Influence of ventilation of the face on thermoregulation in Man during hyper- and hypothermia

It has been suggested that a thermal countercurrent exchange may occur in the cerebral vascular bed of humans, thereby creating for the brain a state of relative thermal independence with regard to the rest of the body. However, worrying questions have arisen concerning this suggestion. Experiments were carried out on seven young male volunteers. Hyper- and hypothermic conditions were produced by immersion in water at 38.5 degrees C and 25 degrees C, respectively. During the last few minutes of immersion, the face was cooled or warmed by ventilation with a 200 l.min-1 air flow at 5 degrees C or 40 degrees C, respectively. Internal and peripheral temperatures were recorded. Blood flow in the anastomotic vessels between face and brain was measured by Doppler techniques associated with computerized frequency analysis. The general responses were as classically described, i.e. an increase in peripheral and central temperatures during immersion in the warm bath and a decrease in these variables in the cold bath. The reactions produced by cooling or warming the face were small and easily explained by the direct changes of the heat load they induced. Whatever the thermal conditions, the blood flow in the anastomotic vessels between the vascular bed of the face and that of the brain was never reversed. It was concluded that there was no experimental evidence for an efficient thermal counter-current exchange in the vascular bed of the human head.     

Synthetic leukotriene B4 is a potent chemotaxin but a weak secretagogue from human PMN

We have examined the effects of very pure (> 99.8%) chemically synthesized leukotriene B₄ of verifeid structuer on the chemotactc and secretry behavior of human polymphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The synthetic material is highly chemotactic and shows the same concentration dependence of this activity as does natural LTB₄. Synthetic LTB₄ is also a weak degranulating agnet in cytochalasin B treated PMN. Maximally it released 11%, 17% and 26% as much N-acetyl-β-D-dlucosaminidise, myeloperoxidase and lysozyme as did N-formyl-methionine-leucine-phneylalanine (fMLP). Thus LTB₄ differs significantly from other chemotaxisn, as such as C5a and fMLP, in that it is a poor secretagogue for enzymes of the specific adn azurophilic granules of human PMN.     

BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Is Associated with Self-Reported Empathy

Empathy is an important driver of human social behaviors and presents genetic roots that have been studied in neuroimaging using the intermediate phenotype approach. Notably, the Val66Met polymorphism of the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been identified as a potential target in neuroimaging studies based on its influence on emotion perception and social cognition, but its impact on self-reported empathy has never been documented. Using a neurogenetic approach, we investigated the association between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and self-reported empathy (Davis’ Interpersonal Reactivity Index; IRI) in a sample of 110 young adults. Our results indicate that the BDNF genotype is significantly associated with the linear combination of the four facets of the IRI, one of the most widely used self-reported empathy questionnaire. Crucially, the effect of BDNF Val66Met goes beyond the variance explained by two polymorphisms of the oxytocin transporter gene previously associated with empathy and its neural underpinnings (OXTR rs53576 and rs2254298). These results represent the first evidence suggesting a link between the BDNF gene and self-reported empathy and warrant further studies of this polymorphism due to its potential clinical significance.     

Foraging energetics of arctic cormorants and the evolution of diving birds

Efficient body insulation is assumed to have enabled birds and mammals to colonize polar aquatic ecosystems. We challenge this concept by comparing the bioenergetics of cormorants ( Phalacrocorax carbo ) living in temperate and arctic conditions. We show that although these birds have limited insulation, they maintain high body temperature (42.3 °C) when diving in cold water (1–10 °C). Their energy demand at these times is extremely high (up to 60 W kg⁻¹). Free-living cormorants wintering in Greenland (water temperature −1 °C) profoundly alter their foraging activity, thus minimizing time spent in water and the associated high thermoregulatory costs. They then meet their daily food demand within a single intense dive bout (lasting 9 min on average). Their substantial energy requirements are balanced by the highest predatory efficiency so far recorded for aquatic predators. We postulate that similar behavioural patterns allowed early diving birds (Cretaceous) to colonize cold coastal areas before they evolved efficient insulation.     

Binding of benzyl penicilloyl to human serum albumin. Evidence for a highly reactive region at the junction of domains 1 and 2 of the albumin molecule

Tryptic digests of fragment C124-298 of penicilloylated serum albumin, obtained from a penicillin-treated patient or prepared by in vitro conjugation, were analyzed by HPLC. Determinations of benzyl penicilloyl groups (BPO) were performed on the different fractions. Three BPO-containing peptides were identified by their amino acid sequence and the bound BPO was located on lysines 190, 195 and 199 and serine 193. These four main BPO-binding sites are all located on a very short region (10 amino acid residues) of the albumin molecule at the junction of domains 1 and 2.     

Effects of gastric digestive products from casein on CCK release by intestinal cells in rat

We investigated the ability of gastric digestive products from casein to stimulate cholecystokinin release by intestinal cells using the isolated vascularly perfused rat duodenojejunum. Casein digests were prepared with an in vitro system simulating gastric digestion and emptying.

The luminal infusion of the digesta emptied from the artificial stomach for the first 10 minutes produced a sharp rise of portal cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity to 300% of basal, followed by a well-sustained plateau secretion until the end of the infusion. The residual casein fraction of this digest brought about a modest cholecystokinin secretion, while the peptide component was as strong a stimulant as total digest. The peptide responsible for this effect was the glycomacropeptide that is a glycosylated fragment (106–169) of κ-casein. Only the slightly glycosylated forms of the peptide originating from variant A of κ-casein were active. The carbohydrate-free peptide did not alter basal cholecystokinin. The highly glycosylated forms of the peptide and the slightly glycosylated peptide from κ-casein variant B induced only a transient and low rise of portal cholecystokinin. The removal of N-acetylneuraminic acid from the active peptide suppressed its effect, while the infusion of an N-acetylneuraminic acid solution induced only a very low response.

It is concluded that the glycomacropeptide released from dietary casein during gastric digestion can stimulate cholecystokinin release by intestinal cells in the rat. A well-defined structure is required for the peptide activity. A part of the peptide chain and some glycosidic chains containing N-acetylneuraminic acid, especially those bound to the amino acid residue threonyl 31 of caseinomacropeptide variant A, would be involved in this structure.