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Isothermic dialysis for hypotension-prone patients.

Standard hemodialysis (dialysate temperature >or=37 degrees C) induces an increase in body temperature capable of eliciting circulatory adjustments dictated by the maintenance of thermal homeostasis. These adjustments oppose, and can overcome, those elicited by the hypovolemia caused by the ultrafiltration process, and thus predispose patients to develop hypotensive crises during the treatment. Hemodynamic studies in hypotension-prone patients treated with standard hemodialysis showed that during the hypotensive crisis the peripheral vascular resistances decrease, while the stroke volume decreases proportionally more than the blood volume, suggesting cardiac underfilling due to blood volume redistribution. On the other hand, removal of the body heat surplus by cool dialysis helped the same patients to sustain their peripheral vasoconstriction and cardiac filling. To prevent the increase in body temperature, dialysate temperature should be regulated in such a way as to remove through the dialyzer the heat surplus accumulated in the body as a result of the ultrafiltration process. The amount of heat removal should be tailored to each patient because there are wide interindividual and intraindividual variations in baseline body temperature and ultrafiltration requirements. This can be accomplished by the use of a device that can adjust the dialysate temperature automatically in order to keep the body temperature of the patient unchanged (isothermic hemodialysis). Isothermic hemodialysis reduced from 50% to 25% the incidence of treatments complicated by episodes of symptomatic hypotension in a large randomized clinical trial involving 95 high-risk patients. The thermoregulated treatment results in better patient tolerance because the cold stress inherent in this procedure is lower than that inflicted by the use of a fixed low temperature as was done in the past. Overall, the available evidence supports the Gotch hypothesis that the increase in body temperature during hemodialysis is due to the ultrafiltration process eliciting peripheral vasoconstriction and heat accumulation in the body. Heat accumulation brings into play the thermal homeostatic mechanisms endangering cardiovascular tolerance to ultrafiltration.

Body Temperature↗

Oleic acid is elevated in cell membranes during rapid cold-hardening and pupal diapause in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis.

The integrity of cellular membranes is critical to the survival of insects at low temperatures, thus an advantage is conferred to insects that can adjust their composition of membrane fatty acids (FAs). Such changes contribute to homeoviscous adaption, a process that allows cellular membranes to maintain a liquid-crystalline state at temperatures that are potentially low enough to cause the membrane to enter the gel state and thereby lose its ability to maintain homeostasis. Flesh flies (Sarcophaga crassipalpis) were subjected to two experimental conditions that elicit low temperature tolerance: rapid cold-hardening and diapause. FAs were isolated and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. FAs changed in response to both rapid cold-hardening and diapause. In response to rapid cold-hardening (8 h at 4 degrees C), the proportion of oleic acid (18:1n-9) in pharate adults increased from 30% to 47% of the total FA pool. The proportion of almost every other FA was reduced. By entering diapause, pupae experienced an even greater increase in oleic acid proportion, to 58% of the total FA pool. Oleic acid not only promotes membrane fluidity at low temperature but also allows the cell membrane to maintain a liquid crystalline state if temperatures increase.

Acclimatization↗

Tolerability of ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol for the treatment of cold and flu symptoms and sore throat pain.

This double-blind randomised study compared the tolerability of ibuprofen (up to 1.2 g daily), aspirin and paracetamol (both up to 3 g daily) for up to seven days, in patients with mild to moderate pain resulting from cold/flu symptoms or sore throat (CF/ST) (n = 2,815). The main outcome was the rate of significant adverse events (SGAE). Rates of SGAE for ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol were respectively 12.0%, 15.7% and 12.3%. Ibuprofen was significantly better tolerated than aspirin (p = 0.02) and had comparable tolerability with paracetamol. The latter was also true for total digestive system events and for abdominal pain and dyspepsia. In conclusion, in patients with CF/ST, ibuprofen used at over-the-counter doses is as well tolerated as paracetamol and much better tolerated than aspirin.

Acetaminophen↗

A comparison of the effects of preferred music, arithmetic and humour on cold pressor pain.

Research studies of 'audioanalgesia', the ability of music to affect pain perception, have significantly increased in number during the past two decades. Listening to preferred music in particular may provide an emotionally engaging distraction capable of reducing both the sensation of pain itself and the accompanying negative affective experience. The current study uses experimentally induced cold pressor pain to compare the effects of preferred music to two types of distracting stimuli found effective within the previous studies; mental arithmetic, a cognitive distraction, and humour, which may emotionally engage us in a similar manner to music. Forty-four participants (24 females, 20 males) underwent three cold pressor trials in counterbalanced order. The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task provided the cognitive distraction and a choice was given from three types of audiotaped stand-up comedy. Participants provided their own preferred music. A circulating and cooling water bath administered cold pressor stimulation. Tolerance time, pain intensity on visual analogue scale and the pain rating index and perceived control were measured. Preferred music listening was found to significantly increase tolerance in comparison to the cognitive task, and significantly increase perceived control in comparison to humour. Ratings of pain intensity did not significantly differ. The results suggest preferred music listening to offer effective distraction and enhancement of control as a pain intervention under controlled laboratory conditions.

Adolescent↗

Frost injury and heterogeneous ice nucleation in leaves of tuber-bearing solanum species : ice nucleation activity of external source of nucleants.

The heterogeneous ice nucleation characteristics and frost injury in supercooled leaves upon ice formation were studied in nonhardened and cold-hardened species and crosses of tuber-bearing Solanum. The ice nucleation activity of the leaves was low at temperatures just below 0 degrees C and further decreased as a result of cold acclimation. In the absence of supercooling, the nonhardened and cold-hardened leaves tolerated extracellular freezing between -3.5 degrees and -8.5 degrees C. However, if ice initiation in the supercooled leaves occurred at any temperature below -2.6 degrees C, the leaves were lethally injured.To prevent supercooling in these leaves, various nucleants were tested for their ice nucleating ability. One% aqueous suspensions of fluorophlogopite and acetoacetanilide were found to be effective in ice nucleation of the Solanum leaves above -1 degrees C. They had threshold temperatures of -0.7 degrees and -0.8 degrees C, respectively, for freezing in distilled H(2)O. Although freezing could be initiated in the Solanum leaves above -1 degrees C with both the nucleants, 1% aqueous fluorophlogopite suspension showed overall higher ice nucleation activity than acetoacetanilide and was nontoxic to the leaves. The cold-hardened leaves survived between -2.5 degrees and -6.5 degrees using 1% aqueous fluorophlogopite suspension as a nucleant. The killing temperatures in the cold-hardened leaves were similar to those determined using ice as a nucleant. However, in the nonhardened leaves, use of fluorophlogopite as a nucleant resulted in lethal injury at higher temperatures than those estimated using ice as a nucleant.

Journal Article↗

Freezing-sensitive tomato has a functional CBF cold response pathway, but a CBF regulon that differs from that of freezing-tolerant Arabidopsis.

Many plants increase in freezing tolerance in response to low temperature, a process known as cold acclimation. In Arabidopsis, cold acclimation involves action of the CBF cold response pathway. Key components of the pathway include rapid cold-induced expression of three homologous genes encoding transcriptional activators, CBF1, 2 and 3 (also known as DREB1b, c and a, respectively), followed by expression of CBF-targeted genes, the CBF regulon, that increase freezing tolerance. Unlike Arabidopsis, tomato cannot cold acclimate raising the question of whether it has a functional CBF cold response pathway. Here we show that tomato, like Arabidopsis, encodes three CBF homologs, LeCBF1-3 (Lycopersicon esculentum CBF1-3), that are present in tandem array in the genome. Only the tomato LeCBF1 gene, however, was found to be cold-inducible. As is the case for Arabidopsis CBF1-3, transcripts for LeCBF1-3 did accumulate in response to mechanical agitation, but not in response to drought, ABA or high salinity. Constitutive overexpression of LeCBF1 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants induced expression of CBF-targeted genes and increased freezing tolerance indicating that LeCBF1 encodes a functional homolog of the Arabidopsis CBF1-3 proteins. However, constitutive overexpression of either LeCBF1 or AtCBF3 in transgenic tomato plants did not increase freezing tolerance. Gene expression studies, including the use of a cDNA microarray representing approximately 8000 tomato genes, identified only four genes that were induced 2.5-fold or more in the LeCBF1 or AtCBF3 overexpressing plants, three of which were putative members of the tomato CBF regulon as they were also upregulated in response to low temperature. Additional experiments indicated that of eight tomato genes that were likely orthologs of Arabidopsis CBF regulon genes, none were responsive to CBF overexpression in tomato. From these results, we conclude that tomato has a complete CBF cold response pathway, but that the tomato CBF regulon differs from that of Arabidopsis and appears to be considerably smaller and less diverse in function.

Acclimatization↗

Superior myocardial preservation with modified UW solution after prolonged ischemia in the rat heart.

Cardiac transplantation remains constrained by poor graft tolerance of prolonged cold ischemia. University of Wisconsin solution has remarkably extended ischemic preservation in pancreas, kidney, and liver transplantation. To assess its efficacy in cardiac preservation, modified University of Wisconsin solution flush and storage were tested against St. Thomas' cardioplegia flush and normal saline solution storage after six hours of ischemia at 0 degrees C in 46 isolated rat hearts. After ischemia, groups were compared before and after reperfusion. After ischemia but before reperfusion, University of Wisconsin solution hearts had significantly less tissue water (3.8%), superior tissue sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium profiles, and elevated adenosine and inosine levels, and tended toward better histological preservation. After reperfusion, University of Wisconsin solution more effectively preserved left ventricular compliance (75% versus 35% of baseline), developed pressure (71% versus 45% of baseline), histological integrity, and tissue potassium and calcium profiles than St. Thomas' solution. The University of Wisconsin solution provided superior preservation of systolic and diastolic ventricular function, tissue histology, tissue water, and tissue electrolytes than did St. Thomas' cardioplegia and normal saline solution storage in this experimental model, and might result in improved graft tolerance of ischemia in clinical cardiac transplantation.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

Simulated hibernation of sea turtles in the laboratory: I. Feeding, breathing frequency, blood pH, and blood gases.

Captive immature green (Chelonia mydas) and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempi) sea turtles were examined to determine if a hibernation-like state could be induced under controlled conditions. Both species demonstrated that they are able to acclimate to cold temperatures behaviorally. However, the two species appeared to respond differently to decreasing temperature. Whereas the green turtles tolerated the onset of cold water temperatures by reducing swimming activity, the ridleys became very agitated and active as they were exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees C. Nevertheless, both species displayed semi-dormant behavior at temperatures below 15 degrees C, coming to the surface to breathe periodically at intervals of up to three hours. At low temperatures, venous blood pO2 and pCO2 decreased, whereas venous blood pH increased. Feeding also decreased as either species was exposed to cold temperature: greens (at 15 degrees C) and ridleys (at 20 degrees C) decreased food consumption to 50% of control levels, and ceased feeding below 15 degrees C. Thus, these species tolerated temperature drops and the associated hypophagia. They did not exhibit cold-stunning behavior, as has been observed in wild sea turtles exposed to rapid temperature drops, or prolonged periods of hibernation-like dormancy, as has been proposed for wild sea turtles during cold winter months.

Animals↗

Cold acclimation in bryophytes: low-temperature-induced freezing tolerance in Physcomitrella patens is associated with increases in expression levels of stress-related genes but not with increase in level of endogenous abscisic acid.

Bryophyte species growing in areas in which temperatures fall below zero in winter are likely to have tolerance to freezing stress. It is well established in higher plants that freezing tolerance is acquired by exposure to non-freezing low temperatures, accompanied by expression of various genes and increases in levels of the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). However, little is known about the physiological changes induced by cold acclimation in non-vascular plants such as bryophytes. We examined the effects of low temperatures on protonema cells of the moss Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch and Schimp. The freezing tolerance of protonema cells was clearly increased by incubation at low temperatures ranging from 10 degrees C to 0 degrees C, with maximum tolerance achieved by incubation at 0 degrees C for several days. The enhancement of freezing tolerance by low temperatures occurred in both light and dark conditions and was accompanied by accumulation of several transcripts for late-embryogenesis-abundant (LEA) proteins and boiling-soluble proteins. By de-acclimation, low-temperature-induced expression of these transcripts and proteins, as well as the freezing tolerance, was reduced. Interestingly, endogenous levels of ABA in tissues or that secreted into the culture medium were not specifically increased by low-temperature treatment. Furthermore, removal of ABA from the medium by addition of activated charcoal did not affect low-temperature-induced freezing tolerance of the protonema cells. Our results provide evidence that bryophytes have an ABA-independent cold-signaling pathway leading to expression of stress-related genes and resultant acquisition of freezing tolerance.

Abscisic Acid↗

Marine enzymes.

Marine enzyme biotechnology can offer novel biocatalysts with properties like high salt tolerance, hyperthermostability, barophilicity, cold adaptivity, and ease in large-scale cultivation. This review deals with the research and development work done on the occurrence, molecular biology, and bioprocessing of marine enzymes during the last decade. Exotic locations have been accessed for the search of novel enzymes. Scientists have isolated proteases and carbohydrases from deep sea hydrothermal vents. Cold active metabolic enzymes from psychrophilic marine microorganisms have received considerable research attention. Marine symbiont microorganisms growing in association with animals and plants were shown to produce enzymes of commercial interest. Microorganisms isolated from sediment and seawater have been the most widely studied, proteases, carbohydrases, and peroxidases being noteworthy. Enzymes from marine animals and plants were primarily studied for their metabolic roles, though proteases and peroxidases have found industrial applications. Novel techniques in molecular biology applied to assess the diversity of chitinases, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia-metabolizing, and pollutant-degrading enzymes are discussed. Genes encoding chitinases, proteases, and carbohydrases from microbial and animal sources have been cloned and characterized. Research on the bioprocessing of marine-derived enzymes, however, has been scanty, focusing mainly on the application of solid-state fermentation to the production of enzymes from microbial sources.

Animals↗

Patella resurfacing in total knee replacement: functional evaluation and complications.

Three different knee replacements, with three trochlear designs, were prospectively evaluated clinically and radiographically for patellar function and presence of patellar complications. They included the Insall-Burstein (IB) I and the IB-II (posterior cruciate ligament substituting) and the Meniscal Bearing Knee (MBK; posterior cruciate ligament recession). The trochlea of the IB-I was short and shallow with an anterior sharp edge of the intercondylar box (later modified to a smoother edge) and the femoral component had a prominent "shoulder." In the IB-II the trochlea was deeper to allow for soft tissue clearance. In the MBK the trochlea was more prolonged, with R and L components and the "shoulder" was less prominent. In all the cases the patella was resurfaced with an all polyethylene dome prosthesis. Knees with tibiofemoral problems were excluded. From the data of the present study the following conclusions can be drawn: (a) The most frequent problem was impingement (clunks) with the early version of the IB-I. Smoothening of the anterior edge significantly reduced the incidence of clunks to 5% in the modified IB I. (b) With the IB-II deepening the trochlea for soft tissue clearance improved the degree, not the incidence of clunks (4.5%), compared to the modified IB I. (c) With the MBK clunks were very rare and patellar function improved. (d) Throughout the three series patellar stress fractures and instability were rare and loosening or wear not evident. (e) Normal function (including stairs ascending and descending) can be expected in over 80% of category A patients. (f) Of the various radiological parameters only patella baja was correlated with symptoms in the IB prostheses. (g) We still prefer the dome design because is more tolerant and with cold flow may better conform to the trochlea increasing contact area.

Adult↗

Combined response of plasma and platelet catecholamines to different types of short-term stress.

Platelet catecholamines (CAs) do not seem to reflect the acute increases in plasma CAs observed during stress, at least over short periods of time. However, it is well known that stress, via the release of plasma CAs, is capable of affecting platelet function. To better address this issue, we studied platelet and plasma levels of free noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A), and dopamine (DA) in 10 healthy subjects undergoing three different stress tests: insulin tolerance test (ITT), cold pressor test (CPT) and handgrip test (HT). We also evaluated platelet count and platelet mean volume (MPV). ITT caused a considerable increase in plasma NA and a massive release of plasma A, while CPT and HT induced discrete increases only in plasma NA. ITT induced a significant decrease in platelet DA and a trend toward a decrease in platelet NA, along with a significant increase in MPV. All these changes occurred in coincidence with the peak levels of plasma CAs. No changes in platelet variables were observed in response to both CPT and HT. The modifications observed during ITT are likely to represent signs of an initial platelet activation in response to the acute plasma CA elevations this test was able to elicit. Our data show that platelet CA content does not represent a mere reflection of the circulating concentrations of plasma CAs, but it is the result of a dynamic balance between these two compartments.

Adult↗

Heart preservation in HTK solution: role of coronary vasculature in recovery of cardiac function.

BACKGROUND: Poor myocardial tolerance to prolonged cold ischemia remains a major concern in heart transplantation. In this study, we estimated superiority of Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) over University of Wisconsin (UW) as a cardiac preservation solution. METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus to estimate the baseline cardiac function. The hearts were arrested and stored at 4 degrees C in UW and HTK solution for 8 hours, and then reperfused. The aortic flow, coronary flow, cardiac output, rate pressure product, and left ventricular dp/dt in the HTK group recovered significantly more than the UW group. The values of myocardial total adenine nucleotides and the adenosine triphosphate to adenosine diphosphate ratio were higher in the HTK than in the UW group. We also examined coronary vascular responsiveness using left coronary arteries dissected from the rat hearts before flushing, before storage, after storage, and after reperfusion. RESULTS: The maximal relaxation response to acetylcholine was significantly higher in the HTK than in the UW group after reperfusion, although there were no significant differences at each stage before reperfusion. In addition, the endothelium-independent relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside in the HTK group was also well preserved after reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that HTK is superior to UW solution for cardiac preservation. HTK protects coronary vasculature during preservation, which together with reperfusion might lead to improved functional cardiac recovery following preservation.

Adenosine↗

Fish can be first--advances in fish transgenesis for commercial applications.

Over the past 15 years researchers have generated stable lines of several species of transgenic fish important for aquaculture. 'All-fish' growth hormone (GH) gene constructs and antifreeze protein (AFP) genes have been successfully introduced into the fish genome resulting in a significant acceleration of growth rate and an increase in cold and freeze tolerance. However, neither gene modification is completely understood; there are still questions to be resolved. Expression rates are still low, producing variable growth enhancement rates and less than desired levels of freeze resistance. Transgene strategies are also being developed to provide improved pathogen resistance and modified metabolism for better utilization of the diet. Additional challenges are to tailor the genetically modified fish strains to prevent release of the modified genes into the environment.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Pain sensitivity and individual differences in self-reported sexual behavior.

The relationship between sexual behavior and pain sensitivity was assessed in 27 heterosexual men and 20 heterosexual women. Sexual behavior measures included sexual motivation and ratings of subjective sexual arousal to and enjoyment of an auditory stimulus. Pain sensitivity measures were pain threshold and pain tolerance in a cold pressor task. Participants were tested after exposure to a neutral or a sexual audio stimulus. Exposure to the sexual stimulus increased pain sensitivity in women but not in men. However, sexual behavior measures were correlated with pain threshold for both men and women. Specifically, higher pain thresholds were associated with weaker sexual motivation, lower enjoyment potential for sexual interaction, and increased inhibition during intercourse. These results are consistent with findings in laboratory animals, suggesting that differences in sexual behavior may reflect differences in responsiveness to a variety of stimuli.

Adolescent↗

How flies get their size: genetics meets physiology.

Body size affects important fitness variables such as mate selection, predation and tolerance to heat, cold and starvation. It is therefore subject to intense evolutionary selection. Recent genetic and physiological studies in insects are providing predictions as to which gene systems are likely to be targeted in selecting for changes in body size. These studies highlight genes and pathways that also control size in mammals: insects use insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase signalling to coordinate nutrition with cell growth, and steroid and neuropeptide hormones to terminate feeding after a genetically encoded target weight is achieved. However, we still understand little about how size is actually sensed, or how organ-intrinsic size controls interface with whole-body physiology.

Animals↗

Hypnosis increases heat detection and heat pain thresholds in healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hypnosis has been reported to induce analgesia and to facilitate anesthesia. To date, hypnotic-induced analgesia has had little explanation and it has even been questioned. The current study was thus designed to investigate the effect of hypnotic suggestion on thermal-detection thresholds, heat pain, and heat-pain tolerance thresholds. METHODS: In 15 healthy volunteers, enrolled in a randomized cross-over study, thermal thresholds were investigated in 2 sequences of measurements, under waking and hypnotic states, using a thermal stimulator. RESULTS: Heat detection and heat-pain thresholds were increased under hypnosis (from 34.3 +/-.9 degrees C to 36.0 +/- 2.9 degrees C and 45.0 +/- 3.7 degrees C to 46.7 +/- 2.7 degrees C, respectively, P <.05), whereas heat-pain tolerance and cold-detection thresholds were not statistically changed. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that hypnosis may partly impair the detection of A delta and C fibers stimulation, potentially explaining its analgesic effect.

Adult↗

Cloning, characterization and functional analysis of novel 6-kestose exohydrolases (6-KEHs) from wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Cereals accumulate graminan-type fructans which are subject to stress-related degradation by fructan 1-exohydrolases (1-FEHs) and fructan 6-exohydrolases (6-FEHs). To find new FEH genes related to freezing tolerance, a cold-hardened wheat crown cDNA library was screened. Here we report the cloning, purification and characterization of two novel 6-kestosidase (6-KEH) isoenzymes from wheat crowns (Triticum aestivum). Functional characterization in Pichia pastoris confirmed the extreme substrate selectivity for the fructan trisaccharide 6-kestose. Northern blotting showed that 6-KEH transcripts were constantly detected at the same level from autumn to winter in crown but not in leaf tissues. Apoplastic fluid isolations and activity measurements strongly suggest that 6-KEH is localized in the apoplast. It is proposed that 6-KEHs, together with other FEHs, might be involved in the breakdown of apoplastic fructans which may fulfil a role as membrane protectors under stress. Alternatively, a role in signalling processes, or in the degradation of exogenous 6-kestose from bacterial origin, cannot be excluded.

Amino Acid Sequence↗