Effects of prolonged cycle ergometer exercise on maximal muscle power and oxygen uptake in humans

The mechanical power (W_tot, W·kg^–1) developed during ten revolutions of all-out periods of cycle ergometer exercise (4–9 s) was measured every 5–6 min in six subjects from rest or from a baseline of constant aerobic exercise [50%–80% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max)] of 20–40 min duration. The oxygen uptake [VO₂ (W·kg^–1, 1 ml O₂ = 20.9 J)] and venous blood lactate concentration ([la]_b, mM) were also measured every 15 s and 2 min, respectively. During the first all-out period, W_tot decreased linearly with the intensity of the priming exercise (W_tot = 11.9–0.25·VO₂). After the first all-out period (i greater than 5–6 min), and if the exercise intensity was less than 60% VO_2max, W_tot, VO₂ and [la]_b remained constant until the end of the exercise. For exercise intensities greater than 60% VO_2max, VO₂ and [la]_b showed continuous upward drifts and W_tot continued decreasing. Under these conditions, the rate of decrease of W_tot was linearly related to the rate of increase of V [(d W_tot/dt) (W·kg^–1·s^–1) = 5.0·10^–5 –0.20·(d VO₂/dt) (W·kg^–1·s^–1)] and this was linearly related to the rate of increase of [la]_b [(d VO₂/dt) (W·kg^–1·s^–1) = 2.310^–4 + 5.910^–5·(d [la]_b/dt) (mM·s^–1)]. These findings would suggest that the decrease of W_tot during the first all-out period was due to the decay of phosphocreatine concentration in the exercising muscles occurring at the onset of exercise and the slow drifts of VO₂ (upwards) and of W_tot (downwards) during intense exercise at constant W_tot could be attributed to the continuous accumulation of lactate in the blood (and in the working muscles).     

Circadian Rhythm of Cardiac Output, Peripheral Vascular Resistance, and Related Variables by a Beat-to-Beat Monitoring

This study aimed to explore the 24-h patterns of stroke volume, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance along with other correlated variables, such as left ventricular ejection time, ejection velocity index, thoracic fluid index, heart rate, and blood pressure. The study was performed on 12 clinically healthy subjects by means of a noninvasive beat-to-beat monitoring using the thoracic electric bioimpedance technique associated with the automated sphygmomano-metric recording. Time data series were analyzed by means of chronobiological procedures. The results documented the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for all the variables investigated, giving relevance to the beat-to-beat bioperiodicity of cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance. Temporal quantification of the investigated variables may be useful for a better insight of the chronophysiology of the cardiovascular apparatus.     

Delta-Cytomembranen und lamelläre Cytosomen

Zusammenfassung Im Epithel der Kiemenbüschel von Axolotl (Amblystoma mexicanum) findet sich ein besonderer Typ von cytoplasmatischen Membranen, den wir mit -Cytomembran bezeichnen. -Cytomembranen sind schichtweise in Schleifen oder Spiralen angeordnet und bestehen aus einer 30–45 Å dicken osmiophilen Schicht mit einem 60 Å breiten intermembranösen Intervall. Die -Cytomembranen differenzieren sich im perinucleären Bereich des Cytoplasmas aus einer homogenen, elektronendichten Substanz und stellen die Vorstufen der lamellären Cytosomen dar. Die -Cytomembranen und die lamellären Cytosomen sind aus einem Kohlenhydrat-Protein-Komplex mit möglicher Bindung an Phospholipoide zusammengesetzt. Wir glauben, daß diese besondere Gruppe von submikroskopischen Strukturen wichtige Funktionen für die Synthese der Mucopolysaccharide im allgemeinen und für die Schleimsekretion im speziellen hat.Stipendiat der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

The plant nucleus in mycorrhizal roots: positional and structural modifications

Summary— Positional and structural modifications were demonstrated in nuclei of leek cells, after establishment of a symbiosis with two vesicular-arbuscular fungi, Glomus versiforme and Glomus E₃. By combining light, immuno-electron microscopy and morphometry, the fungi were shown to have a direct effect on the host nuclear morphology: the effect was confined to a specific plant tissue (the cortical parenchyma) and to a moment of the fungal morphogenesis (the arbuscule). When they branch to form the complex structures called arbuscules in the inner parenchyma cells, the host nucleus migrates from the periphery of these cells towards their centre. In addition, it becomes larger and lobed, with a decondensed chromatin. A monoclonal antibody that mostly binds to the condensed chromatin revealed a significant decrease in gold labelling intensity over the nuclei of the colonized cells. These modifications suggest that the nuclear migration and the changes in chromatin organization are related to the modifications in gene expression observed during the establishment of mycorrhizal symbiosis.     

On peptide bond formation, translocation, nascent protein progression and the regulatory properties of ribosomes. Derived on 20 October 2002 at the 28th FEBS Meeting in Istanbul.

High-resolution crystal structures of large ribosomal subunits from Deinococcus radiodurans complexed with tRNA-mimics indicate that precise substrate positioning, mandatory for efficient protein biosynthesis with no further conformational rearrangements, is governed by remote interactions of the tRNA helical features. Based on the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) architecture, on the placement of tRNA mimics, and on the existence of a two-fold related region consisting of about 180 nucleotides of the 23S RNA, we proposed a unified mechanism integrating peptide bond formation, A-to-P site translocation, and the entrance of the nascent protein into its exit tunnel. This mechanism implies sovereign, albeit correlated, motions of the tRNA termini and includes a spiral rotation of the A-site tRNA-3' end around a local two-fold rotation axis, identified within the PTC. PTC features, ensuring the precise orientation required for the A-site nucleophilic attack on the P-site carbonyl-carbon, guide these motions. Solvent mediated hydrogen transfer appears to facilitate peptide bond formation in conjunction with the spiral rotation. The detection of similar two-fold symmetry-related regions in all known structures of the large ribosomal subunit, indicate the universality of this mechanism, and emphasizes the significance of the ribosomal template for the precise alignment of the substrates as well as for accurate and efficient translocation. The symmetry-related region may also be involved in regulatory tasks, such as signal transmission between the ribosomal features facilitating the entrance and the release of the tRNA molecules. The protein exit tunnel is an additional feature that has a role in cellular regulation. We showed by crystallographic methods that this tunnel is capable of undergoing conformational oscillations and correlated the tunnel mobility with sequence discrimination, gating and intracellular regulation.     

Reactions of indoles with nitrogen monoxide: unexpected formation of azo-bis-indoles from 1,2-disubstituted indoles.

1-Methyl-, 1-ethyl-2-phenylindoles react with nitrogen monoxide, forming mainly 3,3(')-azo-bis-indoles, nitrosoindoles together with traces of nitroindoles. 2-Phenylindole, under the same experimental conditions, forms isonitrosoindole in good yields. The formation mechanism of azo-bis-indoles has been demonstrated to occur through 1,2-disubstituted nitrosoindoles by the intermediate formation of a diazonium salt.     

Circadian Changes in Anxiolysis-Related Behavior of Syrian Hamsters. Correlation with Hypothalamic GABA Release

The diurnal variations in anxiolysis and exploratory behavior were examined in a plus-maze paradigm in Syrian hamsters exposed to 14 h light: 10 h dark photoperiods or to constant darkness for 3 days. The percent of time spent in open arms and the percent of entries to open arms (both indexes of anxiety-related behavior) as well as the number of crosses to both arms (an index of locomotor behavior) showed significant daily variations under the two lighting conditions, maxima being found at night (2400-0400 h). Flumazenil (5 mg/kg) injected at the middle of the light (at 1600 h) or dark period (at 0400 h) decreased by 39-54 % anxiolysis-related behavior without affecting locomotor activity significantly. 3 H-?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release from preoptic-medial basal hypothalamic explants obtained from hamsters exposed to 14 h light: 10 h dark photoperiods attained maximal values at 2400-0400 h. The results further supported the existence of circadian changes in anxiolysis-related behavior in Syrian hamsters that correlated with an increased hypothalamic GABA release.     

Ion-pair mechanism in square planar substitution. Reactivity of cationic platinum (II) complexes with negatively charged nucleophiles in solvents of high, medium and low polarity

The rates of displacement of dimethyl sulfoxide from the cation [Pt(phen) (CH₃) (Me₂SO)]⁺ by a series of uncharged and negatively charged nucleophiles have been measured in a methanol/water (19:1 vol./vol.) mixture. The starting complex and the reaction products were characterized either as solids or in solution by their IR and ¹H NMR spectra. The substitution reactions take place by way of a direct bimolecular attack of the ligand on the substrate. The sequence of reactivity observed is as expected on the basis of a nucleophilicity scale relevant for + 1 charged substrates ([Pt(en) (NH₃)Cl]⁺ used as standard). The difference of reactivity between the first (t-BuNH₂) and the last (SeCN⁻) members of the series spans five orders of magnitude. The value measured for the nucleophilic discrimination (1.55) is the highest found so far for cationic substrates. This is a result of the easy transfer of some of the electron density brought in by the incoming ligand into the ancillary ligands. When the reaction is carried out in a series of protic and dipolar aprotic solvents, using chloride ion as nucleophile, the rate of formation of [Pt (phen) (CH₃)Cl] is dominated by the extent of solvation of Cl⁻, as measured by its values of the Gibbs molar energy of transfer Δ_tG⁰. Conductivity measurements at 25°C in dichloromethane were fitted to the Fuoss equation and the values of the dissociation constants K_d for the ion pairs were calculated as follows: 2.27 × 10⁻⁵ M for Bu₄NCl, 2.75 × 10⁻⁵ M for Bu₄NSCN and 17.05 × 10⁻⁵ M for [Pt(phen) (CH₃) (Me₂SO)]PF₆. The pseudo-first-order rate constants k_obs for the reactions with Bu₄NCl, Bu₄NBr, Bu₄NSCN and Bu₄NI showed a curvilinear dependence on the concentration of the salt which levels off very soon (at concentrations higher than 0.005 M the kinetics are zero order in [Bu₄NX]). On addition of the inert electrolyte Bu₄NPF₆ the rates slow down and the kinetics follow the rate law k_obs = kK_ip[Bu₄NX]/[Bu₄NPF₆] + K_ip[Bu₄NX]). These findings fit well with a reaction scheme which involves a pre-equilibrium K_ip between ion pairs, followed by unimolecular substitution within the contact ion pair [Pt(phen) (CH₃) (Me₂SO)X]_ip. Values of the equilibrium constants K_ip for ion-pair exchange and of the internal substitution rates k were derived. The latter showed that the discrimination in reactivity between Cl⁻, Br⁻, SCN⁻ and I⁻ is greatly reduced with respect to aqueous solutions. The reason behind this may be desolvation of the ions coupled to the fact that a contact ion pair is already at a certain distance along the reaction coordinate in the direction of the transition state. Applications of the special salt effect and of ion pairing to synthesis are discussed.