The American journal of physiology
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Our aim in this study was to determine the effect of variations in intrabolus pressure on esophageal peristalsis. In five cats, intrabolus pressure was altered by increasing intragastric pressure to 20-45 mmHg by use of a pressure cuff to compress the abdomen. In each cat, increases in intragastric pressure were associated with comparable increases in pressure of the esophageal bolus while the bolus was in the distal esophagus during esophageal peristalsis. ⋯ The incidence of retrograde bolus escape was inversely related to the difference between peristaltic wave amplitude and intrabolus pressure. A pressure difference of greater than 20 mmHg prevented retrograde barium escape at all esophageal levels, whereas a difference of less than 20 mmHg was generally associated with retrograde escape of barium in the distal esophagus. We conclude that an increase in intrabolus pressure causes an increase in esophageal distension that is transduced into alterations of esophageal peristalsis by either a myogenic or neural mechanism.
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Specificity of amino acid transport in renal papilla: microinfusion of Henle's loops and vasa recta.
Amino acids can be reabsorbed distal to tips of Henle's loops and may be recycled between loops and vasa recta in rat papilla. Transport specificity was examined during continuous microinfusions of ascending Henle's loops and vasa recta with radiolabeled amino acids. Percent of recovered radiolabel as intact amino acid was also determined. ⋯ L-Phe (50 mM) in infusate inhibited appearance of L-Ala (2.5 mM) and D-Ala (10 mM) but not L-Glu(NH2) (42.6 microM) in ipsilateral urine. D-Asp (50 mM) inhibited appearance of L-Glu (1.5 mM), and beta-Ala (50 mM) inhibited appearance of Tau (78 microM) in ipsilateral urine. Thus some amino acids can move directly from vasa recta into tubules (probably descending thin limbs of Henle's loops) by a process showing significant specificity.
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Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelia exhibit raised transepithelial Na+ transport rates, as determined by open-circuit isotope fluxes and estimates of the amiloride-sensitive equivalent short-circuit current (Ieq). To study the contribution of apical and basolateral membrane paths to raised Na+ transport in CF, CF nasal epithelial cultures were studied with double-barreled Na(+)-selective microelectrodes and the Ussing chamber technique. Intracellular Na+ activity (acNa) was 24.1 +/- 1.5 mM (n = 36), a value similar to acNa of normal nasal epithelial cells. ⋯ Ouabain abolished Ieq and slowly raised acNa. Reduction of serosal [Na+] led to a decrease in acNa that was blocked by bumetanide. It is concluded that 1) CF airway epithelia exhibit an increased apical membrane Na+ permeability, 2) acNa is regulated to a normal level in CF cells despite increased transcellular Na+ fluxes, 3) the abnormal increase in acNa in response to amiloride is dependent on luminal Na+, 4) Na+ is transported across the basolateral membrane by a bumetanide-sensitive cotransport mechanism, and 5) ouabain inhibits the basolateral Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, causing slow dissipation of the chemical and electrical gradients across the cell membranes.
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Endothelin, a potent vasoconstrictor, also is capable of producing transient vasodilation in some situations. We examined the changes in regional hemodynamics in response to constant infusions of endothelin-1 (ET-1) at 5, 10, or 20 ng.kg-1.min-1 for 1 h into conscious dogs. The dogs were instrumented with ultrasonic flow probes for measurement of blood flow in the ascending aorta (cardiac output) and in the coronary, mesenteric, renal, and iliac arteries. ⋯ Iliac resistance did not change in response to ET-1, but it increased during infusions of S6b. Similar but less pronounced responses were observed when these peptides were infused at 5 and 10 ng.kg-1.min-1. The regional variability in the hemodynamic response to ET-1 and the difference in regional responses to ET-1 and S6b are consistent with the existence of heterogenous receptor subtypes for these peptides.
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The geographic isolation and the prolonged absence of sunlight during winter make Antarctica an interesting environment for studying circadian rhythms. This study explored the effects of wintering on sleep, hormonal, and electrolyte rhythms in four human subjects living in a small Antarctic base. Up to the last sunset sleep, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, cortisol, sodium, and potassium rhythms were synchronized within clock time. ⋯ Significant changes in total daily cortisol excretion were observed during the year with one subject producing less and two subjects more while the rhythms were free running. When the sun reappeared during spring, all rhythms again synchronized and entrained to the daylight. These results show that 1) circadian rhythms can free run, even when the subjects have knowledge of time; and 2) within a small communal group, individuals can maintain unique free-running periods.