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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Spinal cord decompression sickness: a comparison of recompression therapies in an animal model.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were used in an animal model to measure spinal cord electrophysiological function. Animals were submitted to a dive profile resulting in spinal cord decompression sickness (DCS). The animals were treated after a delay allowing the lesion to consolidate. Serial measurements of SEP documented the onset, duration, and outcome of treatment. Physiological data were recorded throughout each experiment. Group A (n = 10) was recompressed to 60 fsw (feet of sea water) breathing 100% oxygen (2.8 ATA) and Group B (n = 8) was treated at 66 fsw breathing 66% oxygen (2.0 ATA). No differences were found between groups in the severity, surface interval before treatment, or the maximum effect of treatment. The maximum effect of treatment was seen by 25 min of treatment. Animals were regrouped into responders and nonresponders. The latter displayed a more rapid onset, a more severe insult, and more adverse physiological effects than the responders. The possibility of a different etiology was considered together with the failure to differentiate between the treatment groups. It was concluded that treatment B was safer but the problems of introducing a new therapeutic table outweighed the safety advantage.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Selected contribution: role of spleen emptying in prolonging apneas in humans.

This study addressed the interaction between short-term adaptation to apneas with face immersion and erythrocyte release from the spleen. Twenty healthy volunteers, including ten splenectomized subjects, participated. After prone rest, they performed five maximal-duration apneas with face immersion in 10 degrees C water, with 2-min intervals. Cardiorespiratory parameters and venous blood samples were collected. In subjects with spleens, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration increased by 6.4% and 3.3%, respectively, over the serial apneas and returned to baseline 10 min after the series. A delay of the physiological breaking point of apnea, by 30.5% (17 s), was seen only in this group. These parameters did not change in the splenectomized group. Plasma protein concentration, preapneic alveolar PCO2, inspired lung volume, and diving bradycardia remained unchanged throughout the series in both groups. Serial apneas thus triggered the hematological changes that have been previously observed after long apneic diving shifts; they were rapidly reversed and did not occur in splenectomized subjects. This suggests that splenic contraction occurs in humans as a part of the diving response and may prolong repeated apneas.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Trainability of underwater breath-holding time.

From diving practice we know that breath-holding time (BHT) can be increased by training. This examination was set up to illuminate whether BHT underwater can be trained decisively in a short period of time. The authors investigated whether physiologic or psychological aspects are the main constituents of the above-mentioned BHT phenomenon. BHT and the "onset point" of involuntary respiratory movements of 64 subjects were registered after deep inspiration and immersion in ca. 1 m. Two different tests were set up: (I) 2 breath-holds per day on 5 consecutive days, (II) 5 repeated breath-holds with pauses of 3 min in between. BHT of the first test was shorter underwater than in similar experiments in air; the increase of BHT underwater was distinctly higher (series II: 160%). Thirty percent of the subjects inequivocally showed respiratory movements (group 1), 31% did not reach the "onset point" (group 3). In group 1 BHT was considerably higher than in group 3. In group 1 the mean time span without respiratory movements rose by 14% in series I and by 233% in series II, whereas the time span with respiratory movements rose by 105% and 119%. These results confirm and quantify the good trainability of BHT underwater. Two processes cause this increase: the increase in time span without respiratory movements probably by unconscious hyperventilation and the increase in time span with respiratory movements through psychological adaptation by suffering the need to breathe.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Adventures in oxygen metabolism.

Peter W. Hochachka led a grand life of science adventure and left as his legacy a whole new field--biochemical adaptation. Oxygen was at the core of Peter's career and his laboratory made major contributions to our understanding of how animals deal with variation in oxygen availability in many forms. He analyzed the molecular mechanisms that support facultative anaerobiosis, studied muscle exercise metabolism for high speed flight, swimming and running, investigated mammalian diving on many trips to the Antarctic to study Weddell seals, and probed the metabolic and genetic adaptations that provide optimal hypoxia tolerance for humans residing at high altitudes. His work illuminated both biochemical and physiological mechanisms that are used to optimize aerobic metabolism, to compensate for hypoxic insults, and to conserve energy by strong metabolic rate depression under anoxia. His articles, books and lectures galvanized the field with leading-edge insights and theories and he consistently challenged comparative biochemists to use their unique model systems to explore the range and breadth of animal strategies of biochemical adaptation. Lessons drawn from my training in Peter's laboratory have led me on continuing explorations of adaptations in enzyme function, signal transduction, gene expression, and antioxidant defenses ranging over systems of anoxia tolerance, freezing survival, estivation, and mammalian hibernation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2002

Animal response to drastic changes in oxygen availability and physiological oxidative stress.

Oxygen is essential for most life forms, but it is also inherently toxic due to its biotransformation into reactive oxygen species (ROS). In fact, the development of many animal and plant pathological conditions, as well as natural aging, is associated with excessive ROS production and/or decreased antioxidant capacity. However, a number of animal species are able to tolerate, under natural conditions, situations posing a large potential for oxidative stress. Situations range from anoxia in fish, frogs and turtles, to severe hypoxia in organs of freeze-tolerant snakes, frogs and insect larvae, or diving seals and turtles, and mild hypoxia in organs of dehydrated frogs and toads or estivating snails. All situations are reminiscent of ischemia/reperfusion events that are highly damaging to most mammals and birds. This article reviews the responses of anoxia/hypoxia-tolerant animals when subjected to environmental and metabolic stresses leading to oxygen limitation. Abrupt changes in metabolic rate in ground squirrels arousing from hibernation, as well as snails arousing from estivation, may also set up a condition of increased ROS formation. Comparing the responses from these diverse animals, certain patterns emerge. The most commonly observed response is an enhancement of the antioxidant defense. The increase in the baseline activity of key antioxidant enzymes, as well as 'secondary' enzymatic defenses, and/or glutathione levels in preparation for a putative oxidative stressful situation arising from tissue reoxygenation seem to be the preferred evolutionary adaptation. Increasing the overall antioxidant capacity during anoxia/hypoxia is of relevance for species such as garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) and wood fogs (Rana sylvatica), while diving freshwater turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) appear to rely mainly upon high constitutive activities of antioxidant enzymes to deal with oxidative stress arising during tissue reoxygenation. The possibility that some animal species might control post-anoxic ROS generation cannot be excluded.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1984

Anatomy and vasculature of a minke whale heart.

The heart from a 4-m-long minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) was studied to determine the details of its anatomy and to consider cardiac adaptations to diving. The volume fraction (Vvc) of capillaries in the wall of the left ventricle was determined at different levels from base to apex and at different depths from epi- to endocardium using a light microscopic stereologic technique. Typical of cetaceans, this minke whale heart was distinctly flattened dorsoventrally. A moderator band, characteristic of ungulate hearts, spanned the right ventricle. The right and left atrioventricular valves were tricuspid and bicuspid, respectively. The right coronary artery supplied the dorsal and right lateral myocardium. The left coronary artery supplied the ventral and left lateral myocardium. An anastomosis between the dorsal and ventral interventricular arteries occurred in the dorsal interventricular groove. Stereologically, a decreasing transmural gradient in Vvc was identified between the epicardium and the subepicardium at 15 cm from the apex. Our results, however, did not reveal any significant deviations in the pattern of capillary distribution in the wall of the left ventricle between this baleen whale and terrestrial mammals. Measurements of the heart, great vessels, coronary vasculature, and ventricular walls are also given, and they suggest a physiologic and adaptive right ventricular hypertrophy. Based on these and other observations, we propose that the relatively great thickness of the right ventricle and the distinctive shape of the cetacean heart are adaptations to the hemodynamic changes and collapse of the thorax associated with apneic diving.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Cytoplasmic acidification is not an effector mechanism of VP16 or DEX-induced apoptosis in CEM T leukaemia cells.

The role of intracellular acidification in the execution phase of apoptosis is not well understood. Here we examine the effect of Bcl-2 over-expression on intracellular acidification occurring during apoptosis. We found, that in CEM cells, neither DEX nor VP16-induced apoptosis lead to a significant change in intracellular pH (pHi). Furthermore, we found that shifting pHi away from physiological values was unable to induce chromatin condensation or poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage in the presence of Bcl-2 over-expression. However, it was found that maximum chromatin condensation and PARP cleavage occurred at near physiological pHi values. Taken together these data suggest that intracellular acidification does not trigger the effector phase of CEM apoptosis.

Acids↗
PubMed1981

The effects of captopril on blood pressure in essential hypertensive patients with low or normal plasma renin activity. Interference with autonomic nervous system.

Captopril was administered to 12 essential hypertensive patients with low or normal plasma renin activity in order to evaluate its effectiveness in decreasing blood pressure and to determine whether the inhibition of converting enzyme could interfere with sympathetic neural activity. Captopril, at the doses of 150-450 mg/die, normalized blood pressure in 5 patients (responders) and had no effect on 7 patients (non responders). A significant decrease in heart rate was observed in all patients. Captopril failed to significantly increase plasma renin activity in all patients. Supine plasma levels of catecholamines were significantly higher in responders compared with non responders and decreased significantly after treatment with captopril. The physiological study we performed on all patients suggests an overall integrity of the baroreceptor reflex arc and vascular reactivity to stress before as well as after treatment with captopril. On the contrary, the bradycardia induced by diving test was significantly greater after treatment than before therapy. These findings suggest that the antihypertensive effect of converting enzyme inhibition may be partly due to interference with sympathetic neural activity. Moreover captopril seems to exert an important effect on parasympathetic activity irrespective of blood pressure changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Stapedotomy: the JB Causse technique.

The Jean-Bernard Causse technique of stapedotomy, derived from Jean René Causse "Teflon-interposition" technique, offers an optimum reconstitution of the function of the annular ligament of the stapes footplate. The quantity and quality of hearing depend significantly, among other things, on the function of the stapes footplate annular ligament. Its impedance keeps the perilymph motion within a physiological acoustic amplitude quantum level unless the movements are so excessive as in barotrauma and acoustic trauma which would have overworked even the annular ligament of a normal footplate. This surgical technique permits snorkling, scuba-diving, airplane landing, eustachian tube dysfunction after surgery as in a normal individual who did not undergo otosclerosis surgery. A comparative study on the postoperative hearing based on 3,000 out of 14,000 cases done by J C Bausse technique, 127 cases with small fenestra technique and 267 cases of complete platinectomy showed too large stapedotomy gives poor high tones and too small stapedotomy poor low tones. Five year follow-up on the hearing loss indicated that total platinoctomy has 1.7 times more alteration of 4 kHz frequency in comparison to the technique reconstituting the annular ligament. Yearly audiogram to check the evolution of cochlear otospongiosis may lead the surgeon to prescribe sodium fluoride if the mid-frequencies are deteriorating and vascular drugs if the high pitch frequencies are deteriorating.

Ear Diseases↗
PubMed1987

Physiologic responses of pilots flying high-performance aircraft.

This study deals with the physiologic responses to stress in F-4 fighter pilots and aircrew engaged in surface attack training (SAT) missions. Blood levels of HDL-cholesterol, LDH and LDH isoenzymes, CPK, and myoglobin were determined before and after each mission. Continuous EKG and transcutaneous PO2 recordings were made during briefing, preflight, and inflight. The personal history and habits of each participant were recorded. Each mission consisted of six successive bomb deliveries at 80-s intervals and at increasingly steep dive angles, each terminating in 5.5-6 +Gz during pull-up. Results revealed no apparent effect on HDL, COP isoenzymes, and LDH isoenzymes. Many myoglobin levels dropped as much as 50%. EKG recordings revealed ST elevations, ST depressions, T wave inversions, and marked sinus arrhythmias in some, while others showed increases in cardiac rate. Pilots flying these SAT missions in F-4C aircraft were found not to be significantly physiologically stressed.

Adult↗