Mechanisms of respiratory response to isoproterenol in glomectomized cats

Effects of intravenous isoproterenol (2-3 micrograms) on arterial pressure, end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PCO2), medullary extracellular fluid (ECF) pH, and phrenic activity were studied in 13 anesthetized paralyzed cats whose vagi and carotid sinus nerves were cut. The cats were servo-ventilated to keep PCO2 relatively constant. Injections of Ringer solution were without effect. Isoproterenol caused arterial pressure to fall, a transient small (1 Torr) increase of PCO2, increased venous CO2 return to the lungs, a medullary ECF acidosis, and a stimulation of respiration that continued to be elevated after arterial pressure, PCO2, and medullary ECF pH had returned to control. We show that the ECF acidosis is minimally due to the hypotension and to the small transient rise of PCO2. We also show that the respiratory response cannot be explained solely by the ECF acidosis. We conclude that, in addition to its known stimulation of peripheral chemoreceptors, isoproterenol causes medullary ECF to become acidic probably due to metabolic effects on neural tissue and has a separate direct stimulating effect on neurons in the brain.     

Immunoregulation in the rat: requirements for in vitro B cell responses to classical TI-1 and TI-2 antigens

The presence of suppressor cells and their mediators has made it difficult to induce B cell mitogenic or immune responses in rat spleen cell cultures. In the present study, we have defined culture conditions required for induction of in vitro thymic independent (TI) immune responses in the rat. Rat spleen cell cultures support low responses to various trinitrophenyl (TNP) haptenated antigens including TNP-Brucella abortus (TNP-BA), TNP-lipopolysaccharide [LPS; either phenol (Ph)- or butanol (Bu)-water extracted], TNP-Ficoll, and TNP-dextran. However, all of these antigens induced good splenic anti-TNP PFC responses when given at appropriate doses in vivo. When spleen cells were depleted of adherent cells and cultured with TI antigens in vitro, good anti-TNP PFC responses were seen with TNP-BA, whereas, lower responses were induced by TNP-LPS (Ph or Bu). No responses were observed in cultures incubated with either TNP-Ficoll or TNP-dextran. Purified splenic B cell cultures [prepared by panning on plates coated with anti-rat F (ab')2] supported good responses to TNP-LPS (Ph or Bu) and TNP-BA. The addition of irradiated splenic adherent cells (macrophages, M phi) to either M phi-depleted or purified B cell cultures completely abrogated in vitro responses to TNP-BA or TNP-LPS (Ph or Bu). Purified splenic B cell cultures generally responded poorly to TNP-Ficoll or TNP-dextran. Addition of indomethacin (IM) to spleen cell cultures abrogated suppression and allowed anti-TNP PFC responses to TNP-BA, TNP-LPS (Ph or Bu), TNP-Ficoll, and TNP-dextran. Furthermore, nude spleen cell cultures treated with IM, also allowed significant TNP-Ficoll and TNP-dextran immune responses; however, untreated cultures did not respond to these antigens. Our studies indicate that rat splenic B cell cultures are responsive to TI antigens, and highest responses occur with the murine TI-1 class, e.g., TNP-BA and TNP-LPS. Inhibition of suppression with IM restored splenic B cell responses to the murine TI-2 class, i.e., TNP-Ficoll and TNP-dextran.     

Production of Aflatoxins B1 and G1 by Aspergillus flavus in a Semisynthetic Medium

Isolates of Aspergillus flavus produced 0.2 to 63 mg of aflatoxins B(1) and G(1) per 100 ml in a nutrient solution consisting of 20% sucrose and 2% yeast extract. Various factors influencing the fermentation were studied. The maximal amount of toxin was produced by ATCC culture 15548 in 1-liter flasks containing 100 ml of medium incubated as stationary cultures for 6 days at 25 C.     

蚕豆叶片发育与衰老过程中超氧物歧化酶活性与丙二醛含量变化

蚕豆植株叶片随茎节自上而下表现出明显的发育与衰老顺序,可作为衰老特征的是叶绿素和蛋白质含量明显下降。蚕豆叶中SOD活性主要定位于12 000× g离心后所得的上清液和叶绿体组分。衰老叶片的SOD总活性和叶绿体组分的相对活性都有所下降,SOD同工酶谱也发生了改变。O_2~ 产生速率随叶龄增大而稍上升;而MDA含量在叶片外观表现枯黄衰老征兆前就急剧上升。可能因为衰老叶片过氧化氢酶活性大幅度下降与SOD之间的不平衡,致使O_2~ 代谢中间产物累积而引起膜的损伤.     

Neurofibromatosis type 2 appears to be a genetically homogeneous disease

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by the development of vestibular schwannomas and other tumors of the nervous system, including cranial and spinal meningiomas, schwannomas, and ependymomas. The presence of bilateral vestibular schwannomas is sufficient for the diagnosis. Skin manifestations are less common than in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1; von Recklinghausen disease). The apparent clinical distinction between NF1 and NF2 has been confirmed at the level of the gene locus by linkage studies; the gene for NF1 maps to chromosome 17, whereas the gene for NF2 has been assigned (in a single family) to chromosome 22. To increase the precision of the genetic mapping of NF2 and to determine whether additional susceptibility loci exist, we have performed linkage analysis on 12 families with NF2 by using four polymorphic markers from chromosome 22 and a marker at the NF1 locus on chromosome 17. Our results confirm the assignment of the gene for NF2 to chromosome 22 and do not support the hypothesis of genetic heterogeneity. We believe that chromosome 22 markers can now be used for presymptomatic diagnosis in selected families. The NF2 gene is tightly linked to the D22S32 locus (maximum lod score 4.12; recombination fraction 0). A CA-repeat polymorphism at the CRYB2 locus was the most informative marker in our families (lod score 5.99), but because the observed recombination fraction between NF2 and CRYB2 was 10 cM, predictions using this marker will need to be interpreted with caution.     

Persistence of enhanced aerosol deposition in the lung after recovery from carbachol-induced airway obstruction

Time course recovery from induced airway obstruction by carbachol infusion (CI; 0.2 microgram.kg-1.min-1 for 40 min), carbachol aerosol (CA; 10 breaths of 2% solution), and histamine aerosol (HA; 25-50 breaths of 5% solution) challenge was investigated in conscious sheep (n = 6 each). Total lung aerosol deposition and airway caliber as assessed by pulmonary airflow resistance (RL) were measured every 20-30 min up to 4 h after the challenges. Aerosol deposition was measured by monitoring aerosol concentration continuously with a laser aerosol photometer while the sheep rebreathed 1.0-micron-diam inert oil droplets delivered by a 0.25-liter bag-in-box system driven by a respiratory pump at a breathing frequency of 30 breaths/min. Total accumulated deposition at the fifth breath (AD5) as percentage of the initial aerosol concentration was determined and used as an aerosol deposition index. Percent changes in AD5 from baseline were compared with corresponding changes in RL. Both RL and AD5 increased after Cl, CA, and HA: 192-477% for RL and 23-44% for AD5 (P less than 0.05). Mean RL return to baseline values 1 h after CI and HA and 2 h after CA. Mean AD5 returned to baseline at 1 h post-HA. In contrast, mean AD5 remained elevated for 2-4 h after CI and CA (P less than 0.05), and the increased AD5 could not be reversed by a bronchodilator aerosol. The persistence of enhanced aerosol deposition long after the return of RL to baseline suggests that complete recovery of airway conditions after CI and CA takes much longer than predicted by RL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inputs from upper airway affect firing of respiratory-associated midbrain neurons

Chen, Zibin, and Frederic L. Eldridge. Inputs fromupper airway affect firing of respiratory-associated midbrain neurons. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(1): 196-203, 1997.In 16 decerebrated unanesthetized cats, we studied effects ofneural inputs from upper airway on firing of 62 mesencephalic neuronsthat also developed respiratory-associated (RA) rhythmic firing whenrespiratory drive was high [Z. Chen, F. L. Eldridge, and P.G.Wagner. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 437:305-325, 1991] and on firing of 16 neurons that did notdevelop the rhythmic firing (non-RA neurons). Activity in RA neuronsincreased after mechanical expansion of pharynx (45% of those tested)or larynx (68%) and after stimulation of glossopharyngeal (50%) orsuperior laryngeal nerves (77%). The increased neuronal firingoccurred despite decreases or abolition of respiratory activity(expressed in phrenic nerve). Neuronal firing also increased aftermechanical stimulation of nasal mucosa (66%) or by jetsof air directed into the nares (48%) and after lightbrushing of nasal skin (~40%). Most stimuli led to decreased firingin a smaller number of neurons, and some neurons showed no response.None of the non-RA neurons developed an increase of firing after any ofthe stimuli, although one had decreased firing after stimulation of thesuperior laryngeal nerve. We conclude that inputs from the upper airwayand nasal skin have independent modulatory effects on the samemesencephalic neurons that are stimulated by ascending rhythmic RAinput from the medulla. These findings may have relevance to generationof the sensation of dyspnea.

     

13C nmr studies of aurothioglucose: Ligand exchange and redox disproportionation reactions

¹³C nmr studies of gold thioglucose, AuSTg, and solutions containing added β-1-D-thioglucose, TgSH, have been conducted at PD 7.4 and interpreted in terms of complexation and ligand exchange reactions that are consistent with the known preference of gold(I) for linear two-coordinate structures. The upper limit of the half-life for ligand exchange between 0.25 M Au(STg)₂^? and TgSH at pD 7.4 is 2.2 msec. The ¹³C nmr spectra of various thioglucose derivatives have been assigned. A novel oxidation reduction reaction was discovered that leads to the formation of metallic gold and a product tentatively identified as the sulfinic acid derivative of thioglucose. The presence of sulfinic acid in AuSTg was indicated by the infrared absorption at 1050 cm^?1. The same product was formed by slow hydrolysis of thioglucose disulfide. A mechanism for the formation of the sulfinic acid derivative from AuSTg is proposed.