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At least 667 records · Page 37

Swimming kinematics and respiratory behaviour of Xenopus laevis larvae raised in altered gravity

We examined the respiratory behaviours and swimming kinematics of Xenopus laevis tadpoles hatched in microgravity (Space Shuttle), simulated microgravity (clinostat) and hypergravity (3 g centrifuge). All observations were made in the normal 1 g environment. Previous research has shown that X. laevis raised in microgravity exhibit abnormalities in their lungs and vestibular system upon return to 1 g. The tadpoles raised in true microgravity exhibited a significantly lower tailbeat frequency than onboard 1 g centrifuge controls on the day of landing (day0), but this behaviour normalized within 9 days. The two groups did not differ significantly in buccal pumping rates. Altered buoyancy in the space-flight microgravity tadpoles was indicated by an increased swimming angle on the day after landing (day1). Tadpoles raised in simulated microgravity differed to a greater extent in swimming behaviours from their 1 g controls. The tadpoles raised in hypergravity showed no substantive effects on the development of swimming or respiratory behaviours, except swimming angle. Together, these results show that microgravity has a transient effect on the development of locomotion in X. laevis tadpoles, most notably on swimming angle, indicative of stunted lung development. On the basis of the behaviours we studied, there is no indication of neuromuscular retardation in amphibians associated with embryogenesis in microgravity.

Flight Experiment↗

Hypercapnic ventilatory response in humans before, during, and after 23 days of low level CO2 exposure

Alterations in ventilation and the chemoreceptor response to CO2 during 23 d of 1.2% inspired CO2 were studied in four male subjects. Resting ventilation (VE), tidal volume (VT), respiratory frequency (fR), inspired and end tidal O2 and CO2 and the hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) measured by CO2 rebreathing were measured once before entering the chamber, on days 2, 5, 11, and 22 of CO2 exposure, and one day after. Resting VE slightly increased (5%) on day 2 of exposure and significantly increased (22%) by day 5 followed by a progressive decrease to pre-chamber levels by day 22 and on the first day of recovery. Tidal volume and fR were not statistically different. During the exposure PetCO2 was significantly elevated with day 2 having the largest increase (19.6%). PetCO2 returned to normal within 24 h post exposure. The HCVR was characterized by the slope (SHCVR), intercept at zero ventilation (B), and the ventilation at a PCO2 = 60 mmHg (VE60). The SHCVR decreased (14%) on day 2, but was not significant; the SHCVR on the other exposure days were also not different. The SHCVR on the first recovery day significantly increased (37%). The HCVR B was shifted to the right on day 2 by 5.2 mmHg, then progressively returned to the pre-exposure position. On recovery the B significantly shifted 6.9 mmHg to the right of pre-exposure B. The VE60 decreased by approximately 32% and 16% on day 2 and 5, respectively, then returned within pre-exposure range for the remainder of the exposure and during recovery. During the early phase and one day after the exposure the HCVR was right shifted. One day after exposure chemoreceptor sensitivity to elevated CO2 was increased but, the B was right shifted resulting in a reduced HCVR below PCO2 of 60 mmHg and a greater HCVR above 60 mmHg.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Low level CO2 effects on pulmonary function in humans

The purpose of the study was to determine whether chamber exposure to low levels of CO2 results in functional alterations in gas mixing and closing volume in humans. Four healthy volunteer subjects were exposed to 0.7% CO2 and to 1.2% CO2. Spirometry, lung volumes, single breath nitrogen washout, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) by two methods, and cardiac output were measured in triplicate. Values were obtained over two non-consecutive days during the training period (control) and on days 2 or 3, 4, 6, 10, 13, and 23 of exposure to each CO2 level. Measurements were made during the same time of day. There was one day of testing after exposure, while still in the chamber but off carbon dioxide. The order of testing, up until measurements of DLCO and cardiac output, were randomized to avoid presentation effects. The consistent findings were a reduction in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide and a fall in cardiac output, occurring to a similar degree with both exposures. For the group as a whole, there was no indication of major effects on spirometry, lung volumes, gas mixing or dead space. We conclude that small changes may occur in the function of distal gas exchanging units; however, these effects were not associated with any adverse health effects. The likelihood of pathophysiologic changes in lung function or structure with 0.7 or 1.2% CO2 exposure for this period of time, is therefore, low.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Light promotion of hypocotyl gravitropism of a starch-deficient tobacco mutant correlates with plastid enlargement and sedimentation

Dark-grown hypocotyls of a starch-deficient mutant (NS458) of tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris) lack amyloplasts and plastid sedimentation, and have severely reduced gravitropism. However, gravitropism improved dramatically when NS458 seedlings were grown in the light. To determine the extent of this improvement and whether mutant hypocotyls contain sedimented amyloplasts, gravitropic sensitivity (induction time and intermittent stimulation) and plastid size and position in the endodermis were measured in seedlings grown for 8 d in the light. Light-grown NS458 hypocotyls were gravitropic but were less sensitive than the wild type (WT). Starch occupied 10% of the volume of NS458 plastids grown in both the light and the dark, whereas WT plastids were essentially filled with starch in both treatments. Light increased plastid size twice as much in the mutant as in the WT. Plastids in light-grown NS458 were sedimented, presumably because of their larger size and greater total starch content. The induction by light of plastid sedimentation in NS458 provides new evidence for the role of plastid mass and sedimentation in stem gravitropic sensing. Because the mutant is not as sensitive as the WT, NS458 plastids may not have sufficient mass to provide full gravitropic sensitivity.

Non-NASA Center↗

Heart rate dynamics in patients with stable angina pectoris and utility of fractal and complexity measures

Dynamic analysis techniques may uncover abnormalities in heart rate (HR) behavior that are not easily detectable with conventional statistical measures. However, the applicability of these new methods for detecting possible abnormalities in HR behavior in various cardiovascular disorders is not well established. Conventional measures of HR variability were compared with short-term (< or = 11 beats, alpha1) and long-term (> 11 beats, alpha2) fractal correlation properties and with approximate entropy of RR interval data in 38 patients with stable angina pectoris without previous myocardial infarction or cardiac medication at the time of the study and 38 age-matched healthy controls. The short- and long-term fractal scaling exponents (alpha1, alpha2) were significantly higher in the coronary patients than in the healthy controls (1.34 +/- 0.15 vs 1.11 +/- 0.12 [p <0.001] and 1.10 +/- 0.08 vs 1.04 +/- 0.06 [p <0.01], respectively), and they also had lower approximate entropy (p <0.05), standard deviation of all RR intervals (p <0.01), and high-frequency spectral component of HR variability (p <0.05). The short-term fractal scaling exponent performed better than other heart rate variability parameters in differentiating patients with coronary artery disease from healthy subjects, but it was not related to the clinical or angiographic severity of coronary artery disease or any single nonspectral or spectral measure of HR variability in this retrospective study. Patients with stable angina pectoris have altered fractal properties and reduced complexity in their RR interval dynamics relative to age-matched healthy subjects. Dynamic analysis may complement traditional analyses in detecting altered HR behavior in patients with stable angina pectoris.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Mapping the functional roles of cap cells in the response of Arabidopsis primary roots to gravity

The cap is widely accepted to be the site of gravity sensing in roots because removal of the cap abolishes root curvature. Circumstantial evidence favors the columella cells as the gravisensory cells because amyloplasts (and often other cellular components) are polarized with respect to the gravity vector. However, there has been no functional confirmation of their role. To address this problem, we used laser ablation to remove defined cells in the cap of Arabidopsis primary roots and quantified the response of the roots to gravity using three parameters: time course of curvature, presentation time, and deviation from vertical growth. Ablation of the peripheral cap cells and tip cells did not alter root curvature. Ablation of the innermost columella cells caused the strongest inhibitory effect on root curvature without affecting growth rates. Many of these roots deviated significantly from vertical growth and had a presentation time 6-fold longer than the controls. Among the two inner columella stories, the central cells of story 2 contributed the most to root gravitropism. These cells also exhibited the largest amyloplast sedimentation velocities. Therefore, these results are consistent with the starch-statolith sedimentation hypothesis for gravity sensing.

Non-NASA Center↗

The effects on human sleep and circadian rhythms of 17 days of continuous bedrest in the absence of daylight

As part of a larger bedrest study involving various life science experiments, a study was conducted on the effects of 17 days of continuous bedrest and elimination of daylight on circadian rectal temperature rhythms, mood, alertness, and sleep (objective and diary) in eight healthy middle-aged men. Sleep was timed from 2300 to 0700 hours throughout. Three 72-hour measurement blocks were compared: ambulatory prebedrest, early bedrest (days 5-7), and late bedrest (days 15-17). Temperature rhythms showed reduced amplitude and later phases resulting from the bedrest conditions. This was associated with longer nocturnal sleep onset latencies and poorer subjectively rated sleep but with no reliable changes in any of the other sleep parameters. Daily changes in posture and/or exposure to daylight appear to be important determinants of a properly entrained circadian system.

Non-NASA Center↗

Effect of 17 days of bed rest on peak isometric force and unloaded shortening velocity of human soleus fibers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prolonged bed rest (BR) on the peak isometric force (P0) and unloaded shortening velocity (V0) of single Ca(2+)-activated muscle fibers. Soleus muscle biopsies were obtained from eight adult males before and after 17 days of 6 degrees head-down BR. Chemically permeabilized single fiber segments were mounted between a force transducer and position motor, activated with saturating levels of Ca2+, and subjected to slack length steps. V0 was determined by plotting the time for force redevelopment vs. the slack step distance. Gel electrophoresis revealed that 96% of the pre- and 87% of the post-BR fibers studied expressed only the slow type I myosin heavy chain isoform. Fibers with diameter > 100 microns made up only 14% of this post-BR type I population compared with 33% of the pre-BR type I population. Consequently, the post-BR type I fibers (n = 147) were, on average, 5% smaller in diameter than the pre-BR type I fibers (n = 218) and produced 13% less absolute P0. BR had no overall effect on P0 per fiber cross-sectional area (P0/CSA), even though half of the subjects displayed a decline of 9-12% in P0/CSA after BR. Type I fiber V0 increased by an average of 34% with BR. Although the ratio of myosin light chain 3 to myosin light chain 2 also rose with BR, there was no correlation between this ratio and V0 for either the pre- or post-BR fibers. In separate fibers obtained from the original biopsies, quantitative electron microscopy revealed a 20-24% decrease in thin filament density, with no change in thick filament density. These results raise the possibility that alterations in the geometric relationships between thin and thick filaments may be at least partially responsible for the elevated V0 of the post-BR type I fibers.

STS-78 Shuttle Project↗

The effects of programmed administration of human parathyroid hormone fragment (1-34) on bone histomorphometry and serum chemistry in rats

PTH treatment can result in dramatic increases in cancellous bone volume in normal and osteopenic rats. However, this potentially beneficial response is only observed after pulsatile treatment; continuous infusion of PTH leads to hypercalcemia and bone abnormalities. The purpose of these studies was to determine the optimal duration of the PTH pulses. A preliminary study revealed that human PTH-(1-34) (hPTH) is cleared from circulation within 6 h after sc administration of an anabolic dose of the hormone (80 microg/kg). To establish the effects of gradually extending the duration of exposure to hPTH without increasing the daily dose, we programmed implanted Alzet osmotic pumps to deliver the 80 microg/kg x day dose of the hormone during pulses of 1, 2, and 6 h/day, or 40 microg/kg x day continuously. Discontinuous infusion was accomplished by alternate spacing of external tubing with hPTH solution and sesame oil. After 6 days of treatment, we evaluated serum chemistry and bone histomorphometry. As negative and positive controls, groups of rats received pumps that delivered vehicle only and 80 microg/kg x day hPTH by daily sc injection, respectively. Dynamic and static bone histomorphometry revealed that the daily sc injection and 1 h/day infusion dramatically increased osteoblast number and bone formation in the proximal tibial metaphysis, whereas longer infusion resulted in systemic side-effects, including up to a 10% loss in body weight, hypercalcemia, and histological changes in the proximal tibia resembling abnormalities observed in patients with chronic primary hyperparathyroidism, including peritrabecular marrow fibrosis and focal bone resorption. Infusion for as little as 2 h/day resulted in minor weight loss and changes in bone histology that were intermediate between sc and continuous administration. The results demonstrate that the therapeutic interval for hPTH exposure is brief, but that programmed administration of implanted hormone is a feasible alternative to daily injection as a route for administration of the hormone.

Non-NASA Center↗

Kinematic principles of primate rotational vestibulo-ocular reflex. I. Spatial organization of fast phase velocity axes

The spatial organization of fast phase velocity vectors of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) was studied in rhesus monkeys during yaw rotations about an earth-horizontal axis that changed continuously the orientation of the head relative to gravity ("barbecue spit" rotation). In addition to a velocity component parallel to the rotation axis, fast phases also exhibited a velocity component that invariably was oriented along the momentary direction of gravity. As the head rotated through supine and prone positions, torsional components of fast phase velocity axes became prominent. Similarly, as the head rotated through left and right ear-down positions, fast phase velocity axes exhibited prominent vertical components. The larger the speed of head rotation the greater the magnitude of this fast phase component, which was collinear with gravity. The main sequence properties of VOR fast phases were independent of head position. However, peak amplitude as well as peak velocity of fast phases were both modulated as a function of head orientation, exhibiting a minimum in prone position. The results suggest that the fast phases of vestibulo-ocular reflexes not only redirect gaze and reposition the eye in the direction of head motion but also reorient the eye with respect to earth-vertical when the head moves relative to gravity. As further elaborated in the companion paper, the underlying mechanism could be described as a dynamic, gravity-dependent modulation of the coordinates of ocular rotations relative to the head.

Non-NASA Center↗

Interactions between integrin receptors and fibronectin are required for calvarial osteoblast differentiation in vitro

We previously showed that anti-fibronectin antibodies or soluble fibronectin fragments containing the central cell-binding domain inhibit formation of mineralized nodules by fetal calvarial osteoblasts in vitro. These findings suggest a critical role for fibronectin in osteoblast differentiation and morphogenesis. In this study we tested the hypothesis that fibronectin's effects on osteogenesis are mediated via direct interactions with integrin receptors for fibronectin on osteoblasts. Immunocytochemical analysis identified the integrin fibronectin receptor alpha5ss1 in fetal rat calvarial tissue and in cultured osteoblasts at all stages of differentiation. Three other integrins, alpha3ss1, alpha8ss1 and alphavss3, which can bind fibronectin, as well as other matrix components, were also identified in tissue and at all stages of cell culture. Immunoprecipitation data showed that alpha5ss1 levels are constant throughout osteoblast differentiation whereas levels of alpha3ss1 and alpha8ss1 decline in mature mineralized cultures. To determine whether integrin fibronectin receptors are required for osteoblast formation of mineralized nodules, we examined the extent of nodule formation in the presence and absence of function-perturbing anti-integrin antibodies. The antibodies were present continuously in cultures beginning at confluence (day 3), and nodule formation was measured at days 10 and 20. An anti-alpha5 integrin subunit antibody reduced nodule formation to less than 5% of control values at both time points. Inhibition of nodule formation was reversible and did not affect cell attachment and viability. Function-perturbing antibodies against alpha3ss1 and alpha8ss1 also reduced nodule formation, to less than 20% of control values. In contrast, function-perturbing antibodies to alphavss3 and alphavss5 did not affect nodule formation, indicating that the inhibitions noted were indeed specific. To determine the effect of antibody treatment on gene expression, steady-state mRNA expression was examined and found to be suppressed for osteoblast markers alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. Together, these results indicate that direct osteoblast interactions with the extracellular matrix are mediated by a select group of integrin receptors that includes alpha5ss1, alpha3ss1 and alpha8ss1. We further conclude that the specific alpha5ss1 fibronectin receptor mediates critical interactions between osteoblasts and fibronectin required for both bone morphogenesis and osteoblast differentiation.

NASA Center ARC↗

1,25 (OH)2D3 enhances PTH-induced Ca2+ transients in preosteoblasts by activating L-type Ca2+ channels

We previously demonstrated electrophysiologically that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] shifts the activation threshold of L-type Ca2+ channels in osteoblasts toward the resting potential and prolongs mean open time. Presently, we used single-cell Ca2+ imaging to study the combined effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 and parathyroid hormone (PTH) during generation of Ca2+ transients in fura 2-loaded MC3T3-E1 cells. Pretreatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 concentrations, which alone did not produce Ca2+ transients, consistently enhanced Ca2+ responses to PTH. Enhancement was dose dependent over the range of 1 to 10 nM and was blocked by pretreatment with 5 microM nitrendipine during pretreatment. A 1,25(OH)2D3 analog that activates L-type channels and shifts their activation threshold also enhanced PTH responses. In contrast, an analog devoid of membrane Ca2+ effects did not enhance PTH-induced Ca2+ transients. The PTH-induced Ca2+ transient involved activation of a dihydropyridine-insensitive cation channel that was inhibited by Gd3+. Together, these data suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 increases osteoblast responsiveness to PTH through rapid modification of L-type Ca2+ channel gating properties, whose activation enhances Ca2+ entry through other channels such as the PTH-responsive, Gd(3+)-sensitive cation channel.

Non-NASA Center↗

Evidence for increased beta-adrenoreceptor responsiveness induced by 14 days of simulated microgravity in humans

We studied hemodynamic responses to alpha- and beta-receptor agonists in eight healthy men before and after 14 days of 6 degrees head-down tilt (HDT) to test the hypothesis that increased adrenoreceptor responsiveness is induced by prolonged exposure to simulated microgravity. Steady-state infusions of isoproterenol (Iso) at rates of 0.005, 0.01, and 0.02 microgram.kg-1.min-1 were used to assess beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoreceptor responsiveness. Infusions of phenylephrine (PE) at rates of 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 microgram.kg-1.min-1 were used to assess responsiveness of alpha 1-vascular adrenoreceptors. Slopes calculated from linear regressions between Iso and PE doses and changes in beat-to-beat heart rate, blood pressure, and leg vascular resistance (occlusion plethysmography) for each subject were used as an index of alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor responsiveness. HDT increased the slopes of heart rate (1,056 +/- 107 to 1,553 +/- 83 beats micrograms-1.kg-1.min-1; P = 0.014) and vasodilation (-469 +/- 111 to -1,446 +/- 309 peripheral resistance units.microgram-1.kg-1.min-1; P = 0.0224) to Iso infusion. There was no alteration in blood pressure or vascular resistance responses to PE infusion after HDT. Our results provide evidence that simulated microgravity causes selective increases in beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoreceptor responsiveness without affecting alpha 1-vascular adrenoreceptor responses.

NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary↗

Intramuscular deoxygenation during exercise in patients who have chronic anterior compartment syndrome of the leg

Currently, the definitive diagnosis of chronic compartment syndrome is based on invasive measurements of intracompartmental pressure. We measured the intramuscular pressure and the relative oxygenation in the anterior compartment of the leg in eighteen patients who were suspected of having chronic compartment syndrome as well as in ten control subjects before, during, and after exercise. Chronic compartment syndrome was considered to be present if the intramuscular pressure was at least fifteen millimeters of mercury (2.00 kilopascals) before exercise, at least thirty millimeters of mercury (4.00 kilopascals) one minute after exercise, or at least twenty millimeters of mercury (2.67 kilopascals) five minutes after exercise. Changes in relative oxygenation were measured with use of the non-invasive method of near-infrared spectroscopy. In all patients and subjects, there was rapid relative deoxygenation after the initiation of exercise, the level of oxygenation remained relatively stable during continued exercise, and there was reoxygenation to a level that exceeded the pre-exercise resting level after the cessation of exercise. During exercise, maximum relative deoxygenation in the patients who had chronic compartment syndrome (mean relative deoxygenation [and standard error], -290 +/- 39 millivolts) was significantly greater than that in the patients who did not have chronic compartment syndrome (-190 +/- 10 millivolts) and that in the control subjects (-179 +/- 14 millivolts) (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). In addition, the interval between the cessation of exercise and the recovery of the pre-exercise resting level of oxygenation was significantly longer for the patients who had chronic compartment syndrome (184 +/- 54 seconds) than for the patients who did not have chronic compartment syndrome (39 +/- 19 seconds) and the control subjects (33 +/- 10 seconds) (p < 0.05 for both comparisons).

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗

Short latency vestibular evoked potentials in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Short-latency vestibular-evoked potentials to pulsed linear acceleration were characterized in the quail. Responses occurred within 8 ms following the onset of stimuli and were composed of a series of positive and negative peaks. The latencies and amplitudes of the first four peaks were quantitatively characterized. Mean latencies at 1.0 g ms-1 ranged from 1265 +/- 208 microseconds (P1, N = 18) to 4802 +/- 441 microseconds (N4, N = 13). Amplitudes ranged from 3.72 +/- 1.51 microV (P1/N1, N = 18) to 1.49 +/- 0.77 microV (P3/N3, N = 16). Latency-intensity (LI) slopes ranged from -38.7 +/- 7.3 microseconds dB-1 (P1, N = 18) to -71.6 +/- 21.9 microseconds dB-1 (N3, N = 15) and amplitude-intensity (AI) slopes ranged from 0.20 +/- 0.08 microV dB-1 (P1/N1, N = 18) to 0.07 +/- 0.04 microV dB-1 (P3/N3, N = 11). The mean response threshold across all animals was -21.83 +/- 3.34 dB re: 1.0 g ms-1 (N = 18). Responses remained after cochlear extirpation showing that they could not depend critically on cochlear activity. Responses were eliminated by destruction of the vestibular end organs, thus showing that responses depended critically and specifically on the vestibular system. The results demonstrate that the responses are vestibular and the findings provide a scientific basis for using vestibular responses to evaluate vestibular function through ontogeny and senescence in the quail.

NASA Discipline Neuroscience↗

Contrast affects flicker and speed perception differently

We have previously shown that contrast affects speed perception, with lower-contrast, drifting gratings perceived as moving slower. In a recent study, we examined the implications of this result on models of speed perception that use the amplitude of the response of linear spatio-temporal filters to determine speed. In this study, we investigate whether the contrast dependence of speed can be understood within the context of models in which speed estimation is made using the temporal frequency of the response of linear spatio-temporal filters. We measured the effect of contrast on flicker perception and found that contrast manipulations produce opposite effects on perceived drift rate and perceived flicker rate, i.e., reducing contrast increases the apparent temporal frequency of counterphase modulated gratings. This finding argues that, if a temporal frequency-based algorithm underlies speed perception, either flicker and speed perception must not be based on the output of the same mechanism or contrast effects on perceived spatial frequency reconcile the disparate effects observed for perceived temporal frequency and speed.

NASA Center ARC↗

A review of adaptive change in musculoskeletal impedance during space flight and associated implications for postflight head movement control

We present a review of converging sources of evidence which suggest that the differences between loading histories experienced in 1-g and weightlessness are sufficient to stimulate adaptation in mechanical impedance of the musculoskeletal system. As a consequence of this adaptive change we argue that we should observe changes in the ability to attenuate force transmission through the musculoskeletal system both during and after space flight. By focusing attention on the relation between human sensorimotor activity and support surfaces, the importance of controlling mechanical energy flow through the musculoskeletal system is demonstrated. The implications of such control are discussed in light of visual-vestibular function in the specific context of head and gaze control during postflight locomotion. Evidence from locomotory biomechanics, visual-vestibular function, ergonomic evaluations of human vibration, and specific investigations of locomotion and head and gaze control after space flight, is considered.

Review, Tutorial↗