Increases in factor VIII complex and fibrinolytic activity are dependent on exercise intensity

Components of the factor VIII complex increase and activation of the fibrinolytic system occur during exercise. The relation between the duration and intensity of exercise and the relative changes in the VIII complex and fibrinolytic system have not been previously examined. Five healthy male subjects were exercised with three protocols: a graded progressive exercise test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer with 50-W increments every 4 min, steady-state exercise, 15 min at 5 and 125 W each, and an acute 30-s maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Venous blood samples were drawn at base line, during the last 30 s of each power output in the graded exercise, at 5-min intervals for the steady-state exercise, and for up to 1 h after completion of exercise in all three protocols. At the maximum exercise intensities, increases in plasma lactate concentration ([La]), O2 uptake, and [H+] were observed. Components of the VIII complex [VIII procoagulant, VIII procoagulant antigen, VIII-related antigen (VIIIR:Ag), VIII ristocetin cofactor activity] abruptly rose at only the highest work intensities, whereas the whole blood clot lysis time began to gradually shorten much earlier at low work intensities. There were no qualitative changes in the factor VIIIR:Ag on crossed immunoelectrophoresis nor was there evidence of thrombin generation as determined by fibrinopeptide A generation. We conclude that during exercise the changes observed in the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems are related to the intensity of the exercise, which is reflected by increases in plasma [La] and [H+], and that the fibrinolytic system is activated before the changes in the VIII complex are observed.     

Fatigue of immature baboon cortical bone

Strain-controlled uniaxial fatigue and monotonic tensile tests were conducted on turned femoral cortical bone specimens obtained from baboons at various ages of maturity. Fatigue loading produced a progressive loss in stiffness and an increase in hysteresis prior to failure, indicating that immature primate cortical bone responds to repeated loading in a fashion similar to that previously observed for adult human cortical bone. Bone fatigue resistance under this strain controlled testing decreased during maturation. Maturation was also associated with an increase in bone dry density, ash fraction and elastic modulus. The higher elastic modulus of more mature bone meant that these specimens were subjected to higher stress levels during testing than more immature bone specimens. Anatomical regions along the femoral shaft exhibited differences in strength and fatigue resistance.     

Fetal stimulation of maternal immunoglobulin production in mice

Within 12-24 h of parturition in mice, there was a dramatic increase in the number of immunoglobulin secreting cells in the paraaortic lymph nodes (PALN) draining the pregnant uterus. Compared with stimulation with lipopolysaccharide the ratio of IgG:IgM forming cells was very high in PALN draining a pregnant uterus. The response was eliminated when fetectomy (ablating the embryo but leaving the placenta intact) was carried out on the 12th day of pregnancy. With unilateral fetectomy the uterine horn with intact fetal/placental units can be used as a positive control since lymphoid drainage is laterally confined. Neither healthy (gross and histological criteria) nor partly necrotic placentae stimulated Ig secreting cells in the PALN. The placentae of bilaterally fetectomized females were delivered apparently normally and at about the same time as normal (control) fetuses. Injection of prostaglandin E-2 or F-2 alpha into the tail base led to the appearance of Ig-forming cells in the PALN of normal (virgin) female mice. Indomethacin fed to the pregnant female greatly reduced the numbers of these cells in the PALN. We conclude that the observed local stimulation of maternal Ig production by the fetus may be involved in the transplacental transfer of Ig from mother to fetus.     

Streptococcus salivarius strains carry either fibrils or fimbriae on the cell surface

Strains of Streptococcus salivarius were screened by negative staining for the presence of surface structures. Two structural subgroups were found, carrying either fibrils or fimbriae, projecting from the cell surface. Eight strains carried a very dense peritrichous array of fibrils of two distinct lengths. Long fibrils had an average length of 175 nm, and short fibrils had an average length of 95 nm. Two strains carried only long fibrils, one strain carried only short fibrils, and another strain carried a lateral tuft of very prominent fibrils of two lengths, with a fibrillar fuzz covering the remainder of the cell surface. In all the strains in which they were present, the long fibrils were unaffected by protease or trypsin treatment. In contrast, the short fibrils were completely digested by protease and partially removed by trypsin. Neither long nor short fibrils were affected structurally by mild pepsin digestion or by lipase. The Lancefield extraction procedure removed both long and short fibrils. These twelve fibrillar strains were therefore divisible into four structural subgroups. Extracts of all the fibrillar strains reacted with group K antiserum. The second main structural subgroup consisted of nine strains of S. salivarius, all of which carried morphologically identical, flexible fimbriae arranged peritrichously over the cell surface. The fimbriae were structurally distinct from fibrils and measured 0.5 to 1.0 micron long and 3 to 4 nm wide, with an irregular outline and no obvious substructure. There was no obvious reduction in the number of fimbriae after protease or trypsin treatment. Extracts of the fimbriated strains did not react with the group K antiserum. The two serological and structural subgroups could also be distinguished by colony morphology.     

Autumn stomatal closure in six conifer species of the Central Rocky Mountains

Summary Environmental and water relations parameters during fall were monitored for six conifer tree species common to the central Rocky Mountains growing naturally at the same location (Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus flexilus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii). Subsequent to what appeared to be the beginning of seasonal stomatal closure, leaf conductance to water vapor declined sharply following the onset of freezing air temperatures at night. A coincident rapid decline in morning xylem pressure potentials (_p) also occurred which resulted in values that were considerably below afternoon _p. Continuing decreases in maximum leaf conductance during the day were highly correlated with corresponding decreases in minimum nocturnal air temperatures of the preceding night. By mid-December, morning _p returned to values very near afternoon _p and were only slightly lower than before the onset of subfreezing nights. A preliminary model is proposed which interprets the qualitative interaction between air and soil temperatures, soil and plant water potentials, and leaf conductance during seasonal stomatal closure in fall.     

Pepsin-generated type VI collagen is a degradation product of GP140

A major extracellular matrix glycoprotein, GP140 , synthesized by WI-38 human lung fibroblasts has previously been shown to be collagen-like. A form of GP140 that is related to extracellular matrix GP140 both antigenically and in apparent molecular mass was isolated from human placenta. Types I-VI collagen were isolated from human tissues by limited pepsin digestion, selective salt precipitation, and chromatography. Immunoblot analysis of the collagens and GP140 utilizing affinity-purified polyclonal antiserum directed against extracellular matrix GP140 demonstrated cross-reactivity of antibodies with type VI collagen. Both type VI collagen and matrix GP140 could be digested with bacterial collagenase following reduction with dithiothreitol but were collagenase insensitive under nonreducing conditions, unlike types I-V collagen. Placental and matrix GP140 and type VI collagen were shown to have receptors for 125I-labeled Lens culinaris lectin. Pepsin digestion of WI-38 extracellular matrix GP140 yielded a 64,000-dalton band which co-migrated with subunits of reduced type VI collagen on Coomassie-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels, reacted with anti- GP140 antiserum and 125I-labeled L. culinaris lectin, and was collagenase-sensitive only under reducing conditions. CNBr fragmentation of extracellular matrix GP140 , the 64,000-dalton pepsin-resistant peptide of GP140 and type VI collagen followed by immunoblot analysis using anti- GP140 revealed similarities in peptide maps of GP140 and type VI collagen. Our data strongly suggest that GP140 and type VI collagen share characteristics that differ from those of other collagen types and that intermolecular disulfide bonding appears to stabilize these molecules in their native unreduced form, thus conferring collagenase resistance. Finally, the SC1 and SC2 subunits of type VI collagen appear to be generated by pepsin digestion of GP140 .     

Collapse and viscoelasticity of diseased human arteries

A laboratory study of the hydrostatic collapse of diseased tibial arteries demonstrated hysteresis in the pressure-flow behaviour which resembled that seen in the stress-strain relations of the arterial tissue. The pressures at which the vessels collapsed were found to be considerably lower than expected on the basis of theoretical elastic models. Also, the pressures at which the vessels reopened were consistently lower than the pressures at which they collapsed. These findings were explained on the basis of viscoelasticity. The difference between collapse and opening pressure may provide insight into the mechanical properties of vessels, and a clue to errors in non-invasive measurements of blood pressure which depend upon collapse of arteries.     

Congenital toxoplasmosis: epidemiologic features and control.

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is acquired from undercooked meat or from food or fomites contaminated by cat feces. The disease can be transmitted to the fetus only during maternal parasitemia, which is associated with primary infection. Extrapolation from current data suggests that there are 140 to 1400 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis per year in Canada and that 70 to 280 of the infants are severely affected at birth; many of the others suffer sequelae later in life. Serologic diagnosis of primary infection in the mother is quite sensitive and specific. Diagnosis in the infant is more difficult and may take several months. Prenatal treatment of the woman and postnatal treatment of the infant are hampered by the lack of proven efficacy as well as ethical and compliance problems. Preventive serologic screening and prophylaxis have the same drawbacks. Educating young women to avoid infection is an inexpensive, low-risk intervention that would be the preferred preventive strategy if it could be shown to be effective. Immunization may prove to be the most cost-effective method of preventing congenital toxoplasmosis if a safe and effective vaccine is developed.     

Punch shear testing of extracted vital and endodontically treated teeth

Plano-parallel specimens of human dentin cut from vital and endodontically treated teeth were tested by the punch shear test. Shear strength values were found to positively correlate with approximate toughness values. Statistically significant differences were found between shear strength and toughness values for vital and endodontically treated teeth, the latter showing lower values. The clinical impression that endodontically treated teeth are weaker and more brittle than vital teeth has therefore been quantitated. Anatomically different teeth or the methods used to store and cut teeth could not be consistently correlated with punch shear and toughness values. When dentin slices were constrained during punching so that bending was prevented, the precision of the results was improved and higher values were recorded.