Cell surface fibronectin of mouse peritoneal macrophages

Fibronectin (FN) was detected on thioglycollate-induced mouse peritoneal macrophages by binding the 125I-labeled F(ab')2 fragment of rabbit anti-human plasma fibronectin. The cell surface fibronectin (sFN) was removed from the surface of the macrophage monolayer by limited trypsinization. After trypsinization, binding of 125I-labeled plasma fibronectin (125I-pFN) to the macrophage monolayer was increased, suggesting that the FN receptor covered with sFN was exposed by trypsinization without destroying the receptor activity. The amounts of saturation binding of 125I-pFN to the macrophage monolayers before and after trypsinization were about 2.4 and 6.3 micrograms per 10(6) cells, respectively, indicating that the macrophage monolayer has the capacity of binding 6.3 micrograms FN per 10(6) cells, and the FN receptor equivalent to about 4 micrograms pFN per 10(6) cells is covered with sFN.     

Left ventricular reflex control of venous return and systemic vascular capacitance in dogs

The reflex effects of left ventricular distension on venous return, vascular capacitance, vascular resistance, and sympathetic efferent nerve activity were examined in dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. In addition, the interaction of left ventricular distension and the carotid sinus baroreflex was examined. Vascular capacitance was assessed by measuring changes in systemic blood volume, using extracorporeal circulation with constant cardiac output and constant central venous pressure. Left ventricular distension produced by balloon inflation caused a transient biphasic change in venous return; an initial small increase was followed by a late relatively large decrease. Left ventricular distension increased systemic blood volume by 3.8 +/- 0.6 mL/kg and decreased systemic blood pressure by 27 +/- 2 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) at an isolated carotid sinus pressure of 50 mmHg. These changes were accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in sympathetic efferent nerve activity. When the carotid sinus pressure was increased to 125 and 200 mmHg, these responses were attenuated. It is suggested that left ventricular mechanoreceptors and carotid baroreceptors contribute importantly to the control of venous return and vascular capacitance.     

Significant increase in natural disturbance impacts on European forests since 1950

Over the last decades, the natural disturbance is increasingly putting pressure on European forests. Shifts in disturbance regimes may compromise forest functioning and the continuous provisioning of ecosystem services to society, including their climate change mitigation potential. Although forests are central to many European policies, we lack the long-term empirical data needed for thoroughly understanding disturbance dynamics, modeling them, and developing adaptive management strategies. Here, we present a unique database of >170,000 records of ground-based natural disturbance observations in European forests from 1950 to 2019. Reported data confirm a significant increase in forest disturbance in 34 European countries, causing on an average of 43.8 million m³ of disturbed timber volume per year over the 70-year study period. This value is likely a conservative estimate due to under-reporting, especially of small-scale disturbances. We used machine learning techniques for assessing the magnitude of unreported disturbances, which are estimated to be between 8.6 and 18.3 million m³/year. In the last 20 years, disturbances on average accounted for 16% of the mean annual harvest in Europe. Wind was the most important disturbance agent over the study period (46% of total damage), followed by fire (24%) and bark beetles (17%). Bark beetle disturbance doubled its share of the total damage in the last 20 years. Forest disturbances can profoundly impact ecosystem services (e.g., climate change mitigation), affect regional forest resource provisioning and consequently disrupt long-term management planning objectives and timber markets. We conclude that adaptation to changing disturbance regimes must be placed at the core of the European forest management and policy debate. Furthermore, a coherent and homogeneous monitoring system of natural disturbances is urgently needed in Europe, to better observe and respond to the ongoing changes in forest disturbance regimes.     

Catecholamine-induced changes in vascular capacitance and sympathetic nerve activity in dogs.

The effects of three catecholamines, dopamine, epinephrine, and dobutamine, on the systemic circulation, especially on systemic vascular capacitance, were studied using cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital. Venous outflow was divided into three compartments: splanchnic, renal, and other; changes in systemic blood volume (SBV) were calculated from the changes in total venous outflow. To examine the contribution of sympathetic discharge to these vascular responses, sympathetic efferent nerve activity (SENA) from the ventral ansa subclavian nerve was recorded simultaneously. Experiments were done under three conditions: control, after baroreceptor deafferentation, and after hexamethonium injection with low and high doses of each catecholamine. During control and after baroreceptor deafferentation, dopamine- and epinephrine-induced changes in SBV were less than those after hexamethonium, and not significant except with low dose epinephrine. After hexamethonium, dopamine (200 micrograms/kg), epinephrine (10 micrograms/kg), and dobutamine (100 micrograms/kg) reduced SBV by 10.6 +/- 3.4, 13.1 +/- 1.7, and 1.9 +/- 0.3 mL/kg, respectively. Splanchnic outflow increased significantly with dopamine and epinephrine after hexamethonium. High dose dopamine and epinephrine significantly suppressed SENA to 38 +/- 9 and 15 +/- 6% of baseline, respectively. Low dose dopamine decreased arterial pressure and SENA. This suppression in SENA was attenuated but still observed after baroreceptor deafferentation. Dobutamine reduced SBV, but had no effect on SENA. These results suggest that dopamine and epinephrine primarily decrease SBV by venoconstriction in the splanchnic region, however, these effects are greatly modified by basal sympathetic discharge and changes in SENA and vascular tone.     

Isolation and Characterization of PDE-I and II,the Inhibitors of Cyclic Adenosine-3′,5′-monophosphate Phosphodiesterase

In the screening for inhibitors of cyclic adenosine-3′,5′-monophosphate phosphodiesterase, two compounds, PDE-I (C₁₃H₁₃N₃O₅) and PDE-II (C₁₄H₁₄N₂O₅), were isolated from culture filtrates of a Streptomyces. Concentrations for 50% inhibitions of PDE-I and PDE-II against the high Km enzyme were 15 µm and 13 µm, and those against the low Km enzyme were 65 µm and 130 µm, respectively. Production, isolation and characterization of these compounds are described.