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A Maillet

Publications and source records attributed to A Maillet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cardiovascular and hormonal changes induced by isolation and confinement.

The cardiovascular changes induced by microgravity are in general described as the result of the loss of hydrostatic pressure. Other factors are also important: restricted environment with 1) elimination of mobility, action and 2) isolation always found in space environment or during simulation studies. Several studies indicate an analogy between microgravity and confinement. The results of simulation studies could be misinterpreted without a control confinement study present in the protocol.

Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena↗

Erythropoietin under real and simulated microgravity conditions in humans.

The aim of this study was to analyze the time course of erythropoietin (EPO) during Earth-bound microgravity simulations such as bed rest, isolation and confinement (IC), head-down tilt (HDT; -6 degrees), and immersion to evaluate which factors could contribute to alterations in EPO under real microgravity conditions during and after short- (< 10 days) and long-term (> 6 mo) spaceflights. During bed rest (24h), no significant changes in EPO could be observed. Subjects confined in a diving chamber facility for 60 days showed a decrease in EPO. In the recovery period a slight increase was observed, but EPO concentrations did not reach the pre-IC control level. In the control period before HDT, subjects showed normal resting values for EPO, but on day 2 of HDT the EPO concentrations were decreased (P < 0.01). Later the EPO levels remained below the control value and were increased after HDT (P < 0.05). After immersion (24 h) increased EPO concentrations could be determined (P < 0.05). During a short-term spaceflight the astronauts showed in-flight (day 4) decreased and unchanged EPO concentrations. During a long-term spaceflight, 24 h after recovery, the cosmonaut showed slightly elevated EPO concentration, which increased markedly during the following days. It is concluded that 1) HDT (-6 degrees) causes a rapid decrease in EPO in humans, 2) IC per se leads to diminished EPO concentrations, 3) EPO regulation in humans during short- and long-term spaceflights might be different, 4) changes in central blood volume, i.e., central venous pressure, seem to be involved in the modulation of EPO production and release under simulated and real microgravity conditions, and 5) the HDT (-6 degrees) Earth-bound simulation reflects mostly the changes in EPO production and release observed under real microgravity conditions in humans.

Adult↗

Cardiovascular and hormonal response during a 4-week head-down tilt with and without exercise and LBNP countermeasures.

To determine whether exercise and Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) during 28 days of -6 degrees head-down tilt (HDT) would modify orthostatic tolerance and blood volume regulating hormones, twelve healthy men were assigned to either a no- countermeasure (No-CM, n=6), or a countermeasure (CM, n=6) group. LBNP sessions consisted of 15 minutes exposure to -30 mm Hg, on days 16, 18, 20 and 22-28 of HDT. Muscular exercise began on day 8 and consisted of combined graded dynamic and isometric resistance bilateral leg exercise on a specially designed supine ergometer, in two sessions of 15-20 min. each, every day, 6 days per week. A tilt test was performed before and at the end of HDT. Changes in resting plasma volume from control day (D-5) to HDT day 24 were -11.2% for No-CM and -2.2% for CM. After HDT three among the 6 subjects of the No-CM group presented presyncopal or syncopal symptoms, no tilt test was interrupted in CM group. Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) decreased at day 7 for the two groups and remained low during all the HDT period for No-CM group only. Plasma Renin Activity and Aldosterone increased at day 7 and remained elevated for the two groups. Norepinephrine and epinephrine were unchanged. Elevated diuresis and natriuresis were evident during the first day of HDT. However, renal excretory patterns were different between the two groups: indeed, a decrease of Na+, ANP and cGMP was observed only in No-CM at Day 13 during HDT. Our data showed that the subjects of the No-CM group experienced a greater increase in heart rate and a decrease in systolic blood pressure during tilt tests after HDT; nevertheless, after HDT, blood pressure was better maintained in CM group during the tilt test. The plasma volume decrease measured at the end of HDT was significantly lower in CM group, in contrast, these countermeasures were ineffective in preventing at least certain changes in blood volume regulating hormones.

Adult↗

Blood volume regulating hormones response during two space related simulation protocols: four-week confinement and head-down bed-rest.

The volume of regulating hormones (renin, aldosterone, arginine vasopressin and atrial natriuretic factor), electrolytes and creatinine concentrations, and blood pressure were measured in two different four-week experimental protocols: respectively -6 degrees head-down bed-rest (5 subjects) and confinement (6 subjects). We observed a significant increase (P < 0.01 at D2 vs D-5) of systolic blood pressure during confinement and a different level of response for some hormones, especially for arginine vasopressin (300% increase during confinement instead of 50% during bed-rest). The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system was enhanced during confinement and head-down bed-rest. In both conditions, we obtained a similar pattern of response for blood volume regulating hormones. During confinement, two main factors were inactivity and stress activation of the sympathetic nervous system. In the bed-rest study the response is principally due to the fluid shift and blood volume adaptation but it is not possible to exclude the role of inactivity and stress.

Adult↗

Investigation of hormonal effects during 10-h head-down tilt on heart rate and blood pressure variability.

Head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest was used in this study to achieve physiological manipulation of the plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the hormones of the renin-angiotensin system. The purpose of this was to achieve a parallel with previous animal experiments in which blockade of the renin-angiotensin system caused significant increases in low-frequency spectral power of heart rate variability, presumably as a consequence of increased blood pressure variability, although this was not measured in these animal experiments. Eight healthy young men completed 10 h of seated control and 6 degrees HDT. To gain a more complete understanding of the interactions between hormonal and neural factors involved in cardiovascular regulation, we measured heart rate, systolic and diastolic pressure variabilities, plasma hormone concentrations, and blood flow to selected vascular beds by pulsed Doppler. Resting R-R interval was not significantly different between seated and HDT tests. Stroke volume and cardiac output were elevated in the first 1-2 h of HDT (P < 0.05), whereas each of systolic (P < 0.01) and diastolic (P < 0.0001) pressures was lower during HDT. Plasma ANP increased as much as 70% during HDT (P < 0.0001). Total variability in each of R-R interval and diastolic blood pressure was reduced during HDT (P < 0.001). Thus, at a time when plasma renin activity was decreased as much as 40% (P < 0.0001), there was in fact a decrease in the variability of R-R interval and diastolic blood pressure in contrast to the hypothesized increase such as found in previous animal experimentation. The data were compatible with tighter autonomic regulation of heart rate about the ideal mean value during HDT.

Adult↗

Spectral analysis of blood pressure variability in heart transplant patients.

The cardiac transplant patient provides a unique model for the study of blood pressure variability in the absence of heart rate variability. We examined the harmonic and fractal components of blood pressure variability in 14 heart transplant patients (12 men, 2 women; 21 to 62 years of age) and in age-and sex-matched control subjects during seated rest, supine rest, and supine rest with fixed-pace breathing (12 respirations per minute). Heart rate was faster in transplant patients than in control subjects, with much less heart rate variability (P < .0001). Spectral analysis of blood pressure variability revealed no difference in total power for either systolic or diastolic pressure, but transplant patients had less low-frequency (0 to 0.15 Hz) harmonic spectral power in both systolic (P < .01) and diastolic (P < .03) pressure and more high-frequency power (0.15 to 0.5 Hz) in diastolic pressure than control subjects. The ratio of high-frequency power in diastolic relative to systolic pressure was consistently higher (P < .0001) in the transplant patients (0.29 to 0.51) than in control subjects (0.11 to 0.13). The slope of the fractal component of systolic pressure was approximately 1.8 in both transplant patients and control subjects. This was greater than the slope for heart rate variability (approximately 1.1 in control subjects). These data provide clear evidence of independence of the fractal component of heart rate and blood pressure variabilities in both transplant patients and control subjects. The heart rate component of the arterial baroreflex minimized high-frequency diastolic pressure changes while contributing to low-frequency variations in both systolic and diastolic pressures.

Adult↗

Hormonal regulation during a 60-day confinement (ESA-EXEMSI'92) in humans.

EXEMSI'92 was a 60-day isolation and confinement experiment with an international crew. During this second experiment of the European Space Agency (the first one was a 28-day confinement with 6 men: ISEMSI'90), blood volume regulating hormones and water balance were studied. During ISEMSI'90, stress level was elevated as shown by specific markers and we observed some interesting results which have been already observed before, during bed-rest experiments. Thus, our conclusion was that some of the physiological effects observed during bed rest could be the consequence of the "confinement effect" and/or stress imposed to the subjects during such experiments. The aim of the present physiological study was: 1/to define the origin of the blood pressure increase seen during ISEMSI'90; 2/ to study the blood volume regulating hormones (ANP, renin, aldosterone) variations; 3/ to determine the dehydration level by measuring the total body water with the doubly labeled water (DLW) method and fluid balance in general.

Aldosterone↗

Early and late renin and ANP modifications induced by bedrest.

A number of studies have been devoted to better understand the cardiovascular adaptation to space flights. These studies included hemodynamic and hormonal studies, but few investigations of the rhythms exist in the literature. However, the importance of the modifications of rhythms in true or simulated weightlessness was underlined in some published works. Several factors are probably associated to modify the circadian rhythms. First, there is a reduction or an absence of gravity, an important environmental factor: second, space missions or bed rest simulations are conducted under confinement conditions which may influence many psychological functions. The resulting instability of the circadian state will affect other physiological systems, because circadian variations are a fundamental feature of many biological systems (sleep, endocrine and cardiovascular functions). The present study was undertaken to study the effect of as well as a continuous 28-day bed rest on the rhythms of circulating PRA and ANP, the modification of rhythmicity of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate during bed rest.

Atrial Natriuretic Factor↗

[Orthostatic hypotension after space flight].

Cardiovascular changes occur during spaceflight. Because of the loss of hydrostatic pressure there is, during weightlessness, a fluid shift of extra- and intra-vascular volumes to the upper part of the body. This provokes objective and subjective symptoms, especially in the first days of spaceflight. The fluid shift is perceived by baroreceptors as a relative central hypervolaemia and induces neuro-hormonal mechanisms which provoke a real hypovolaemia. Cardiovascular deconditioning exists during spaceflight with the following symptoms when astronauts return to earth: decreased orthostatic tolerance with possible tendency towards spontaneous syncope and decreased effort capacity. The mechanisms of orthostatic intolerance are not well known. Several factors are probably involved, including hypovolaemia, modifications of the venous system, baroreflex changes, etc. Various countermeasures have been tested in microgravity simulations on the ground, then in flight.

Cardiovascular Deconditioning↗

Hormone changes induced by 37.5-h head-down tilt (-6 degrees) in humans.

Endocrine regulation of hormones and electrolytes during 37.5 h of -6 degrees head down tilt (HDT) was studied in 13 men. The acute effects of simulated weightlessness are today well documented, but no study has been made concerning the hormone changes between 12 h and 2 days of HDT. Plasma volume showed a maximal increase of 9.23 (SEM 1.97)% after 6.5 h (P < 0.01) and had returned to prestudy levels after 13.5 h of HDT. From 1.5 h to 4 h of HDT, C-terminus and N-terminus atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations in plasma were increased by about 50% (P < 0.01) and thereafter declined to pre-HDT levels. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was decreased by 47% (P < 0.05) after 4 h of HDT; PRA increased after 23.5 h to 60%; noradrenaline concentration decreased immediately and remained low up to 37.5 h. Diuresis and natriuresis were evident during the 1st day of HDT, resulting in a marked increase in the urinary Na+. These results showed that the initial hormone (ANP, PRA) changes during HDT did not last more than 13.5 h and that after 24 h a new state would seem to have been established to adapt the body to hypovolaemia.

Adult↗

Altered autonomic regulation of cardiac function during head-up tilt after 28-day head-down bed-rest with counter-measures.

The effects of 28 days continuous 6 degrees head-down tilt bed-rest on heart rate variability and the slope of the spontaneous arterial baroreflex were evaluated during supine rest and the first 10 min of 60 degrees head-up tilt. Twelve healthy men were assigned to either a no counter-measure (No-CM), or a counter-measure (CM) group so that there was no difference in maximal oxygen uptake. Counter-measures consisted of short-term, high resistance exercise for 6 days per week from days 7-28, and lower body negative pressure (-28 mmHg) for 15 min on days 16, 18, 20 and 22-28. In spite of balanced between-group fitness, mean RR-interval was different between the No-CM and the CM group prior to bed-rest, but neither this nor any other variables showed significant counter-measure by bed-rest interaction effects. Therefore, all data presented are from the main effects of bed-rest or tilt from the analysis of variance. RR-interval was reduced significantly by bed-rest and by tilt (P < 0.0001). Indicators from spectral analysis of heart-rate variability suggested reduced parasympathetic nervous system activity with bed-rest (P < 0.01) and head-up tilt (P < 0.05), and increased sympathetic nervous system activity after bed-rest (P < 0.01). An indicator of complexity of cardiovascular control mechanisms, taken from the slope (beta) of log spectral power vs. log frequency relationship, suggested reduced complexity with bed-rest (P < 0.05) and head-up tilt (P < 0.01). The spontaneous baroreflex slope was reduced significantly by bed-rest (P < 0.03) and by head-up tilt (P < 0.04). Taken together, these data support the concept of altered autonomic nervous system function in the aetiology of cardiovascular deconditioning with bed-rest or space travel; and it would appear that no benefit is derived from these specific counter-measures.

Adult↗

Reduced spontaneous baroreflex response slope during lower body negative pressure after 28 days of head-down bed rest.

Effects of 28 days of continuous 6 degrees head-down tilt bed rest on spontaneous vagally mediated baroreflex response slope were evaluated from beat-by-beat relationships between R-R interval and systolic arterial blood pressure. Twelve healthy men (age 27-42 yr) were assigned to either countermeasure (CM) or no-countermeasure (no-CM) groups. CM consisted of strenuous short-term exercise once per day 6 days/wk from days 7 to 28 and lower body negative pressure (LBNP) for 15 min on days 16, 18, 20, and 22-28. Spontaneous baroreflex slope was evaluated by application of linear regression to sequences of at least three beats in which systolic blood pressure and R-R interval changed in the same direction. Measurements were made pre-, mid- (day 15), and post-bed rest at rest and during progressive LBNP tests (3 min at each of -20, -30, -40, and -50 mmHg). R-R interval decreased progressively and significantly (P < 0.0001) over duration of bed rest. Spontaneous baroreflex slope at rest in pre-bed rest was 18.5 +/- 2.1 ms/mm Hg for CM and 14.9 +/- 1.6 ms/mmHg for no-CM. There was a significant reduction in baroreflex slope as a function of bed rest, and it was further reduced during LBNP (P < 0.0001). Between CM and no-CM groups differences existed, but these were present pre-bed rest and appeared unaffected by countermeasures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Effect of 28-day head-down bed rest with countermeasures on heart rate variability during LBNP.

The effect of exercise and LBNP countermeasures on the cardiovascular deconditioning response have been evaluated by the study of heart rate variability during progressive LBNP tests before, during (day 15), and after 28 d continuous 6 degrees head-down tilt bed rest. Twelve healthy men (age 27-42 years) were studied in two groups. Six were assigned to a countermeasure regime (CM) consisting of strenuous short-term resistance exercise once per day, 6 days per week from day 7 to day 28, combined with lower body negative pressure (LBNP, -28 mm Hg) for 15 min on days 16, 18, 20, and 22-28. Results were compared with data from six subjects, matched on the basis of maximum oxygen uptake, who received no countermeasures (No-CM). The main effects of bed rest were seen in reductions in RR-interval, and in total spectral power. The results of spectral analysis showed a significant reduction in an index of parasympathetic activity with a nonsignificant increase in a sympathetic indicator. The fractal component of heart rate variability was reduced also, suggesting a change in cardiovascular control mechanisms. Although there were significant differences between CM and No-CM for a number of variables, there were no bed rest by countermeasure interaction effects in the statistical analysis. These results suggested that this particular series of countermeasures was ineffective in preventing at least certain changes indicative of cardiovascular deconditioning with 28 d head-down tilt bed rest.

Adult↗

European isolation and confinement study. Water and salt turnover.

Intake and output of water were studied in six male subjects from six European countries during 28 days of isolation and confinement in order to assess whether the observed reactions can be compared with those observed during space travel. On the average, the subjects drank 17.5 ml/kg/day fluids. An additional 25 ml/kg/day was recruited from food intake and metabolism. The lowest fluid intake of 11.3 and 12.1 ml/kg/day was shown by two subjects who concurrently lost 3 to 4% of body weight. Three subjects maintained body weight, and one subject gained. A linear correlation existed between the total water output and the fluid intake by drinking. The time series of fluid intake, urine output, and sodium excretion revealed a weekly pattern for these parameters, characterized by low values on Sundays and high values on Fridays. This pattern was most apparent for sodium excretion. Low water turnover rates were seen in the first week of isolation; in the last week the values were above average. In conclusion, it can be said that with respect to the water balance, strong individual differences and time dependent variations (day to day, week to week) of the respective parameters have to be taken into account for the data analysis during such long-term studies.

Adult↗

European isolation and confinement study. Blood pressure, volume-regulating hormones, and electrolytes.

In the ISEMSI confinement experiment we observed three main reactions concerning blood volume regulation: first, a stress activation produced by the high workload that the subjects had to accomplish, both before the isolation period and during the two first weeks of isolation; second, a typical defense reaction to the environment occurred, at least during the two initial days of isolation and later perhaps between crew members themselves; and third, a change in blood volume regulating hormone levels may have been the result of the increase of sympathetic system activity and of dehydration. Confinement is certainly a good and valid method to simulate space station life (with the absence of weightlessness). So, it is interesting to use these confinement studies to perform biological and physiological experiments to obtain greater knowledge, but also to prepare and validate new scientific protocols or new scientific equipment suitable for spaceflights. Even more so, confinement is a good way to prepare and train crew members for long-term space missions. It would seem desirable to confirm the scientific results obtained during the ISEMSI campaign, and especially those for the regulation of the blood volume. This will be done during the next confinement experiment, called EXEMSI, in which four subjects will be subjected to 60 days of confinement.

Adult↗

European isolation and confinement study. Lower body negative pressure tests.

From the LBNP experiment carried out during the ISEMSI project, we can conclude that there was no indication of the cardiac deconditioning syndrome in any of the six subjects. The absence of such effects can probably be ascribed to the following two conditions: (1) the subjects were not in inactive conditions; and (2) there was only a slight overpressure in the hyperbaric chamber.

Adult↗

Effects of 28-day isolation (ESA-ISEMSI'90) on blood pressure and blood volume regulating hormones.

The aim of this study was to determine what effects social isolation and confinement stress had on the volume regulating hormones. In six healthy male subjects, during a 28-d isolation and confinement study (ESA-ISEMSI'90), hematocrit, blood pressure and resting heart rate, plasma cortisol, renin, aldosterone, arginine vasopressin levels besides the electrolyte (Na+, K+) balance and plasma creatinine were measured. During the confinement, an elevated systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01) was observed together with an increase in MHPG corresponding to an elevated mental work load. The pattern displayed by volume regulating hormones (increased values for renin, aldosterone (p < 0.05) and arginine vasopressin) was not only characteristic of confinement stress but also reflected changes in the water and electrolyte metabolism. The increased creatinine levels seen throughout the study were regarded as consequences of hypohydration, and an enhanced muscular catabolism due to reduced physical activity. A similar pattern of hormone modifications was obtained in a head down tilt of the same duration, indicating that some of the described modifications are probably related to isolation and confinement stress.

Adult↗