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H Tsubone

Publications and source records attributed to H Tsubone.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

ECG changes under hyperkalemia with nephrectomy in the rat.

Electrolyte abnormalities have become an increasingly important cause of arrhythmias. Although the electrocardiographic (ECG) changes under hyperkalemia in the rat are poorly understood, it is conceivable that excess plasma potassium may also alter the cardiac excitations in the rat. Further, effects of hyperkalemia on ECG in the rat may differ from other species that have ST-segment and longer QT intervals in ECG. The present study was designed to determine the diagnostic criteria for ECG manifestations to various levels of plasma potassium concentration. For this purpose, hyperkalemia was induced by nephrectomy with and without infusions. Because it was difficult to produce various levels of plasma potassium concentration by only nephrectomy, we used two kinds of infusions to obtain especially moderate levels of nephrectomy-induced hyperkalemia. ECGs were recorded 24, 36, and 48 hours after nephrectomy. Plasma potassium concentration and number of abnormal ECGs were increased time-dependently. Increased T wave amplitude was present with mild hyperkalemia. The typical T wave change observed with so-called sinoventricular conduction levels of potassium concentration in species with long QT intervals did not occur in the rat. PR interval and QRS duration became slightly shorter within moderate hyperkalemia. P wave disappeared in most rats at potassium levels above 8.0 mEq/l. In advanced hyperkalemia (plasma potassium concentration above 7.5 mEq/l), conduction in all parts of the heart was suppressed. Moreover, sinoventricular conduction appeared. Thus, the diagnostic criteria for ECG manifestations to various levels of plasma potassium concentration in the rat were demonstrated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Characteristics of ventricular activation and recovery patterns in the rat.

Bipolar or unipolar epicardial and intraseptum electrograms were recorded from the in situ rat hearts with spontaneous sinus rhythm or myocardial electrical stimulation of 400 bpm in order to investigate the sequence and duration of cardiac activation in the rat. The ventricular epicardial isochronous maps in the rat showed the activation sequence comparable to those in humans and dogs, although the activation time (6 to 13 msec) of epicardium was approximately one-third of those of such species. The delay of activation between septum and ventricular surface in the rat was 5 to 8 msec, which was also shorter as compared with those in humans and dogs. However, the conduction velocity of the ventricular epicardium in the rat was approximately 40 cm/sec, mostly equal to that of humans. These findings might be accounted for by the possible presence of the bundle branch-purkinje system, at least functionally, similar to humans. The local QT interval in the septum were relatively longer (69 to 123 msec), compared with that of the ventricular surface (50 to 98 msec), and such durations of ventricular epicardium and septum were considerably less than those of dogs and humans. These results are consistent with the configuration of QRS-T on the limb lead ECG.

Animals

Vagal afferent activities and respiratory reflexes during drug-induced bronchoconstriction in the guinea pig.

Vagal afferent activities and respiratory reflexes during drug-induced bronchoconstriction were studied in 31 anesthetized, spontaneously breathing or artificially ventilated guinea pigs. Histamine (5, 10, 20 micrograms/kg), ACh (10, 20, 40 micrograms/kg) and endothelin-1 (2 micrograms/kg) were intravenously injected to the animals in order to induce the bronchoconstriction. In spontaneously breathing and vagi intact animals, a considerable respiratory change characterized by rapid-shallow breathing was elicited by histamine. Such respiratory change was abolished by bilateral vagotomy, indicating that the vagal pathway fairly participated in the respiratory change during bronchoconstriction. Indeed, recordings of electrical activities of single vagal afferent nerve fibers from pulmonary stretch and irritant receptors elucidated that the bronchoconstriction by the three drugs markedly influenced these receptor activities. The response of stretch receptors to bronchoconstriction was grouped into four types: two of those types showed a marked increase in their activities and the other two a decrease or no change. Such uneven response was assumed to be derived from heterogenous contraction and aeration among the intrapulmonary small airway. On the other hand, irritant receptors were invariably stimulated by increased transmural pressure during bronchoconstriction. Administration of isoproterenol (20 micrograms/kg) which inhibited the smooth muscle contraction abolished stimulatory effect of the drugs to irritant receptors, suggesting that the effect was due to indirect action through the muscle contraction rather than their direct action to the nerve endings.

Acetylcholine

Laryngeal afferent activity and reflexes in the guinea pig.

We have investigated the various sensory modalities represented in the laryngeal nerves of the guinea pig. In addition, we have examined the defensive responses to mechanical stimuli and capsaicin instillation into the laryngeal lumen of the same species. Recording from both the whole superior laryngeal nerve and from single units of the same nerve revealed the presence of afferent activity related (1) to the contraction of laryngeal muscles and/or the 'tracheal tug', (2) to transmural pressure changes, either positive or negative and (3) to mechanical and chemical irritants. The irritant type receptors of this species, when challenged with water solutions, show two distinct patterns of activation: some behave as osmoreceptors, some respond to the lack of chloride ions. Challenges with capsaicin solutions activated one ending with the characteristics of a C-fiber receptor that failed to respond to a subsequent trial. This behavior is consistent with the reflex apnea, dependent on an intact laryngeal innervation, induced by capsaicin instillation that was not elicitable on repeating the challenge. Cough to mechanical probing of the supraglottic area depended on an intact SLN, whereas cough elicited from the subglottic area depended on an intact RLN. Cough to mechanical stimulation could not be desensitized by capsaicin. These findings suggest the presence of two independent afferent pathways for defensive responses.

Afferent Pathways

The respiratory activity of the superior laryngeal nerve in the rat.

The aim of this study was to characterize the laryngeal afferent activity of the rat. The animals were anesthetized and breathing spontaneously. Laryngeal afferent activity was recorded from both the whole superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) and from single fibers isolated from this nerve. An overall inspiratory augmenting activity was observed in the whole SLN during tracheostomy breathing, tracheal occlusion and upper airway breathing, but an expiratory augmenting activity was present during upper airway occlusion. The inspiratory modulated activity was abolished by bilateral section of the hypoglossal nerves but not the recurrent laryngeal nerves. A great number of receptors (46/80, 58%) were identified as 'drive' receptors, and others as 'pressure' (22/80, 28%) and 'irritant' type receptors (9/80, 11%). Nineteen pressure receptors were stimulated by positive transmural pressure, while only three stimulated by negative pressure. Nine drive receptors were also stimulated by positive pressure and inhibited by negative pressure. Such response to pressure was further evaluated by applying maintained pressures to the functionally isolated upper airway. These results are essentially consistent with findings obtained in the rabbit, but differ from those reported for the dog.

Afferent Pathways

Afferent activity in the external branch of the superior laryngeal and recurrent laryngeal nerves.

We investigated the presence of respiratory-modulated receptors in the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (ExtSLN) in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing dogs. Of 39 receptors recorded from the ExtSLN, the vast majority responded with a slowly adapting discharge to compression of the cricothyroid muscle, and only 1 responded to probing of the laryngeal mucosa. Ten receptors showed a respiratory modulation. All 30 receptors recorded from the RLN responded to probing of the laryngeal lumen, most of them (60%) with a rapidly adapting response. Seven of the slowly adapting receptors exhibited a respiratory modulation; 38% of the receptors tested were stimulated by water, and only 15% by smoke. No receptors stimulated by laryngeal cooling were identified in either nerve. Our study indicates that in the RLN and the ExtSLN there are relatively few afferents responding to changes in transmural pressure and mechanical irritation, as compared to the internal branch of the SLN. The relative scarcity of receptors responding to transmural pressure and irritant stimuli is consistent with previous observations in dogs that indicate a preponderant role for afferents in the internal branch of the SLN in the reflex responses to laryngeal stimulation.

Afferent Pathways

Characteristics of electrocardiographic changes with some representative antiarrhythmic drugs in adult rats.

The characteristics of ECG changes with representative antiarrhythmic drugs; procainamide (PA) (class Ia), lidocaine (LC) (class Ib), propranolol (PN) (class II), and verapamil (VP) (class IV) were investigated in adult rats. Action potential (AP) was also recorded from myocardial cells during electrical stimuli with frequencies of 1-5 Hz. All the four drugs produced ECG abnormalities which contained AV and SA blocks at middle and high dose levels. Three drugs except VP induced a prolongation of QRS complex and notched QRS at low or middle dose level. As compared such effects with those in dogs and humans, some differences were noted as follows: (1) a dose-dependent prolongation of QT interval by LC and PN, and (2) a shortening of RR interval by VP at the dose of 0.6 mg/kg or less. LC and PN elongated the QT interval in the unipolar precordial chest lead ECGs at right anterior chest positions. These two drugs did not affect the duration of AP (APD90), whereas maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax) decreased. These results suggest that the prolongation of QT interval with LC and PN was due to a delay in local ventricular conduction time, especially on the right ventricle. The shortening of RR interval by VP was clearly blocked by the pretreatment with PN, indicating that this shortening reflected the sympathetic nervous reflex presumably due to the peripheral vasodilation effect of VP.

Action Potentials

Reflex activities of the upper airway muscles during experimental nasal occlusion in anesthetized dogs.

Reflex responses of the upper airway muscles during experimental nasal and tracheal occlusions were studied in 21 anesthetized dogs breathing through the nose or a tracheostomy (tracheal cannula). Out of them, five animals were examined for maintained negative and positive pressures applied to the isolated upper airway. When the nose was occluded at end-expiration during three consecutive breathings, the electromyographic (EMG) activity of alae nasi (AN) and posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle markedly increased. The upper airway was subjected to negative pressure, -2.41 approximately -3.04 kPa (n = 34) by these nasal occlusions. The activity of upper airway muscles was also increased by tracheal occlusions. However, such augmentation of PCA activity was much less in tracheal occlusions than nasal occlusions, whereas there was the smaller difference in AN activity between both occlusions. During nasal occlusions, a prolongation of the inspiratory time (TI) was observed. Furthermore, maintained negative pressure applied to the isolated upper airway provoked an augmentation of PCA activity. Such an augmented EMG activity of PCA and the prolongation of TI were largely diminished by sectioning the superior laryngeal nerves. These results proves that the upper airway muscles play an important role to protect the upper airway from collapsing by nasal occlusions. In addition, it is suggested that a lack of lung volume feedback is substantially concerned with the activation of AN, while negative pressure in the upper airway is essential to stimulate PCA.

Airway Obstruction

Evaluation of a new tail-cuff method for blood pressure measurements in rats with special reference to the effects of ambient temperature.

We evaluated a recently developed tail-cuff apparatus for the indirect blood pressure measurement in rats with special reference to the effects of ambient temperature. For this purpose, we designed two preparations 1) an intact preparation to determine the effect of ambient temperature on blood pressure measurements and 2) an anesthetized and catheterized preparation for comparison of the values of blood pressure obtained by the indirect and by the direct method. This apparatus also required enough pulse volume oscillations to measure the accurate value of blood pressure. Sufficient pulse volume oscillations were obtained within 20 min at 30 and 40 degrees C. At 40 degrees C, the values of blood pressure, pulse rate and rectal temperature were significantly higher than those at 30 degrees C. Correlation between blood pressure and rectal temperature was significant, and blood pressure increased with rectal temperature dependently. The values of the indirect measurement were close to the values measured directly, and these correlations were highly significant. Thus, we showed the effects of temperature for indirect blood pressure measurement. This tail-cuff apparatus could measure the accurate value of indirect blood pressure without thermal stress at 30 degrees C.

Animals

Nasal 'pressure' receptors.

This study was performed to identify, recording from single fibers of the ethmoidal nerve, nasal receptors which respond to changes in the upper airway pressure during nasal occlusion. In 15 anaesthetized rats breathing through the nose, three consecutive nasal occlusions were performed while recording the afferent activity of ethmoidal nerve fibers, the EMG activity of an external intercostal muscle, temperature in the nose and upper airway pressure. Twenty-two afferent fibers were activated during the three inspiratory efforts with occlusions applied at end-expiration, when the upper airway was subjected to negative pressure (-1.93, -2.16 and -2.22 kPa at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd effort, respectively). The number of impulses was 24, 22 and 20 (n = 22) at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd effort, respectively. The pressure threshold were measured as -0.73, -0.87 and -0.96 kPa (n = 22) in each effort. Three fibers were also stimulated by positive pressure during occlusions performed at end-inspiration. In 5 rats breathing through a tracheostomy, maintained negative (-0.1-3.7 kPa) and positive (0.8-3.0 kPa) pressures were applied to the isolated upper airway. All the 12 fibers tested were activated by the maintained negative pressure, whereas three of them were also activated by the maintained positive pressure. However, none of fibers tested were stimulated by tracheal occlusions. These results indicate that the ethmoidal branch of the trigeminal nerve contains fibers connected to nasal 'pressure' receptors, mostly 'negative pressure' receptors, that may play a role in the maintenance of upper airway patency.

Air Pressure