a primary role.     

Mature Tissue and Crop Canopy Respiratory Characteristics of Rye, Triticale and Wheat

Crop dry matter and its chemical composition, together withcanopy and mature tissue respiration rates were measure at equivalentgrowth stages and temperatures for spring and winter rye, triticaleand wheat crops grown under irrigated field conditions. Canopyrespiration was partitioned into growth and maintenance respirationusing information from the chemical composition analysis ofthe crop biomass. Rates of dry matter accumulation early inthe growing season were significantly greater for rye cropsin comparison to triticale and wheat. However, when dry matterwas measured at similar ontogenetic stages, the productivityadvantage of the rye crop was no longer evident. Nevertheless,canopy respiration rates per unit ground area were significantlylower for rye than wheat over all temperatures and growth stages.Intergeneric differences in the respiration rates of matureleaf and stem tissues were consistent with those measured atcanopy scales. Differences in the chemical composition of thebiomass among genera were minimal, and insufficient to accountfor differences in canopy respiration due to synthesis respirationrequirement. Estimates of biomass maintenance requirements appearto be significantly lower for rye than wheat when calculatedat similar temperatures and ontogenetic stages. The maintenancecoefficient (m) depended on stage of development, suggestingthat m will decline earlier chronologically for rye than wheat,which implies that greater carbon retention is another aspectcontributing to the higher early-season crop growth rates ofspring and winter rye. Considering the lower respiration ratesof mature stems relative to leaves, the dependence of m on stem:leafratio was suggested as a useful approach to modelling ontogeneticeffects on maintenance respiration.Copyright 1993, 1999 AcademicPress Rye, triticale, wheat, dry matter, growth and maintenance respiration     

mtDNA diversity in rhesus monkeys reveals overestimates of divergence time and paraphyly with neighboring species

Reconstructions of the human-African great ape phylogeny by using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been subject to considerable debate. One confounding factor may be the lack of data on intraspecific variation. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of intraspecific mtDNA diversity on the phylogenetic reconstruction of another Plio- Pleistocene radiation of higher primates, the fascicularis group of macaque (Macaca) monkey species. Fifteen endonucleases were used to identify 10 haplotypes of 40-47 restriction sites in M. mulatta, which were compared with similar data for the other members of this species group. Interpopulational, intraspecific mtDNA diversity was large (0.5%- 4.5%), and estimates of divergence time and branching order incorporating this variation were substantially different from those based on single representatives of each species. We conclude that intraspecific mtDNA diversity is substantial in at least some primate species. Consequently, without prior information on the extent of genetic diversity within a particular species, intraspecific variation must be assessed and accounted for when reconstructing primate phylogenies. Further, we question the reliability of hominoid mtDNA phylogenies, based as they are on one or a few representatives of each species, in an already depauperate superfamily of primates.      

Effect of storage conditions on function of granulocytes

The effect of collection technique, anticoagulant, pH, glucose, and temperature on in vitro granulocyte function were studied after 24 hr of storage in the liquid state. Collection by CL did not adversely affect granulocyte function, however, cells collected by FL had accelerated loss of bactericidal activity and chemotactic response. Citrate anticoagulants provided better maintenance of bacteridical activity, NBT reduction, and chemotactic response than heparin, EDTA, and ion-exchange anticoagulants. Chemiluminescence was well maintained when the initial pH of the preservative solution (CPD plasma) was between 6.5 and 8.0 but maintenance of chemotaxis required pH of 7.0–7.5. Glucose concentrations of 80–1000 mg/dl provided adequate maintenance of chemiluminescence and chemotaxis. Bacterial killing was well maintained by storage at either 1–6 or 20–24 °C. Storage at 1–6 °C caused decreased chemotaxis, decreased ability of granulocytes to adhere and spread on a foreign surface, and a decreased intravascular recovery and shortened half-life after transfusion. Although short-term liquid storage may be practical, at present, granulocytes should be transfused as soon as possible after collection.     

ATP-stimulated degradation of endogenous proteins in cell-free extracts of BHK 21/C13 fibroblasts. A key role for the proteinase, macropain, in the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of short-lived proteins.

Baby hamster kidney (BHK) 21/C13 cell proteins, labeled with [35S]methionine, [14C]leucine or [3H]leucine in intact cells, were degraded in soluble, cell-free extracts by an ATP-stimulated process. The stimulatory effect of ATP appeared to require ATP hydrolysis and was mediated to a large extent by ubiquitin. Although the cell extracts contained endogenous ubiquitin, supplementation with exogenous ubiquitin increased ATP-dependent proteolysis by up to 2-fold. Furthermore, antibodies against the E1 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme specifically inhibited both conjugation of [125I]ubiquitin to endogenous proteins and ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Addition of purified E1 to antibody-treated extracts restored conjugation and proteolysis. Proteins containing the amino acid analogues canavanine and azatryptophan were also degraded in vitro by an ATP/ubiquitin-dependent process but at a rate up to 2-fold faster than normal proteins. These results indicate that soluble, cell-free extracts of BHK cells can selectively degrade proteins whose rates of degradation are increased in intact cells. Treatment of cell-free extracts with antibodies against the high molecular weight proteinase, macropain, also greatly inhibited the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent degradation of endogenous proteins. Proteolysis was specifically restored when purified macropain L was added to the antibody-treated extracts. Treatment of cell extracts with both anti-macropain and anti-E1 antibodies reduced ATP/ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis to the same extent as treatment with either antibody alone. Furthermore, proteolysis could be restored to the double antibody treated extracts only after addition of both purified E1 and macropain. These results provide strong evidence for an important role for macropain in the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent degradation of endogenous proteins in BHK cell extracts.