EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY AND PIGMENTATION OF THE VAQUITA, PHOCOENA SINUS (CETACEA: MAMMALIA)

The vaquita, Phocoena sinus , is a porpoise in the family Phocoenidae that lives only in the Gulf of California. The external appearance of P. sinus was unknown until 13 fresh specimens were recently examined. The most obvious morphological feature distinguishing P. sinus from its two congeners is the proportionately higher dorsal fin. The most striking features of the pigmentation pattern are the large black eye patches and the black upper and lower lip patches. In both areas, the pigmentation contrasts sharply with the surrounding light gray coloration. The total lengths of the specimens ranged from 70.3 cm (a neonate) to 143.5 cm (an adult female).     

猫颈动脉区压力和化学感受性刺激对巨细胞旁外侧核单位放电的影响

在31只氯醛糖和氨基甲酸乙酯麻醉的猫,观察了选择性激活颈动脉压力和化学感受器对巨细胞旁外侧核(PGL)单位放电的影响。136个PGL自发放电单位中,有84个在激活颈动脉压力感受器(BA)(新福林,1—2μg/kg,iv)和/或激活颈动脉化学感受器(CA)(nicotine 5—20μg,溶于0.25—0.5ml生理盐水中,注入甲状腺动脉)时,放电频率有变化。在这些有反应的单位中,16个仅对CA起反应(11个兴奋、5个抑制);54个以各种组合方式对CA和BA都起反应,其中以CA引起兴奋反应而BA引起抑制反应的占比例最大;14个仅对BA起反应(7个兴奋,7个抑制)。在定位分布上,那些只对CA起反应的单位多位于PGL的腹侧部份;仅对BA起反应的单位则位于对CA起反应单位的较背侧;对BA和CA均起反应的单位介于上述两者之间或在较深区域。这些结果表明,颈动脉区压力和化学感受器活动传入到PGL,并会聚在其中一些神经元上。 在PGL内全部有反应的单位中,68个对激活颈动脉压力感受器起反应,其中兴奋的29个,抑制的39个(P>0.05);70个对激活颈动脉化学感受器起反应,其中48个兴奋,22个抑制(P<0.005)。这些结果提示,BA对PGL神经元引起兴奋和抑制两种效应,而CA则诱发兴奋为主的反应。     

颈动脉内注入腺苷对呼吸,血压和肾交感神经活动的影响

在33只麻醉家兔,观察了颈动脉内注入腺苷所诱发的平均动脉压、心率,呼吸和肾交感神经活动的变化。结果如下:(1)颈动脉内注入腺苷后,平均动脉压呈剂量依赖性下降;呼吸加快,深度变化不明显,剪断窦神经后注入腺苷,仍引起平均动脉压下降,而呼吸变化消失。(2)隔离的颈动脉窦灌流液内加入腺苷后,平均动脉压下降,心率减慢;颈动脉体(CB)失活后反应消失。(3)将腺苷灌注到颈动脉窦区后,平均动脉压下降,肾交感神经传出放电活动增加,CB 失活或剪断窦神经后,反应消失。由此提示:腺苷可作为兴奋 CB 的一种物质,引起平均动脉压降低,心率减慢,呼吸加强和肾交感神经放电活动增加。     

刺激家兔颈交感神经对颈动脉窦反射的影响

在36只麻醉家兔观察了电刺激颈交感神经(CSN)对颈动脉窦压力感受器(CSB)活动的影响。所得结果如下:(1)电刺激 CSN 可使夹闭颈动脉引起的加压反射消失或倒转,△BP 从刺激前的 39.5±3.6mmHg 变为刺激时的-0.31±5.4mmHg(P<0.001)。(2)在电刺激CSN 时,静注新福林所诱发的颈动脉窦压力感受器-心率反射增强,表现为反射性心率减慢较刺激前更为明显。(3)在以50—200mmHg 的压力充胀两侧颈动脉窦的条件下,刺激 CSN 引起窦内压与平均动脉压的关系曲线下移,与刺激前曲线相比有明显差异(P<0.01)。(4)切断 CSN 后,动脉血压有所升高,提示 CSN 对 CSB 活动有紧张性调节作用。以上结果比较明确地表明家兔 CSN 对 CSB 活动有调节作用。此作用可能是 CSN 作用于窦壁平滑肌而间接引起的。     

颈动脉窦内压的变化速率对反射性降压效应的影响

在成年狗身上制备右侧孤离颈动脉窦,借助灌流装置用饱和氧的任氏液对其进行灌流。灌流压为搏动性的。通过改变每搏泵出量、灌流管道的阻力和弹性来调节灌流压及其变化速率。用多导生理记录仪同步记录股动脉血压、窦内灌流压及其变化速率。本文主要观察窦内压的变化速率对降压反射的影响。在8只狗身上共进行了93次实验。结果表明,在窦内压相同的情况下,灌流压的上升速率愈快,降压效应愈明显,而其下降速率则无显著作用。已有资料证明搏动性窦内压所引起的降压效应较非搏动性压力更为明显。由此可见,狗的颈动脉窦压力感受器不仅对搏动性压力而且对其上升的变化速率也很敏感。     

颈动脉窦区注入枸橼酸钠抑制家兔呼吸的机制

向颈总动脉头端注入枸橼酸钠能使大多数家兔发生呼气性呼吸暂停和呼吸频率变慢。此呼吸抑制效应可被地卡因麻醉颈动脉窦区所消除。切断窦神经不能阻断枸橼酸钠对呼吸的抑制。切断迷走神经窦支则使半数以上家兔的呼吸抑制减弱或消失,而在结状神经节上方切断迷走神经能阻断大多数家兔的呼吸抑制。结果提示,迷走神经窦支是颈动脉窦区感受器传入通路之一,向颈动脉窦区注入枸橼酸钠对呼吸的抑制主要是通过迷走神经传入引起的。     

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Xiphinema,Longidorus, and Californidorus Stylet Morphology

Stylet ultrastructure of five Xiphinema, four Longidorus, and three Californidorus species was compared by scanning electron microscopy. Morphological differences were seen in the odontophores and odontostyle bases between the genera and some of the species. All Xiphinema studied had well-developed odontophore flanges; the Longidorus species lacked flanges, except for weakly developed ones in L. diadecturus; and none of the Californidorus had flanges. Three sinuses were present in the odontophores of all species. The sinuses varied in length depending upon species. In Xiphinema and Californidorus the odontostyle bases had distinct overlapping collars, but in Longidorus the collars were absent except for L. diadecturus. The odontostyle-odontophore junction from a lateral view appeared as a slanted transverse line in all the species, but in a dorsal view of Xiphinema and Californidorus it was V-shaped. Dorsal longitudinal seams of the odontostyle and odontophore were observed in all the species. The dorsally located odontostyle aperture was ca. 1 μm from the anterior end in all species, except in one Longidorus sp. it was ca. 4 μm from the end.     

Plasticity in cultured carotid body chemoreceptors: Environmental modulation of GAP-43 and neurofilament

In this study we use dissociated cell cultures of the rat carotid body to investigate the adaptive capabilities of endogenous oxygen chemoreceptors, following chronic stimulation by various environmental factors. These oxygen chemoreceptors are catecholamine-containing glomus cells, which derive from the neural crest and resemble adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Using double-label immunofluorescence, we found that chronic exposure of carotid body cultures to hypoxia (2% to 10% oxygen) caused a significant fraction of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) glomus cells to acquire detectable immunoreactivity for growth-associated protein gap-43. The effect was dose-dependent and peaked around an oxygen tension of 6%, where approximately 30% of glomus cells were GAP-43 positive. Treatment with agents that elevate intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) (i.e., dibutyryl cAMP or forskolin) also markedly stimulated GAP-43 expression. Since hypoxia is known to increase cAMP levels in glomus cells, it is possible that the effect of hypoxia on GAP-43 expression was mediated, at least in part, by a cAMP-dependent pathway. Unlike hypoxia, however, cAMP analogs also stimulated neurofilament (NF 68 or NF 160 kD) expression and neurite outgrowth in glomus cells, and these properties were enhanced by retinoic acid. Nerve growth factor, which promotes neuronal differentiation in related crest-derived endocrine cells, and dibutyryl cGMP were ineffective. Thus, it appears that postnatal glomus cells are plastic and can express neuronal traits in vitro. However, since hypoxia stimulated GAP-43 expression, without promoting neurite outgrowth, it appears that the two processes can be uncoupled. We suggest that stimulation of GAP-43 by hypoxia may be important for other physiological processes, e.g., enhancing neurotransmitter release or sensitization of G-protein–coupled receptor transduction. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Nitric oxide synthase in the rat carotid body and carotid sinus

The participation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the innervation of the rat carotid body and carotid sinus was investigated by means of NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry and NOS immunohistochemistry using antisera raised against purified neuronal NOS and a synthetic tridecapeptide. NOS was detected in 23% of neurons at the periphery of the carotid bodies. Some negative neurons were surrounded by NOS-positive terminals. NOS-containing varicose nerve fibres innervated the arterial vascular bed and, to a lesser extent, the islands of glomus cells. These fibres persisted after transection of the carotid sinus nerve and are probably derived from intrinsic neurons. Large NOS-positive axonal swellings in the wall of the carotid sinus were absent after transection of the sinus nerve, indicating their sensory origin. The results suggest a neuronal nitrergic control of blood flow, neuronal activity and chemoreception in the carotid body, and an intrinsic role of NO in the process of arterial baroreception.     

CFD simulation of flow through heart: a perspective review

This work addresses the problem of prescribing proper boundary conditions at the artificial boundaries that separate the vascular district from the remaining part of the circulatory system. A multiscale (MS) approach is used where the Navier–Stokes equations for the district of interest are coupled to a non-linear system of ordinary differential equations which describe the circulatory system. This technique is applied to three 3D models of a carotid bifurcation with increasing stenosis resembling three phases of a plaque growth. The results of the MS simulations are compared to those obtained by two stand-alone models. The MS shows a great flexibility in numerically predicting the haemodynamic changes due to the presence of a stenosis. Nonetheless, the results are not significantly different from a stand-alone approach where flows derived by the MS without stenosis are imposed. This is a consequence of the dominant role played by the outside districts with respect to the stenosis resistance.