Esophageal temperature threshold for sweating decreases before ovulation in premenopausal women

The purpose ofthis study was to test the hypothesis that regulated body temperatureis decreased in the preovulatory phase in eumenorrheic women. Six womenwere studied in both the preovulatory phase (Preov-2;days 9-12), which was 1-2days before predicted ovulation when 17-estradiol(E₂) was estimated to peak, andin the follicular phase (F; days2-6). The subjects walked on a treadmill (~225W · m²)in a warm chamber (ambient temperature = 30°C; dew-pointtemperature = 11.5°C) while heavily clothed.E₂, esophageal temperature(T_es), local skin temperatures,and local sweating rate were measured. The estimate of when theE₂ surge would occur was correctfor four of six subjects. In these four subjects,E₂ increased(P  0.05) from 42.0 ± 24.5 pg/mlduring F to 123.2 ± 31.3 pg/ml during Preov-2. RestingT_es was 37.02 ± 0.20°Cduring F and 36.76 ± 0.28°C during Preov-2(P  0.05). TheT_es threshold for sweating wasdecreased (P  0.05) from 36.88 ± 0.27°C during F to 36.64 ± 0.35°C during Preov-2. Both meanskin and mean body temperatures were decreased during rest in Preov-2group. The hypothesis that regulated body temperature is decreasedduring the preovulatory phase is supported.

     

Effects of Barbiturates on Facilitative Glucose Transporters are Pharmacologically Specific and Isoform Selective

Barbiturates inhibit GLUT-1-mediated glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier, in cultured mammalian cells, and in human erythrocytes. Barbiturates also interact directly with GLUT-1. The hypotheses that this inhibition of glucose transport is (i) selective, preferring barbiturates over halogenated hydrocarbon inhalation anesthetics, and (ii) specific, favoring some GLUT-# isoforms over others were tested. Several oxy- and thio-barbiturates inhibited [³H]-2-deoxyglucose uptake by GLUT-1 expressing murine fibroblasts with IC₅₀s of 0.2–2.9 mm. Inhibition of GLUT-1 by barbiturates correlates with their overall lipid solubility and pharmacology, and requires hydrophobic side chains on the core barbiturate structure. In contrast, several halogenated hydrocarbons and ethanol (all ≤10 mm) do not significantly inhibit glucose transport. The interaction of these three classes of anesthetics with purified GLUT-1 was evaluated by quenching of intrinsic protein fluorescence and displayed similar specificities and characteristics. The ability of barbiturates to inhibit other facilitative glucose transporters was determined in cell types expressing predominantly one isoform. Pentobarbital inhibits [³H]-2-deoxyglucose and [¹⁴C]-3-O-methyl-glucose uptake in cells expressing GLUT-1, GLUT-2, and GLUT-3 with IC₅₀s of ∼1 mm. In contrast, GLUT-4 expressed in insulin-stimulated rat adipocytes was much less sensitive than the other isoforms to inhibition by pentobarbital (IC₅₀ of >10 mm). Thus, barbiturates selectively inhibit glucose transport by some, but not all, facilitative glucose transporter isoforms. Received: 10 November 1998/Revised: 3 February 1999     

Floral plasticity in an iteroparous plant: the interactive effects of genotype, environment, and ontogeny in Campanula rapunculoides (Campanulaceae)

Phenotypic variation in 11 floral and reproductive traits was studied in cloned plants of Campanula rapunculoides replicated in three discrete environments. Using an ANOVA approach, we determined the relative influence of genotype (G), environment (E), G × E interaction, and ontogeny (position on the raceme) on the 11 traits. Two traits, duration of flowering and pollen size, showed no significant variation. All nine remaining traits had significant genotypic variation, accounting for 21-38% of the total phenotypic variation. Correlations among variant traits in seven genotypes were predominantly positive, but several significant correlations in one environment changed sign or were nonsignificant in another environment. Ovule number was negatively correlated with most male function traits: the negative correlation between ovule and pollen number was particularly strong and consistent across environments. Six traits varied significantly across environments, including number of flowers, number of ovules per flower, and duration of the male phase, but pollen traits did not show a significant environmental main effect. The G × E interaction was significant for flower number, corolla size, nectar quality, duration of the male phase, pollen viability, and ovule number. The contribution of interaction variance to the total phenotypic variation (5-14%) was comparable to that of the environment alone (7-21%). Ovule number decreased in flowers on the upper part of the raceme by nearly 25%, but other traits did not vary significantly by floral position. These results suggest that (1) pollen traits are buffered against environmental change more than ovule number or other floral characters, (2) a male-female trade-off exists and is complicated by ontogenic factors, (3) G × E interactions are common but may have small effects, and (4) specific correlation patterns among floral traits can be dependent upon the environment under which they develop.     

High levels of genetic diversity throughout the range of the Portuguese wheat landrace 'Barbela'

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Landrace populations represent an important intra-crop reservoir of biodiversity and source of novel gene alleles for use in breeding programmes. Here the aim was to measure the diversity of a wheat landrace, 'Barbela', from the north of Portugal. METHODS: DNA was extracted from 59 accessions of Barbela collected across its geographical range. Diversity was measured by microsatellite length polymorphisms using 27 primer pairs amplifying 34 polymorphic microsatellite loci. KEY RESULTS: High levels of polymorphism were found, with an average polymorphism information content of 0.52; an average of 4.77 alleles (range 2-11) were present at each locus, and half of these loci showed an additional allele in the reference variety 'Chinese Spring'. CONCLUSIONS: 'Barbela' is maintained from seeds collected by farmers, but it maintains high allelic variation, and no groupings of accessions were detected when analysed by geographical region, farm or climate, indicating that the wheat landrace is a homogeneous entity. The diversity within the farmer-maintained landrace demonstrates the importance of characterization and maintenance of landrace collections before valuable genetic combinations are lost as uniform commercial crops are introduced.     

Programming of adult cardiovascular function after early maternal undernutrition in sheep

The prenatal nutritional environment influences the subsequent risk of hypertension in adulthood. Animal studies have used, generally, the rat as a model species to illustrate the association between maternal nutrient intake and blood pressure in the resulting adult offspring. No study to date has shown programming of adult cardiovascular function in the sheep through maternal dietary intervention. We therefore fed pregnant sheep to either 100% recommended intake from day 0 of gestation to term [ approximately 147 days gestational age (dGA); controls n = 8] or to 50% recommended intake from day 0 to 95 dGA and thereafter to 100% intake (NR; n = 9). Sheep lambed naturally, offspring were weaned at 16 wk, and the male offspring were reared on pasture until 3 yr of age. At this time, cardiovascular catheters were inserted under halothane anesthesia and sheep were allowed 2-4 days recovery. Basal cardiovascular status and pressor responses to infusion of norepinephrine, angiotensin II, and captopril were then assessed alongside basal plasma concentrations of glucose, cortisol, and leptin. NR sheep were of similar birth weight to controls but at 3 yr of age had higher blood pressure before, but not after, feeding. Peripheral sensitivity to vasoconstrictor infusion was similar between dietary groups, although a reflex bradycardia was not apparent in NR sheep during norepinephrine infusion. Circulating leptin correlated well with fat mass and increased more after vasoconstrictor infusion in NR sheep. In conclusion, early NR has been shown to program aspects of cardiovascular control and adipocyte function in adult sheep.     

Effect of creatine on contractile force and sensitivity in mechanically skinned single fibers from rat skeletal muscle

Increasing the intramuscular stores of total creatine [TCr = creatine (Cr) + creatine phosphate (CrP)] can result in improved muscle performance during certain types of exercise in humans. Initial uptake of Cr is accompanied by an increase in cellular water to maintain osmotic balance, resulting in a decrease in myoplasmic ionic strength. Mechanically skinned single fibers from rat soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were used to examine the direct effects on the contractile apparatus of increasing [Cr], increasing [Cr] plus decreasing ionic strength, and increasing [Cr] and [CrP] with no change in ionic strength. Increasing [Cr] from 19 to 32 mM, accompanied by appropriate increases in water to maintain osmolality, had appreciable beneficial effects on contractile apparatus performance. Compared with control conditions, both SOL and EDL fibers showed increases in Ca²⁺ sensitivity (+0.061 ± 0.004 and +0.049 ± 0.009 pCa units, respectively) and maximum Ca²⁺-activated force (to 104 ± 1 and 105 ± 1%, respectively). In contrast, increasing [Cr] alone had a small inhibitory effect. When both [Cr] and [CrP] were increased, there was virtually no change in Ca²⁺ sensitivity of the contractile apparatus, and maximum Ca²⁺-activated force was 106 ± 1% compared with control conditions in both SOL and EDL fibers. These results suggest that the initial improvement in performance observed with Cr supplementation is likely due in large part to direct effects of the accompanying decrease in myoplasmic ionic strength on the properties of the contractile apparatus. ergogenic aid; muscle contraction; fatigue     

A new approach to extending the wheat marker pool by anchored PCR amplification of compound SSRs

A study was undertaken to determine the utility in bread wheat of anchored PCR for the development of single locus SSR markers targeted at compound repeat motifs. In anchored PCR, microsatellite amplification is achieved using a single primer complementary to the flanking sequence, and one which anchors to the repeat junction of the compound SSR. The recovery rate of useable markers was found to be similar (43%) to that reported for conventionally generated SSRs. Thus, anchored PCR can be used to reduce the costs of marker development, since it requires that only half the number of primers be synthesised. Where fluorescence-based platforms are used, marker deployment costs are lower, since only the anchoring primers need to be labelled. In addition, anchored PCR improves the recovery of useful markers, as it allows assays to be generated from microsatellite clones with repeat sequences located close to their ends, a situation where conventional PCR amplification fails as two flanking primers cannot be designed. Strategies to permit the large-scale development of compound SSR markers amplified by anchored PCR are discussed.Communicated by P. Langridge     

Extracellular ATP signaling in the rabbit lung: erythrocytes as determinants of vascular resistance

Previously, it was reported that red blood cells (RBCs) are required to demonstrate participation of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of rabbit pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). RBCs do not synthesize NO; hence, we postulated that ATP, present in millimolar amounts in RBCs, was the mediator, which evoked NO synthesis in the vascular endothelium. First, we found that deformation of RBCs, as occurs on passage across the pulmonary circulation with increasing flow rate, evoked increments in ATP release. Here, ATP (300 nM), administered to isolated, salt solution-perfused (PSS) rabbit lungs, decreased total and upstream (arterial) PVR, a response inhibited by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM). In lungs perfused with PSS containing RBCs, L-NAME increased total and upstream PVR. In lungs perfused with PSS containing glibenclamide-treated RBCs, which inhibits ATP release, L-NAME was without effect. Apyrase grade VII (8 U/ml), which degrades ATP to AMP, was without effect on PVR in PSS-perfused lungs. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that ATP, released from RBCs as they traverse the pulmonary circulation, evokes endogenous NO synthesis.     

Microhabitat distribution of protostelids in a Tropical Wet Forest in Costa Rica

A microhabitat study of protostelids was carried out in a Tropical Wet Forest at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. Nine species were recorded from sterile wheat straws placed out and then re-collected over a period of six weeks from two different litter microhabitats in an area of primary forest. All nine species were present on straws placed in the aerial litter microhabitat, but only six species were present on straws placed in the forest floor litter microhabitat. Total colonies, percent of straws colonized, and mean number of species per straw increased significantly over time. One species (Schizoplasmodiopsis pseudoendospora) typical of temperate litter was the overwhelming dominant on the forest floor litter, while Echinostelium bisporum, a species rare in temperate litter microhabitats, was the single most abundant species in the aerial litter microhabitat. Both of these species had significantly increased frequencies over time. Two species abundant in temperate aerial litter microhabitats and one species abundant in temperate forest floor litter were rare at La Selva. Our data conform to those obtained in an earlier study carried out in tropical forests in the mountains of Puerto Rico and provide additional support towards developing a model of microhabitat distribution of protostelids in terrestrial ecosystems.     

Parental effects in a partially self-incompatible herb Campanula rapunculoides L. (Campanulaceae): influence of variation in the strength of self-incompatibility on seed set and progeny performance

We employ a full reciprocal diallel design between 10 parental plants that differed in their strength of self-incompatibility (SI; strong, intermediate, and weak) to examine parental effects on seed set and 10 components of fitness of progeny performance in Campanula rapunculoides. We perform ANOVAs to separate the influence of the strength of SI and the identity of the maternal and paternal parent on family performance. We calculate the phenotypic and genetic correlations between traits to determine potentially evolutionary constraints. Finally, we employ maximum likelihood methods to estimate the components of quantitative genetic variance, as defined by Cockerham and Weir in their BioModel c. Our most significant finding is that weak SI plants have high outcrossed seed set as maternal parents. We argue that direct or pleiotropic effects of modifiers of SI probably cause this. Second, we find that extranuclear interactions, as defined by the BioModel, have strong effects on seed set and several vegetative and flowering traits. These findings indicate that some maternal plants selectively provision seeds sired by specific paternal donors and that some of this variation appears to be associated with modifiers of the strength of SI. We find other sources of significant quantitative genetic variation for all of the traits we examine and discuss the possible role these play in the evolution of the reproductive system. Taken together, our findings show that variation in the strength of SI may influence levels of quantitative genetic variation that, in turn, can influence the reproductive success of individuals in C. rapunculoides