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Spatial distribution of intracellular, free Ca2+ in isolated rat parotid acini.

The spatial distribution of intracellular, free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in rat parotid acini was measured by imaging fura-2 fluorescence from individual acinar cells by means of a digital imaging microscope. Upon cholinergic stimulation in a Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer at (37 degrees C), [Ca2+]i increased synchronously at both the basolateral and luminal membranes as well as in all cells of the secretory endpiece, reaching peak [Ca2+]i levels 1 s after stimulation. Atropine addition caused a rapid down-regulation of [Ca2+]i, which, however, never reached prestimulatory levels. When acini were stimulated in a medium containing 5 nM Ca2+, the Ca2+ mobilization arising from internal pools caused an increase in [Ca2+]i predominantly near the basolateral area, where the endoplasmic reticulum is located, and standing Ca2+ gradients were observed for up to 10 s. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the time courses of the Ca2+ profiles through the cytoplasm using estimated values of the Ca2+ diffusion coefficients and the cytosolic Ca2+ buffering capacity. It is concluded that under physiological conditions, the Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for the activation of the basolaterally located K+ channels. Furthermore, Ca2+ influx from the interstitium is responsible for much of the rise in [Ca2+]i near the luminal membranes, where the Cl- channels are supposed to be located.

Animals

Comparison of electrophysiological and histochemical methods for assessing the spatial distribution of muscle fibres of a motor unit within muscle.

The spatial distribution of muscle fibres of a motor unit has been examined in patients with a variety of neuromuscular disorders using the fibre density (FD) technique of single fibre EMG and the enclosed fibre count (EFC) method, and the results of the two approaches compared. Agreement between the findings occurred in 64% of cases; an increase in both parameters was seen only in neurogenic conditions. FD was found to be more sensitive to minor disturbances of motor unit architecture as seen in myopathies and mild neurogenic states, and this factor together with sampling differences accounted for most of the discrepancies between the two methods. The finding of normal FD and EFC values in the presence of fibre type disproportion helped to exclude reinnervation as the cause by confirming the predominantly diffuse distribution of muscle fibres.

Adenosine Triphosphatases

Spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow in dogs in increased force environments.

Spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow (SDPBF) during 2- to 3-min exposures to 6-8 Gy acceleration was studied, using radioactive microspheres in dogs, and compared to previously reported 1 Gy control distributions. Isotope distributions were measured by scintiscanning individual 1-cm-thick cross sections of excised, fixed lungs. Results indicate: 1) the fraction of cardiac output traversing left and right lungs did not change systematically with the duration and magnitude of acceleration; but 2) the fraction is strongly affected by the occurrence or absence of fast deep breaths, which cause an increase or decrease, respectively, in blood flow through the dependent lung; and 3) Gy acceleration caused a significant increase in relative pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in nondependent and dependent regions of the lung concurrent with a decrease in PVR in the midsagittal region of the thorax. Result 3 may be mediated primarily by changes in regional alveolar volume and geometry in the nondependent hemithorax conbined with hydrostatic effects of extravascular fluid and active hypoxic response in the dependent region and is superimposed on, and may override, hydrostatic effects of perfusion pressures on SDPBF during acceleration.

Adaptation, Physiological

Components of field potentials evoked by white matter stimulation in isolated slices of primary visual cortex: spatial distributions and synaptic order.

1. We have recorded profiles of the spatial distributions of extracellular field potentials in transverse slices of rat primary visual cortex. Responses were evoked by electrical stimulation near the white matter/layer VI border and sampled from layers I to V along the radial axis orthogonal to the laminae and intersecting the stimulation site ("on-beam" recording). To assess the activity of "horizontal" connections, we also recorded profiles along axes parallel to the cortical lamination ("off-beam" recording), usually in layer III. Overall, our goal was to extend understanding of the physiology and organization of neocortical circuitry and to provide a basis for comparisons of data from different experiments and experimenters when neocortical field potentials are used in studies of plasticity and pharmacology. 2. Responses were highly specific with respect to the cortical layers. We distinguish four major components: two kinds of population spike ("S1" and "S2") and two slower waveforms ("W1" and "W2"). The latter appear to represent flow of current in apical dendrites of the supragranular layers. Component W1, the earliest slow component, is a synaptically driven field potential dipole that is positive in layer I and negative in layer II. Based on estimates of current source densities (CSDs), we attribute this to entry of depolarizing current into dendrites and/or cell somata in layer II, ascending intradendritic current, and passive depolarization of inactive dendritic membrane in layer I. Component W1 rises during the 20 ms after stimulation and falls during the 50-100 ms thereafter. Component W2 is also positive in layer I but maximally negative in layer III. It rises for approximately 100 ms after stimulation and decays during the following 400-800 ms. 3. Component S1 does not depend on synaptic transmission because it persists during the application of glutamate receptor antagonists or medium that is low in Ca2+. This component is largest in layer III, radial to the site of stimulation. There, it is a negative deflection, typically 1-2 mV in amplitude and lasting roughly 2 ms, with a latency to peak between 2 and 4.5 ms. Component S1 is most likely a population spike due to synchronized firing of cell somata activated antidromically via unmyelinated efferent axons. 4. Component S2 is a short (less than 20 ms) burst of population spikes specifically in layer III. Individual S2 spikes closely resemble S1 spikes, and we propose that the same neuronal population generates both. However, S2 spikes require glutamatergic synaptic transmission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione

Spatial distribution and temporal changes of pulmonary thallium uptake in myocardial perfusion studies.

Spatial distribution and temporal changes in pulmonary thallium uptake were assessed in 24 normal subjects and 35 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In studies carried out directly after stress and 3 h later, pulmonary Tl uptake was assessed as body surface area corrected absolute pulmonary uptake in the upper, middle and lower right lung regions, and in the total right lung and upper left lung. Pulmonary/myocardial (PM) uptake ratios for these 5 regions were calculated as mean pulmonary/mean background-corrected myocardial uptake. Additionally, wash-out was assessed for each region and for the myocardium. In normal subjects, the initial pulmonary Tl uptake, the PM ratios and Tl wash-out were greater in the lower lung regions than in the upper. In the late studies, no significant differences in Tl content or PM ratios were found among the regions. In patients with CAD, initial pulmonary Tl uptake and PM ratios were greater in the lower than in the upper regions, and higher than for the normal subjects in all pulmonary regions (P less than 0.001). Tl wash-out was significantly higher in the low and middle regions versus the upper region (P less than 0.001) and higher in all regions than in normal subjects (P less than 0.001). In the late studies no significant differences in Tl content or PM ratios were found between any pulmonary regions. Pulmonary Tl content was, in all regions, higher in CAD than in normal subjects (P less than 0.01), as were the PM ratios (P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Coronary Disease

[Spatial distribution of the action potentials of the sural nerve].

We investigated the spatial distribution of the sural nerve sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) in 25 healthy subjects between 21 and 50 years. Stimulation was achieved through surface electrodes at the lateral malleolus. Recordings were made 15-18 cm proximal to the site of the stimulation from different positions on a line perpendicular to the sural nerve using needle electrodes insulated except for the tip. The amplitude of the SNAP decreased on both sides of the potential of highest amplitude. 10 mm lateral to the potential of highest amplitude the mean amplitude was reduced to 55%. The latency of the first positive phase decreased within increasing distance from the largest SNAP. We explained this with different influence of more distal, earlier depolarized nerve segments on the locally generated SNAP. In 20 subjects we performed an additional recording using an uninsulated needle electrode that was placed 3-4 cm subcutaneously perpendicular to the sural nerve. The latency of the SNAP recorded in this way was similar to the latency of the largest SNAP using the insulated needle electrode; however, the amplitude was smaller by 19%. We recommend for clinical practice to use the uninsulated needle in case the SNAP is smaller than 4 microV.

Action Potentials

Spatial distributions of inelastic events produced by electrons in gaseous and liquid water.

The spatial distributions of ionizations and other inelastic events in charged-particle tracks are important quantities that influence the final outcome of radiation interaction. Calculations of such distributions are presented for the tracks of electrons in the energy range 100 eV to 10 keV in liquid water and water vapor, and the results are compared. The distributions include the frequency of nearest-neighbor distances for all inelastic events, the mean nearest-neighbor distances for ionizations and for all inelastic events as a function of electron energy, the frequency of distances between all ionizations and all inelastic events, and the farthest distances between all inelastic events in electron tracks. The physical differences between liquid water and water vapor are discussed in terms of the respective inverse mean free paths, the collision spectra, and the nonlocalization of energy losses that are likely to occur in the liquid.

Electrons

The spatial distribution of fiber loss in diabetic polyneuropathy suggests ischemia.

Characterization and quantitation of the spatial distribution of pathological abnormalities along the length of nerves may be helpful in understanding the underlying mechanisms of diabetic polyneuropathy. To this end, by examining transverse sections of nerve roots and proximal-to-distal levels of lower limb nerves in 9 controls and 15 diabetic patients with polyneuropathy, we have determined the myelinated fiber (MF) number, size distribution, median diameter, and variability of density (MFs/mm2) among frames and among fascicles. Even in cases with mild polyneuropathy, fiber loss, a decrease in the median diameter, and an increase in the variability of density among frames and among fascicles began in proximal nerve and extended to distal levels. Multifocal fiber loss along the length of nerves and sprouting provide the best explanation for these findings. The pattern is dissimilar from that observed in diffuse metabolic disease of Schwann cells, neuronal degeneration, and dying-back neuropathy, but like that found in experimental ischemic neuropathy induced by embolization of nerve capillaries.

Adult

Spatial distribution of blastomeres is dependent on cell division order and interactions in mouse morulae.

Spatial distribution of blastomeres was examined in 16- to 30-cell morulae obtained from aggregates of 1/2----1/2 and 1/2----2/4 blastomeres. The advanced blastomeres (2/4) contributed disproportionately more inner cells while there was a corresponding decline in the contribution from the delayed blastomere (1/2) so that a balance between the total number of inner and outer cells was retained. There was, however, no marked change in the relative number of outer cells. It is suggested that once formed, the inner more adhesive cells divide relatively faster than the outer cells whose behaviour is dictated by the inner cells. The outer less adhesive cells spread over the inner cells; cell spreading is incompatible with division. The degree to which cell spreading and retardation of division of outer cells occurs may be dictated by the number of inner cells present at any one time and this partly determines the entry of further cells inside. The suggested mechanism for cell allocation is highly flexible and, indeed, essential to encompass the wide variety of patterns of cell interactions and distribution observed in morulae. It is also proposed that the retardation of division of outer cells may trigger differentiation of trophectoderm by inducing endoreduplication and the blastomeres delayed from dividing for the longest period of time may mark down the abembryonic pole and establish the embryonic-abembryonic axis.

Animals

Spatial distribution of motor unit fibers in the cat soleus and tibialis anterior muscles: local interactions.

The spatial distribution of muscle fibers belonging to a motor unit was studied in the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles of adult cats. Motor unit fibers were depleted of their glycogen through repetitive stimulation of the motoneuron or of the functionally isolated motor axon. Subsequently, the position of depleted muscle fibers was mapped on serial cross sections taken along the length of the muscle. A subset of fibers was selected from the cross section containing the largest number of motor unit fibers and 4 spatial analyses were performed. These analyses were designed to determine whether the muscle fibers belonging to a single unit were distributed in a random manner. To test whether the actual distribution was other than random, Monte Carlo techniques were used to simulate the random innervation of a muscle. From these simulations, a test statistic was calculated for comparison with the observed data. Adjacency and nearest-neighbor analyses revealed no tendency for grouping or dispersion of fibers belonging to a motor unit. However, measurement of the distances between all motor unit fibers revealed a greater tendency for grouping than spreading, suggesting the existence of some mechanism that restricts the absolute distribution and territory of a motor unit.

Animals

Spatial distribution of Ca currents in molluscan neuron cell bodies and regional differences in the strength of inactivation.

The spatial distribution of Ca current in molluscan neuron cell bodies was studied using a large patch method in combination with 2-microelectrode voltage clamp. The method has a spatial resolution equal to about 0.1% of the cell body area. Ca current is not uniformly distributed. The current density varies between patches, changing by as much as a factor of 2.5 over a distance of 20 micron, and there is evidence that Ca current occurs in "hot spots" involving a few hundred channels. The current density increases in a moderately steep gradient from the soma cap, opposite the axon, toward the axon hillock. Ca currents in patches from different regions of the soma are qualitatively different. Currents near the soma cap do not inactivate or inactivate weakly during depolarization, while currents of equal density nearer the axon hillock exhibit pronounced inactivation. The strength of inactivation increases in parallel with the gradient in current density, but local differences in current density, or in the number of active Ca channels, do not explain the variability in inactivation. Inactivating and noninactivating Ca currents could not be distinguished on the basis of activation or deactivation kinetics, voltage dependence of activation, or sensitivity to hyperpolarizing conditioning pulses. Also, the amplitude of noninactivating current near the soma cap is reduced by intracellular Ca injection showing that, like the whole-cell current, Ca current in this region is subject to Ca-dependent inactivation. The data favor the hypothesis that these cells express only one type of Ca channel. Differences in the strength of inactivation may result from local differences in cytoplasmic Ca buffering, local modification of Ca channels in a way that changes their sensitivity to Ca-dependent inactivation, or local differences in the availability of cytoplasmic factors or enzymes that are necessary for inactivation.

Animals

A microcomputer based system for quantifying the spatial distribution of inhaled particles in histological lung sections.

A system is described for quantifying the spatial distribution of inhaled particles in complete lobar histological sections of rodent lung. It is based on a semi-automatic image analyser, linked to a readily available microcomputer. Application of the system to quantify the aggregation of particles, and their distances from airways and lung periphery is described. The observed distributions are compared with the expected distributions from a random set of particles, and the significance of the difference is calculated. Each statistical test is illustrated by an example.

Aerosols

The spatial distribution of late ventricular potentials.

Body surface potential mapping (BSPM) was used to study the spatial distribution of late ventricular potentials. In a group of 15 normals and 21 patients with documented ventricular tachycardia (VT), BSPM performed with 63 averaged and high-pass filtered ECG leads (LP-BSPM) showed that late potentials have a mostly dipolar distribution and that they can be reasonably well detected with only three orthogonal leads. In a group of 17 VT patients who also had BSPM performed during induced VT (VT-BSPM), six patients had LP-BSPM similar to one of the VT-BSPM, suggesting that the locations and orientations of both types of sources are similar. In a group of 12 VT patients who had epi-endo VT mapping at surgery, LP-BSPM showed close extrema (reflecting antero-apical delay) for patients with anterior or apical VT sites, suggesting that VT originates in delayed regions. BSPM thus provides useful information about the detection and significance of late potentials.

Adult

The spread of a parasitic infection in a spatially distributed host population.

Starting from a stochastic model for the spread of a parasitic infection in a spatially distributed host population we describe the way to a continuum formulation by a deterministic model in terms of a nonlinear partial differential equation and an integro-differential equation. The hosts are assumed to occupy fixed spatial positions, whereas the parasites are mobile, however can propagate only within the hosts. To perform the continuum limit we suppose that the size Nh of the host population, the size Np of the parasite population, and the ratio Np/Nh tend to infinity. Accordingly, the parameters determining the time evolution of the host and parasite populations are rescaled suitably.

Cells, Cultured

The spatial distribution of a blastoderm stage-specific mRNA from the serendipity locus of Drosophila melanogaster.

The spatial distribution of a blastoderm stage-specific mRNA was examined by hybridization in situ to tissue sections of early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster. The mRNA examined, the C mRNA, is coded for by the molecularly-complex locus, serendipity (sry). The C mRNA was found to be expressed in embryos in all nuclei and cells except pole cells, during the syncytial and cellular blastoderm stages and its transcription correlates well with the formation of the cellular blastoderm.

Blastoderm

Spatial distribution of potentials evoked by half-field pattern-reversal and pattern-onset stimuli.

Spatial distributions of visual potentials (VEPs) evoked by half-field checkerboard pattern-reversal and pattern-onset stimuli were studied in 13 subjects, using an 11 lead unipolar array. The main aim was to confirm findings, obtained by previous workers with bipolar recordings, that half-field pattern-reversal VEP's are confined to the contralateral hemisphere and that half-field pattern-onset VEPs are asymmetrical, with greater right hemisphere involvement. Pattern-reversal VEP's contained four consistent peaks, designated here by polarity and peak latency as: (a) P95, positivity contra-lateral and negativity ipsilateral to the field stimulated; (b) P125, predominantly ipsilateral positivity; (c) N165, predominantly ipsilateral negativity; (d) P225; predominantly midline positivity. Pattern-onset VEPs contained three consistent peaks: (a) P125, mainly contraleteral positivity; (B) N175, mainly contralateral negativity; (c) P225, midline positivity. Distributions of pattern-reversal and pattern-onset peaks resembled one another only for P225, suggesting different cortical representation for the other events of the two kinds of VEP. Bipolar pattern-reversal VEPs were largely contralateral, but unipolar recordings showed that this was due to steeper contralateral potential gradients, as ipislateral activity was widespread. Pattern-onset peaks did not differ in amplitude with respect to the half-field stimulated. Previously reported asymmetries were not confirmed. The P125 and N175 pattern-onset peaks were almost entirely restricted to the contralateral hemisphere, but the distributions by half-field were mirror-images of one another. Half-field pattern-onset stimuli could be used to investigate the responsiveness of each hemisphere, although differential hemispheric involvement was not shown. Several differences in amplitude and distribution resulted from varying the width of the vertical central dark strip.

Adolescent

Changes in the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow during the fetal/neonatal transition: an in vivo study in the rabbit.

The spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow was investigated in term fetal and neonatal rabbit littermates, using the plasma tracer fluorescein-isothiocyanate bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA). A tracer bolus was injected intravenously and allowed 2 minutes to circulate in vivo, prior to arrest of the circulation and tissue preparation. In the fetus, fluorescence was only present in 43% of the lung volume, contained within discrete regions of "lobules." Some 57% of lung volume received no tracer inflow at all (during 2 min). In the fetal lung, the size of the potential airspaces in the perfused regions was 1.5 times larger than those in the nonperfused regions. In the fetus, a high pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is maintained. It is generally accepted that pulmonary blood flow in the fetus is evenly distributed to the entire vascular bed. Our results show that fetal pulmonary blood flow is distributed to discrete "lobules," while (over a 2 min period) the majority of "lobules" receive no flow at all. Thus, by directing flow to a lesser proportion of the vasculature, greater flow rates are achieved, and the risk of blood sludging and stasis is reduced. Alternation of perfusion with nonperfusion in each "lobule," perhaps regulated by the lobular arterioles, would permit both maintenance of the high fetal PVR and uniform lung development. In the neonatal lung, the plasma tracer was distributed uniformly to the entire vascular bed. This suggests that some of the reduction in PVR at birth is due to recruiting 50-60% of lung vasculature.

Animals

Spatial distribution of the Karoo paralysis tick Ixodes rubicundus (Acari: Ixodidae) within a false upper Karoo veld type.

Spatial distribution of the Karoo paralysis tick (Ixodes rubicundus) has been studied in a paralysis enzootic area of the southwestern Orange Free State. Significantly more females than males were collected from the vegetation. Most ticks (99%) used grass as questing sites at a height of approximately 45 cm (range 10-97 cm), which correlates with the size of host animals. No significant differences between the questing height of male and female ticks were evident. The ticks were found on most of the grass species present and, except for the genus Eragrostis, no specific preference was evident. When questing, the capitulum of I. rubicundus is usually (90%) directed towards the ground. Seventy-eight percent of the ticks occurred singly on a specific grassblade or flowerhead. In those cases where two ticks occurred together, no sexual aggregation was evident. Most ticks occurred under or close (mean = 62 cm) to the crown cover of specific shrub or tree species. These plant species were characterized by a dense crown cover with a mat of decaying leaf litter underneath. The preference of the tick for wild olive trees (Olea europaea africana) suggests that, except for the physical characteristics of this tree species, host factors may also be important. Significantly more ticks were distributed on the cooler, more protected southern sides of vegetation in comparison to the northern sides.

Animals