Biomedical subjects

P J Carson

Publications and source records attributed to P J Carson.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Excessive muscular fatigue in patients with spastic paraparesis.

We used intermittent tetanic contractions and 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to investigate human tibialis anterior muscle metabolism and fatigability in a group of patients with spastic paraparesis and in normal controls. During intermittent tetanic stimulation, the decline in tension was significantly greater in patients than in controls, and the half-relaxation time of the tetanus was more prolonged. Moreover, the decline in phosphocreatine and intracellular pH was significantly greater in patients than in controls. These observations suggest that biochemical changes in the muscles of patients with upper motor neuron lesions may contribute to their excessive fatigability.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1989

Investigations of muscle bioenergetics with 31P NMR.

Many factors have been proposed to contribute to the development of muscle fatigue, but as yet a definitive assessment of their relative contributions has not been possible. To determine whether changes in bioenergetic factors are determinants of muscle force during the development of fatigue, simultaneous measurements were made during fatiguing exercise of the decline in muscle force and changes in phosphorus (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. The results showed that the decline in force strongly correlated with a rise in inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration; in contrast, fatigue correlated less strongly with intracellular pH. Similar results were found in different muscles and with different exercise protocols. They suggest that the rise in [Pi] is a mechanism that produces progressive inhibition of the force-generating reaction, while energy availability is not limiting. Down-regulation of force and energy utilization are consistent with fatigue being not simply a disruptive process, but an adaptive response that establishes an equilibrium between energy supply and demand.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1989

Nonmetabolic fatigue in exercising human muscle.

Human muscle fatigue, assessed by declining maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), may be caused by impairment of excitation-contraction coupling as well as by metabolic alterations within the muscle. To distinguish between these 2 possibilities, we assessed changes in excitation-contraction coupling by measuring twitch tension (TT) and twitch potentiation (P-TT) of the human adductor pollicis and tibialis anterior, while we analyzed metabolic changes using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Low-intensity exercise produced a much greater fall of TT and P-TT than MVC, high energy phosphates, or intracellular pH (pHi). In addition, the recovery of TT and P-TT was much slower than recovery of MVC, high energy phosphates, or pHi. These results suggest that the greater fall of TT and the delayed recovery following low-intensity exercise are caused by impaired excitation-contraction coupling.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed1988

31P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of high energy phosphates and pH in human muscle fatigue. Comparison of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

The goal of these experiments was to investigate the relationship of ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi), monobasic phosphate (H2PO4-), and pH to human muscle fatigue. Phosphates and pH were measured in adductor pollicis using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance at 2.0 Tesla. The force of muscle contraction was simultaneously measured with a force transducer. The effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise were compared using two exercise protocols: 4 min sustained maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and 40 min of repeated intermittent contractions (75% MVC). The sustained maximal contraction produced a rapid decline of MVC and PCr, and was accompanied by a rapid rise of Pi, H+, and H2PO4-. Intermittent exercise produced steady state changes of MVC, pH, and phosphates. No significant changes of ATP were found in either protocol. During fatiguing exercise, PCr and Pi had a nonlinear relationship with MVC. H+ showed a more linear correlation, while H2PO4- showed the best correlation with MVC. Furthermore, the correlations between MVC and H2PO4- were similar in sustained (r = 0.70) and intermittent (r = 0.73) exercise. The highly significant linear relationship between increases of H+ and H2PO4- and the decline of MVC strongly suggests that both H+ and H2PO4- are important determinants of human muscle fatigue.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1984

Internal fixation of peritrochanteric fractures of the femur with the Harris condylocephalic nail.

Thirty patients in whom a peritrochanteric fracture of the femur was stabilized with a Harris intramedullary nail were studied retrospectively. The study showed an initially high complication rate and highlighted points of technique and selection which have led to improved results. In appropriate cases, this procedure is a fast, minimally traumatic, and secure method of internal fixation of peritrochanteric fractures.

Age Factors↗