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Biomedical subjects

Z R Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Z R Liu.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Estimating arterial resistance and compliance during transient conditions in humans.

Almost all existing methods for estimating hemodynamic parameters are valid only during steady-state conditions. There is often a need, however, for estimating peripheral resistance and total arterial compliance during beat-to-beat transients such as during atrial fibrillation. During such transients the pressure at the onset and end of a cardiac cycle usually differ. This pressure difference necessitates a modification of usual methods used for estimating these hemodynamic parameters. In this paper we formulate a method for estimating resistance and total arterial compliance during such beat-to-beat transients. For simplicity the expressions are derived for a two-element windkessel model of the circulation. The method is a generalization of one we previously proposed. Rather than using parameter estimation techniques or having to assume a monoexponential pressure decay during diastole, our method uses the areas under the systolic and diastolic portions of the aortic pressure versus time tracing to obtain explicit expressions for compliance; both for the case where it is constant and when it is assumed to be nonlinear (exponential) function of pressure. Aortic pressure and flow data from patients undergoing cardiac catheterization are employed to illustrate the method. Results illustrate the quantitative difference between uncorrected and corrected estimates of both resistance and compliance as a function of the pressure difference between the onset and end of each beat. The uncorrected parameters were found to be linearly and highly correlated with these pressure differences. Regressions of pressure difference against normalized values revealed that the pooled data for all patients defined a single relationship.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arteries↗

Aortic compliance in human hypertension.

Aortic compliance in normotensive and hypertensive Chinese subjects undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization was compared by using a newly described method that allows for determination of the pressure dependence of compliance if one assumes a value for the exponential coefficient of the pressure-volume relation of the large arteries. Under baseline conditions in the normotensive and hypertensive groups at mean aortic pressures of 96.3 and 128.6 mm Hg, aortic compliance averaged 1.47 and 0.80 ml/mm Hg, respectively. Compliance in the hypertensive group at a diastolic pressure of 99.4 mm Hg (which was nearly equal to the mean normotensive pressure) was 1.072 ml/mm Hg--still significantly lower than in the normotensive group. During nitroprusside infusion, however, the compliances in the hypertensive group increased to levels equal to or greater those in the normotensive group. Thus, these data confirm that aortic compliance is lower in hypertensive than in normotensive humans. They further demonstrate that the lower compliance cannot be attributed entirely to the elevated blood pressure, suggesting that excess smooth muscle tone may be partly responsible.

Adult↗

The influence of N2-O2 and He-O2 saturation diving on electroencephalogram of human bodies.

This paper reports the changes of the EEG of human bodies during saturation exposure at different depths to different mixed gases. The results of the research show that the most obvious on EEG was the appearance of diffused slow waves, usually theta waves of 4-7 times/s, and delta waves of 2-3 times/s within individual subjects. The EEG changes at 50 m were more obvious than those at 36.5 m. With the prolonging of time under high pressure, the EEG had some improvements, for instance, the slow waves decreased and the alpha waves increased. There was a certain relationship between these changes and the symptoms which appeared in the human body. The chief factor of the EEG changes is due to the effect of nitrogen narcosis during the oxygen-nitrogen diving experiment. In addition, carbon dioxide retention under the high pressure is also a factor of the EEG changes, because repeated inhaling of CO2-dense mixtures could aggravate the EEG changes and the reduction of carbon dioxide in humans by hyperventilation could improve abnormal EEGs. The main changes of the EEG during the helium-oxygen exposure at 302 m were the increase of theta waves, and even of delta waves, the decrease in alpha rhythm and the decline of amplitude of alpha waves. Increased theta index and decreased alpha index could be seen at the depth of 302 m. Under any of the above-mentioned pressure conditions when slow waves characteristic of abnormal changes appeared in the EEGs, the EEGs could be temporarily improved by photic stimulation, i.e. slow waves disappeared and alpha waves reappeared. When photic stimulation was over, alpha waves disappeared and slow waves reappeared. It was indicated that abnormal changes of the EEG under high pressure were a kind of temporary and reversible changes of the brain function.

Adult↗

Beta-2-microglobulin synthesis is increased during activation of human monocytes.

We have investigated the regulation of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) synthesis by monocytes. Recent interest in beta 2-M has developed since the discovery that this protein forms amyloid fibrils in patients undergoing long-term, chronic hemodialysis. The beta 2-M amyloidosis is linked to the greatly elevated levels of monomeric beta 2-M in their circulation. Since factors that govern beta 2-M release from plasma membranes are not known, we endeavored to evaluate beta 2-M release during monocyte activation. Utilizing a human monocyte-like cell line, U937, we studied the effect of bacterial toxin stimulation on levels of membrane, cell surface, and supernatant beta 2-M. We now present a novel method to purify beta 2-M, a solid-phase radioimmunoassay to measure soluble beta 2-M, and an ELISA to measure membrane beta 2-M. Using these methods we found that the levels of beta 2-M in the cell membrane or on the cell surface did not change during monocyte activation. However, activation did induce a significant increase in the concentration of beta 2-M in monocyte supernatants, indicating that beta 2-M synthesis by monocytes is increased during monocyte activation. These results suggest that monocyte activation by hemodialysis membranes may be a contributing factor to the observed increase in circulating beta 2-M levels.

Bacterial Toxins↗

Normalization of hemodynamic parameters: application to vascular resistance and impedance.

Comparison of hemodynamic parameters among different species is complicated by the wide variety of body sizes and shapes. Although some parameters such as blood pressure and flow velocity seem to have similar absolute values among species, most other parameters such as cardiac output, pulse wave velocity, and heart rate vary greatly. Comparisons would be facilitated if one uses indices that are independent of body size and/or shape. An ideal index will bring values for individuals or species of different sizes into the same range and yet exhibit large relative changes to responses to small increments of an intervention in an individual. In this paper we demonstrate how dimensional analysis together with Buckingham's pi theorem and the assumption of biological similarity can be used to derive dimensionless hemodynamic normalization indices. Using data from the literature and from our own laboratory, we illustrate the approach by examining resistance and impedance. We compare our results with previously proposed methods of accounting for different body sizes, namely, dividing impedance by resistance or vice versa, multiplying by body weight, and using flow velocity rather than volume flow in the calculations. Both of our proposed indices bring the values for arterial and pulmonary resistance and impedance for rats, rabbits, dogs, and humans into the same range, although the variability among species using our indices is twice that of those previously proposed. On the other hand, the relative changes of our two indices induced by vasoactive agents or exercise in a dog are from two to five times greater than either the absolute values themselves or the previously used indices.

Animals↗

On analysis of sphygmogram.

In this paper, under the linear assumption, the analytical expressions describing the pressure sphygmogram of the radial artery are obtained in regard to the effect of the blood viscosity. Then the variations of the pulse wave form with some physiological parameters such as arterial elasticity, blood viscosity and resistance are discussed in detail too. We observed that venous injection of demethyladrenalin made a dog's vessels contract and increase in resistance while that of parasitic loranthus made the vessels relax and decrease in resistance, and variations of the pressure sphygmogram of the dog's radial artery conformed to theoretical results. Besides, taking the pressure sphygmogram of radial artery corresponding to smooth, normal and wiry pulses of the pulse conditions in traditional Chinese medicine as examples, we discussed the effect of related physiological parameters on these sphygmogram, which also conformed to the classical statement of the wiry, normal and smooth pulses in traditional Chinese medicine.

Animals↗