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Biomedical subjects

B Uvelius

Publications and source records attributed to B Uvelius.

104 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Effects of phasic and tonic activation on contraction dynamics in smooth muscle.

Responses to isotonic quick releases of rabbit urinary bladder strips and rat portal veins activated by AC-stimulation and K+-high medium were studied. The AC stimulation was adjusted to give the same tension as th K+-contractures. Releases were performed at peak of the contractions (which was attained after 1.5-4.5 s AC-stimulation or 2-3 min in K+-high solution). The length response consisted of 3 parts: (1) elastic recoil, (2) isotonic transient, (3) steady shortening. Shortening velocity was determined at 100 ms after the release, as phase (2) had subsided by then. Characteristics of the initial elastic response was virtually unaffected by the mode of stimulation for both preparations. Vmax was significantly higher for the AC-stimulations than for the K+-contractures (bladder: 0.37 l/s vs. 0.26 l/s, portal vein: 0.46 l/s vs. 0.33 l/s). By means of computer analysis a fast exponential shortening component comprising the larger part of phase (2) could be separated from the subsequent slower shortening (see further in Hellstrand & Johansson 1979). In each preparation the amplitude of this exponential was the same for both modes of activation. The time constant was, however, smaller for the AC-stimulation preparations. Our results thus indicate that in response to a sudden decrease in force the initial elastic recoil is the same whereas the rate of transition to steady shortening, and the steady shortening velocity itself, are lower for preparations activated by K+-high medium compared to AC-stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Relation between cell length and force production in urinary bladder smooth muscle.

Guinea-pig and rabbit urinary bladders were fixed in glutaraldehyde at different volumes. Strips were dissected out, embedded and cut for phase contrast and electron microscopy. Muscle wall thickness decreased with increased bladder volume as did the radial number of muscle cells. Cell length, measured by a morphometric method increased linearly with bladder radius, indicating that no slippage between the muscle cells occurred. Number of cells per mm2 cross sectional area increased linearly with bladder radius. Volume-active force relations were obtained by pelvic nerve stimulations of guinea pig bladders filled to different volumes. Maximum pressure was obtained at 0.15 ml bladder volume, and maximum wall tension at a volume of 2.5 ml which corresponds to a cell length of 400 micrometers and a cell packing density of about 107 000 x mm-2. Estimation of the length-active tension curve for the average muscle cell in the guinea-pig bladder indicated a maximum active force of 5.5 microN/cell. Maximum active force per cm2 muscle bundle was calculated to be about 59 N. No compensation for extracellular space and nonmuscular tissue within the muscle bundle was made.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Shortening velocity, active force and homogeneity of contraction during electrically evoked twitches in smooth muscle from rabbit urinary bladder.

Force-velocity relations obtained by the quick release technique were studied at different times during the twitch at 25 degrees C in electrically stimulated longitudinal smooth muscle from rabbit urinary bladder. The results show that maximal shortening velocity (Vmax) and maximal tension (Po) reach their highest values during the rising phase of the twitch. Maximum Vmax was calculated to be 0.30 +/- 0.04 1/s (S.E., n -= 9). Vmax declines rapidly with time and at the peak of the twitch it is only about 70% of the maximum value. On the other hand Po at the peak does not differ significantly from its maximum value during the rising phase. In the relaxation phase of the twitch, both Vmax and Po decrease progressively. Photographic studies of preparations marked with charcoal grains did not show any considerable inhomogeneity of contraction during isometric twitches, maximum movement of grains never exceeding 4% of total muscle length. No yield at the ends of the preparations were seen. The different time course of Vmax and Po can therefore not be explained by longitudinal inhomogeneity of activation or deactivation of the preparations.

Activation Analysis↗
PubMed1978

Responses of smooth muscle to quick load change studied at high time resolution.

Quick-release and quick-stretch experiments have been performed on preparations of smooth muscle from rat portal vein and rabbit urinary bladder. The low equivalent mass of the isotonic lever (8 mg) implied that inertial oscillations were limited to the first 5-10 msec after the load step. The high time resolution achieved in this way enabled us to separate three components in the length response to a step change in force: (1) an immediate passive elastic recoil, (2) an isotonic velocity transient lasting 50-75 msec and (3) shortening of the contractile element after its full adjustment to the new load. The maximal series elastic recoil was about 10% of the total muscle length in portal vein but only some 3% in urinary bladder. Stiffness of series elasticity increased in proportion to force and was about 3 times higher in bladder than in portal vein at any force level. Force-velocity relations for loads less than Po could be fitted to Hill's equation; Vmax in 4 AC-stimulated portal veins was 0.53 +/- 0.03 muscle lengths/sec and in 8 K+-activated bladder preparations 0.18 +/- 0.01 muscle lengths/sec. Application of loads greater than Po produced rates of lengthening greater than expected from an extrapolation of Hill's hyperbola. The nature of the transient component is discussed in the light of recent studies of force and velocity transients in skeletal muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Influence of muscle length on the force-velocity relation of K+-contractures in smooth muscle from rabbit urinary bladder.

Force-velocity relations of K+-contractures of longitudinal smooth muscle from rabbit urinary bladder were studied by isotonic quick release at 37 degrees C. In order to minimize the influence of parallel elasticity the study was limited to the rising part of the length-tension curve. The force-velocity data fitted well with Hill's equation. The in situ length of the strip at a bladder volume of 10 ml is called L10. This length is 50% of that at which maximum active tension is developed. At L10 Vmax was 0.29 muscle lengths per second and it was estimated to be 0.36 lengths/s at optimum length. Constant b in Hill's equation had a value of 0.052 L10/s and it was unaffected by length changes over the interval 0.69 L10-1.44L10. At L10 a/Po was 0.17. In the interval given above, a/Po decreased with increasing length in proportion to the increase in Po, indicating that a was also length independent. According to Hill's equation [V = b(Po - P)/(P + a)], V should increase in proportion to (Po - P) when the muscle length is increased if a and b are constants. Such a linear relation was found at shorter lengths but at lengths close to or at the length for maximum active tension, V increased more than (Po - P). Two possible explanations were considered; firstly that b/(P + a) increased, and secondly that the load on the contractile element could be less that P due to an influence of the considerable tension in the parallel elastic element at these lengths. The series elastic recoil of the active muscle amounted to 3-4% of the muscle length when released to zero tension.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

The effects of variations in extracellular magnesium concentration on electrical and mechanical activity in rat portal vein.

The effects of various concentrations of extracellular Mg2+ on electrical and mechanical activity of the rat portal vein were studied. The integrated spontaneous contractile activity in the preparation was largest in Mg2+-free solution, decreased to about 50% at 1.2 mM Mg2+ and was almost completely abolished at 10 mM Mg2+. Each spontaneous contraction became smaller whereas contraction frequency was less affected. Sucrose gap recordings showed that the reduced spontaneous mechanical output was associated with decreased electrical activity on increasing [Mg2+]0. Increasing [K+]0 from 6 to 12 mM normalized the spontaneous mechanical activity in 10 mM Mg2+ solution. Local registration of electrical activity with 3 extracellular glass capillary electrodes showed that inactive areas developed at the high Mg2+ concentrations. These findings indicate that Mg2+ exerts a hyperpolarizing action on the smooth muscle cell membrane and, at the highest concentration, interferes with intercellular propagation. [Mg2+]0 in the range of 0-10 mM had no effect on the amplitude of K+ (122 mM) contractures at [Ca2+]0 greater than 0.5 mM. At [Ca2+]0 less than or equal to 0.5 the amplitude diminished with increasing [Mg2+]0. The latter observation indicates that Mg2+ can interfere with the Ca2+-permeability of the depolarized cell membrane. 1 mM EDTA in Na-tris 0 mM Mg2+ and 0 mM Ca2+ seemed to lower intracellular Mg2+ below the minimum concentration needed for contractile activity.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1976

Isometric and isotonic length-tension relations and variaitonsin cell length in longitudinal smooth muscel from rabbit urinary bladder.

Isometric and isotonic length-tension relations of longitudinal smooth muscle from rabbit urinary bladder were studied together with muscle cell length and tissue structure as revealed histologically. In vivo strip length at a bladder volume of 10 m1 is referred to as L10. The smooth muscle was relaxed by Ca2+-free solution and contracted by K+-high solution with different Ca2+-concentrations. Maximal active force, 12.5+/-0.4 N/cm2 (S.E., n =11), for wholestrips was attained at a length of 206+/-4% (S.E., n=5) of L10. Passive tension at this length was about 15% of total tension. After correction for amount of connective tissue, maximal active tension of pure muscle bundles was 19 N/cm2. Up to about 165% of L10 isometric and isotonic length-tension relations were identical; if the muscle was stretched beyond this, it failed to shorten isotonically to the same length as when contracting from a shorter starting length. This decreased shortening capacity was reversible if the muscle was shortened passively. The extent of shortening against zero load was dependent on degree of activation suggesting an internal resistance to shortening. A linear relationship was found between bladder radius and muscle cell length, indicating that no slippage occurs between the cells when the bladder is filled. Mean cell diameter in the nuclear regionat L10 was 7.2+/-0.2 mum (S.D.,n=10). Mean macimal active tension per cell was calculated to be 2.3-10(-6) N and occurred at a cell length of 655 mum.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Relative contribution of superficially bound and extracellular calcium to activation of contraction in isolated rat portal vein.

The spontaneous electrical and mechanical activity of the isolated rat portal vein is abolished after only 2-3 min in nominally Ca-free medium, and after 5-6 min there is no contractile response to depolarizing (122 mM K+), Ca-free solution. In the present study we have examined the electrical and mechanical responses of the portal vein to depolarization with simultaneous readministration of Ca2+ (2.5 mM) after periods of variable length in Ca-free standard solution. After 30 to 60 min of Ca depletion a slow contracture occurred in response to the high-K+ solution with 2.5 mM Ca2+. When the period in Ca-free medium was reduced below 30 min an early, faster phase appeared in the contracture response, and this phase was more rapid the shorter the time of Ca depletion. It is suggested that the slow contracture obtained after 30 min or more uses mainly extracellular Ca for activation and that the faster phase seen after shorter periods of Ca depletion is due to release of superficially bound Ca. This latter pool of tissue bound Ca does not alone produce contraction in response to depolarization, suggesting that extracellular Ca is required to trigger the release perhaps through a regenerative process.

Animals↗