Amino-terminal identity of co-existent amyloid and non-amyloid immunoglobulin kappa light chain deposits. A human disease to study alterations of protein conformation

The sizes of the motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and the durations of the silent periods after transcranial magnetic stimulation were examined in biceps brachii, brachioradialis and adductor pollicis in human subjects. Stimuli of a wide range of intensities were given during voluntary contractions producing 0-75% of maximal force (maximal voluntary contraction, MVC). In adductor pollicis, MEPs increased in size with stimulus intensity and with weak voluntary contractions (5% MVC), but did not grow larger with stronger contractions. In the elbow flexors, MEPs grew little with stimulus intensity, but increased in size with contractions of up to 50% of maximal. In contrast, the duration of the silent period showed similar changes in the three muscles. In each muscle it increased with stimulus intensity but was unaffected by changes in contraction strength. Comparison of the responses evoked in biceps brachii by focal stimulation over the contralateral motor cortex with those evoked by stimulation with a round magnetic coil over the vertex suggests an excitatory contribution from the ipsilateral cortex during strong voluntary contractions.     

Contraction specific changes in passive torque in human skeletal muscle

The present investigation examined passive torque and electromyographic response in human skeletal muscle during passive static stretch within 60 s after maximal repetitive eccentric and concentric contractions. Passive torque (Nm) offered by the hamstring muscle group was measured during passive knee extension in a modified dynamometer in 10 subjects. The distal thigh was elevated to 0.52 rad from horizontal and the backrest was positioned at 1.57 rad. The lever arm moved the leg passively at 0.09 rad s-1 from a starting position of 1.48 rad below horizontal to the final position where it remained stationary for 90 s. Gross electrical activity of the human hamstring muscle group was recorded simultaneously. The effect of concentric or eccentric contraction was tested on separate days. Two stretch manoeuvres with a 45 min hiatus were administered on a control and experimental side. The experimental side performed 40 maximal effort repetitive concentric or eccentric hamstring muscle contractions at 1.05 rad s-1 prior to the second stretch. Passive torque during the 90 s stretch declined 30-35% on the experimental and control side in all stretches, P < 0.001, without a significant effect of prior contraction mode. Passive peak and final torques were lower on the experimental side, P < 0.01 after concentric contractions. Passive peak and final torques remained unchanged after eccentric contractions on the experimental side. The low level EMG response of the hamstring muscle during the stretch was unchanged after maximal repetitive concentric or eccentric contractions. These data demonstrate acute contraction specific alteration in passive torque in human skeletal muscle, which cannot be accounted for by EMG activity. Furthermore, the lack of difference on the control side implies that one 90 s stretch has no effect on passive torque of the muscle 45 min later.     

Motor-unit behavior in humans during fatiguing arm movements

1. The activity of 40 triceps brachii motor units was recorded from the dominant arms of 9 healthy adult volunteers (age 27.8 +/- 4.4 yr, mean +/- SD) during a fatigue task that included both isometric and anisometric contractions. The fatigue task lasted 8.3 min and consisted of 50 extension and 50 flexion movements of the elbow. Each movement (40 degrees in 0.8s) was separated by an isometric contraction. A constant load resisting extension of 17.7 +/- 3.0% of maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) was applied throughout the task. This paradigm enabled the direct contrast of motor-unit discharge behavior during the different types of fatiguing contractions. 2. Motor-unit behavior was examined to determine the relative contribution of two mechanisms for optimizing force production under fatiguing conditions: recruitment of motor units and modulation of motor-unit discharge following recruitment. Threshold torques for motor-unit recruitment thresholds were determined by ramp-and-hold isometric contractions. Motor-unit discharge was evaluated during the fatigue task by contrasting the number of motor-unit potentials (spikes) per contraction for concentric eccentric, and isometric contractions. 3. The fatigue task resulted in a 30 +/- 12% decline in the mean MVC of elbow extension. Recruitment of nine new motor units (23%) was evident during the fatiguing extension movements, often within five to seven movements (i.e., within 25-35 s). Each newly recruited motor unit had the largest recruitment threshold torque in that experiment. 4. Analysis of the motor units that were active from the beginning of the fatigue task revealed that the mean number of motor-unit spikes per contraction increased, or remained constant as fatigue ensued, yet for the majority of motor units it increased or remained constant. None of the newly recruited motor units demonstrated decreased number of mean spikes per contraction after recruitment. Further, concurrently active motor units displayed different discharge behavior in two-thirds of the subjects. It is proposed that if the neural drive to the muscle is distributed uniformly upon the motoneuron pool, peripheral feedback from the exercising muscle may modulate specific motoneuron discharge levels during fatigue.     

Quadriceps strength and fatigue assessed by magnetic stimulation of the femoral nerve in man

There is no nonvolitional method of assessing quadriceps strength which both supramaximally activates the muscle and is acceptable to subjects. In 10 normal subjects and 10 patients with suspected muscle weakness we used magnetic stimulation of the femoral nerve to elicit an isometric twitch and measured twitch tension (TwQ), surface electromyogram in addition to the maximum voluntary contraction force (MVC). Supramaximality was achieved in all subjects at a mean of 83% of maximum stimulator output. When supramaximal, TwQ was reproducible (mean coefficient of variation 3.6%, range 0.7-10.9) and correlated well with MVC (r2 = 0.83, P<0.001). In 7 normal subjects we measured TwQ before and after a fatiguing protocol; after 20 min TwQ was a mean of 55% (range 29-77%) of baseline and remained substantially reduced at 90 min. Magnetic femoral nerve stimulation is a painless, supramaximal method of assessing quadriceps strength and fatigue which is likely to be of value in clinical and physiological studies.     

Mechanical properties and behaviour of motor units in the tibialis anterior during voluntary contractions

The present work was carried out to analyse the properties and behaviour of Tibialis anterior motor units (MUs) during voluntary contractions in humans. A total of 528 single MU mechanical properties was recorded in 10 subjects by means of the spike-triggered averaging (STA) technique. MU recruitment thresholds and discharge frequencies were recorded during linearly increasing maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The results indicate a mean (+/- SD) MU torque of 25.5 +/- 21.5 mN.m. and a mean time-to-peak of 45.6 +/- 13.6 ms. A comparison of the average MU twitch torque with that of the muscle allowed an estimate of about 300 MUs in the Tibialis anterior. A positive linear relationship was recorded between the MU twitch torque and the recruitment threshold. The mean minimal and maximal discharge frequencies of MUs were 8.4 +/- 3.0 Hz and 33.2 +/- 14.7 Hz, respectively. The results of the present work indicate that MU behaviour during voluntary contractions is different in the tibialis anterior and in the adductor pollicis.     

Enteral absorption of insulin in rats from mucoadhesive chitosan-coated liposomes

Whole muscle contractile characteristics and fatigue resistance were studied in male patients with chronic heart failure (n = 6) and in healthy control subjects (n = 6). Maximum voluntary isometric strength in the major muscle groups of leg (plantar flexors and knee extensors) and arm (elbow extensors and elbow flexors), was found to be similar for both groups of subjects. However, a faster isometric twitch time course was observed in the plantar flexor and knee extensor muscles of heart failure chronic patients. The poor resistance to fatigue in the knee extensors of chronic heart failure patients was confirmed in the present study, but using twitch interpolation this was shown not to be due to poor activation. The plantar flexors of chronic heart failure patients also showed a tendency to be less resistant to fatigue, even when the muscle was activated by direct electrical stimulation. The present study shows that independent of muscle strength, patients with chronic heart failure may possess muscles that are faster to contract and less resistant to fatigue. However, it seems this increased fatigability is not due to poor muscle activation.     

Relative cross-sectional areas of upper and lower extremity muscles and implications for force prediction

The purposes of this investigation were to examine the reduction in variability when muscle size is expressed relative to a functional group and its effect on improving muscle force prediction. Fourteen subjects performed maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) of elbow flexion and knee extension and had CT scans taken of the thigh and upper arm. The variation of relative cross-sectional area (RCSA) was significantly lower than CSA (p < 0.01). No significant differences were found between male and female RCSAs. A method of predicting individual muscle forces based on an MVC and RCSA is presented that reduced prediction errors to a third of those predicted on the basis of CSA and a specific tension or stress value of muscle.     

The role of metabolites in strength training. II. Short versus long isometric contractions

The role of intramuscular metabolite changes in the adaptations following isometric strength training was examined by comparing the effect of short, intermittent contractions (IC) and longer, continuous (CC) contractions. In a parallel study, the changes in phosphate metabolites and pH were examined during the two protocols using whole-body nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS). Seven subjects trained three time per week for 14 weeks. The right leg was trained using four sets of ten contractions, each lasting 3 s with a 2-s rest period between each contraction and 2 min between each set. The left leg was trained using four 30-s contractions with a 1-min rest period between each. Both protocols involved isometric contractions at 70% of a maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC). The MVC, length:tension and force:velocity relationships and cross-sectional area (CSA) of each leg were measured before and after training. The increase in isometric strength was significantly greater (P = 0.041) for the CC leg (median 54.7%; P = 0.022) than for IC (31.5%; P = 0.022). There were no significant differences between the two protocols for changes in the length:tension or force:velocity relationships. There were significant increases in muscle CSA for the CC leg only. NMRS demonstrated that the changes in phosphate metabolites and pH were greater for the CC protocol. These findings suggest that factors related to the greater metabolite changes during CC training results in greater increases in isometric strength and muscle CSA.     

Fast-to-slow conversion following chronic low-frequency activation of medial gastrocnemius muscle in cats. I. Muscle and motor unit properties

This study of cat medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle and motor unit (MU) properties tests the hypothesis that the normal ranges of MU contractile force, endurance, and speed are directly associated with the amount of neuromuscular activity normally experienced by each MU. We synchronously activated all MUs in the MG muscle with the same activity (20 Hz in a 50% duty cycle) and asked whether conversion of whole muscle contractile properties is associated with loss of the normal heterogeneity in MU properties. Chronically implanted cuff electrodes on the nerve to MG muscle were used for 24-h/day stimulation and for monitoring progressive changes in contractile force, endurance, and speed by periodic recording of maximal isometric twitch and tetanic contractions under halothane anesthesia. Chronic low-frequency stimulation slowed muscle contractions and made them weaker, and increased muscle endurance. The most rapid and least variable response to stimulation was a decline in force output of the muscle and constituent MUs. Fatigue resistance increased more slowly, whereas the increase in time to peak force varied most widely between animals and occurred with a longer time course than either force or endurance. Changes in contractile force, endurance, and speed of the whole MG muscle accurately reflected changes in the properties of the constituent MUs both in extent and time course. Normally there is a 100-fold range in tetanic force and a 10-fold range in fatigue indexes and twitch time to peak force. After chronic stimulation, the range in these properties was significantly reduced and, even in MU samples from single animals, the range was shown to correspond with the slow (type S) MUs of the normal MG. In no case was the range reduced to less than the type S range. The same results were obtained when the same chronic stimulation pattern of 20 Hz/50% duty cycle was imposed on paralyzed muscles after hemisection and unilateral deafferentation. The findings that the properties of MUs still varied within the normal range of type S MUs and were still heterogeneous despite a decline in the variance in any one property indicate that the neuromuscular activity can account only in part for the wide range of muscle properties. It is concluded that the normal range of properties within MU types reflects an intrinsic regulation of properties in the multinucleated muscle fibers.     

The effect of putative insulin-like substances released by the motor nerve on glucose transport in perfused rat muscle

Motor nerves have been claimed to contain and release immunoreactive insulin. We studied whether release of insulin or other non-acetylcholine substances is important for (1) the increase in glucose transport normally seen during motor nerve activated contraction, and (2) the increase in insulin sensitivity induced by contractions. Ad 1:Rat hindquarters were perfused and one sciatic nerve was stimulated during motor nerve end plate blockade (Pancuronium bromide, 33 micrograms ml-1). Muscle glucose transport (3-O-[14C]-methylglucose (3-O-MG) uptake, 3 mM) was identical (P > 0.05) in stimulated compared with nonstimulated white gastrocnemius, red gastrocnemius and soleus muscle. This was also true when, prior to end plate blockade, muscles had been stimulated to contract to increase insulin sensitivity. No immunoreactive insulin was found in venous perfusate. Ad 2: Rats had both sciatic nerves cut. One week later hindquarters were perfused and calf muscles of one leg were directly stimulated to contract. Subsequently, 3-O-MG uptake in muscle was determined with and without submaximal insulin (100 microU ml-1). In contrast to previous findings in innervated muscle, responses to insulin were identical (P > 0.05) with and without prior contractions. Conclusions: The increase in muscle glucose transport normally seen in response to motor nerve stimulation is related to the contraction process and not even partly mediated by release of insulin-like substances from the nerve. In contrast, release of a non-acetylcholine substance from the motor nerve may be involved in the exercise induced increase in insulin sensitivity.     

Genetic association of apolipoprotein E with age-related macular degeneration

Several investigators have studied the deficit in maximal voluntary force that is said to occur when bilateral muscle groups contract simultaneously. A true bilateral deficit (BLD) would suggest a significant limitation of neuromuscular control; however, some of the data from studies in the literature are equivocal. Our purpose was to determine whether there is a BLD in the knee extensors of untrained young male subjects during isometric contractions and whether this deficit is associated with a decreased activation of the quadriceps, increased activation of the antagonist muscle, or an alteration in motor unit firing rates. Twenty subjects performed unilateral (UL) and bilateral (BL) isometric knee extensions at 25, 50, 75, and 100% maximal voluntary contraction. Total UL and BL force (delta 3%) and maximal rate of force generation (delta 2.5%) were not significantly different. Total UL and BL maximal vastus lateralis electromyographic activity (EMG; 2.7 +/- 0.28 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.24 mV) and coactivation (0.17 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.20 +/- 0.02 mV) were also not different. Similarly, the ratio of force to EMG during submaximal UL and BL contractions was not different. Analysis of force production by each leg in UL and BL conditions showed no differences in force, rate of force generation, EMG, motor unit firing rates, and coactivation. Finally, assessment of quadriceps activity with the twitch interpolation technique indicated no differences in the degree of voluntary muscle activation (UL: 93.6 +/- 2.51 Hz, BL: 90.1 +/- 2.43 Hz). These results provide no evidence of a significant limitation in neuromuscular control between BL and UL isometric contractions of the knee extensor muscles in young male subjects.     

Inpatient pneumologic rehabilitation of adults: goals--diagnostic and therapeutic standards--research needs

The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of the twitch interpolation technique when used to estimate the true isometric knee extensor muscle strength. This included an examination of whether submaximal activation causes any bias in the estimation of the true muscle strength and an examination of the precision of the method. Twenty healthy subjects completed three contraction series, in which the subjects were told to perform as if their voluntary strength was 60%, 80% or 100% of that determined by a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Electrical muscle stimulations were given at each of five different contraction levels in each series. At torque levels above 25% of MVC the relationship between torque and twitch size could be approximated to be linear. The true muscle strength (TMS) could therefore be estimated using linear regression of the twitch-torque relationship to the torque point of no twitch in each of the three series, termed TMS60, TMS80 and TMS100. The TMS80 was slightly lower (P < 0.01), median 94% (IQ range 87-101%) of the TMS100. The TMS60 was median 99% (IQ range 83-125%) (NS) of TMS100, but a few severe outliers were observed. In conclusion, we found the reliability of the method acceptable for many research purposes, if series with estimated central activation of below 40-50% were excluded. The only moderate precision and the slightly lower estimations in subjects applying submaximal does, however, limit its usefulness.     

Summation of extraocular motor unit tensions in the lateral rectus muscle of the cat

Contractile measures on 67 single muscle units in the cat lateral rectus muscle were made in response to motoneuron stimulation. Simultaneous activation of four to five additional units, using muscle nerve stimulation, allowed an examination of unit force summation. Linear force addition was found in 73% of the units, while 25% added only about half of their twitch force to the twitch force of the nerve-activated units. "Nonadditive" units had significantly weaker twitch tensions than the units which added linearly. Lengthening or shortening the whole muscle, from maximal isometric settings, reduced whole muscle twitch tension as well as muscle unit tension. Injury to the lateral rectus muscle did not significantly alter whole muscle tension. These findings suggest that the known serial and branching arrangement of these muscle fibers, as well as the complex interfiber matrix, may help explain the force reduction in some muscle units and the whole muscle's resistance to insult.     

Effect of N-acylethanolamines with different acyl-chains on DPPC multilamellar liposomes

Relationships between lower extremity strength and stride characteristics were studied in 24 patients with post-polio syndrome. Maximum isometric torques were measured in the ankle plantar flexors, hip and knee extensors, and hip abductors. Gait velocity, stride length, and cadence were recorded during free and fast walking. Step-wise regression analysis was performed to determine which muscle groups best predicted ambulatory function. Plantar flexion torque was the best predictor of velocity (r = .55 free walking and r = .76 fast) and cadence (r = .46 free and r = .58 fast). The combination of plantar flexion and hip abduction torques was the best predictor of fast stride length (r = .78). These findings emphasize the important role of the plantar flexor muscles in gait. Knee extension torque was the poorest predictor for each of the gait parameters. Several patients demonstrated gait deviations that minimized the penalty of quadriceps weakness. Without a contracture or an orthosis, however, no adequate substitution exists for weak plantar flexion.     

The load applied to the foot in a patellar ligament-bearing cast

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a patellar ligament-bearing cast reduces the load applied to a foot in a cast. In a study of ten people who had no history of gait abnormalities, disease involving the motor system, or deformities of the lower extremities, we compared the load applied to the plantar aspect of a foot in a cast (as detected with F-Scan computer-monitored pedobarographic sensors) with the total load that an extremity in a cast receives relative to the ground (as detected with force-plates). Six trials were completed three times by each person. The trials consisted of walking (1) while wearing regular shoes; (2) with a patellar ligament-bearing cast on one leg; (3) with a patellar ligament-bearing cast and an overlying soft knee brace, locked in full extension, on the leg; (4) with only a below-the-knee cast on the leg; (5) with a below-the-knee cast and an overlying knee brace, locked in full extension, on the leg; and (6) with only a knee brace, locked in full extension, on the leg. The loads at peak heel-strike for all three trials were averaged and normalized to body weight. The load on the plantar aspect of the foot, as compared with the total load, was reduced a mean of 11 percent when the patellar ligament-bearing cast was worn alone, and it was reduced a mean of 26 percent when the patellar ligament-bearing cast was used with an overlying knee brace locked in full extension. This difference was significant (p = 0.007). With the numbers available, we could not detect a significant difference between the reduction in load when a patellar ligament-bearing cast was worn alone compared with that when a below-the-knee cast was worn alone or between the reduction when a below-the-knee cast was worn alone compared with that when a below-the-knee cast was used with a knee brace (p = 0.3). In conclusion, we could not demonstrate a significant reduction in the load on the foot when a patellar ligament-bearing cast was used in a traditional fashion; however, a significant (p = 0.007) reduction in load was found when a knee brace locked in full extension was worn in addition to the patellar ligament-bearing cast.     

The effect of flumazenil on CNS oxygen toxicity in the rat

The effect of afferent cutaneous electrical stimulation on the spasticity of leg muscles was studied in 20 patients with chronic hemiplegia after stroke. Stimulation electrodes were placed over the sural nerve of the affected limb. The standard method of cutaneous stimulation, TENS with impulse frequency of 100 Hz, was applied. The tonus of the leg muscles was measured by means of an electrohydraulic measuring brace. The EMG stretch reflex activity of the tibialis anterior and triceps surae muscles was detected by surface electrodes and recorded simultaneously with the measured biomechanical parameters. In 18 out of 20 patients, a mild but statistically significant decrease in resistive torques at all frequencies of passive ankle movements was recorded following 20 min of TENS application. The decrease in resistive torque was often (but not always) accompanied by a decrease in reflex EMG activity. This effect of TENS persisted up to 45 min after the end of TENS. The results of the study support the hypothesis that TENS applied to the sural nerve may induce short-term post-stimulation inhibitory effects on the abnormally enhanced stretch reflex activity in spasticity of cerebral origin.     

Concentration-dependent stimulation of cholinergic motor nerves or smooth muscle by [Nle13]motilin in the isolated rabbit gastric antrum

In man, rabbit and cat, the effects of motilin and motilides are neurally mediated in vivo, whereas in vitro binding and contractility studies suggest the presence of a smooth muscular receptor. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro interactions of motilin with the enteric excitatory neurotransmission in the gastric antrum of the rabbit. Circular muscle strips from the pre-pyloric antrum were subjected to electrical field stimulation (1 ms, 1-32 Hz, 10 s train) and muscle twitch responses were recorded isometrically. Induced twitch responses were frequency dependent (1-32 Hz) and entirely neurogenic (tetrodotoxin sensitive). [Nle13]motilin dose-dependently (10[-9]-10[-8] M) enhanced the amplitude of, atropine sensitive, evoked contractions. At 4 Hz the response, expressed as a % of the response to 32 Hz, increased from 15.5 +/- 4.1% (control) to 28.1 +/- 5.8% (motilin 10[-9] M), and to 45.8 +/- 3.6% (motilin 10[-8.5] M) (P < 0.05). This effect was not inhibited by hexamethonium (10[-3.3] M) but was abolished by the motilin receptor antagonist GM-109 (10[-5] M). In unstimulated strips, motilin induced phasic-tonic contractions with a threshold concentration of 10[-8] M and an pEC50 of 7.48, which were also inhibited by GM-109 (10[-5] M) but not by tetrodotoxin (10[-5.5] M). The maximal tension, frequency and dose-dependency of carbachol-induced contractions were not influenced by motilin (pEC50, carbachol: 6.48 +/- 0.06 (control), 6.49 +/- 0.07 (motilin)). In conclusion, motilin enhances contractions induced by electrical field stimulation in the rabbit antrum by a post-ganglionic interaction with the cholinergic neurotransmission in vitro at low doses and interacts directly with antral smooth muscle at high doses. This model is an accurate reflection of the in vivo effects of motilin and provides a tool to study neurogenic and myogenic actions of motilin and motilides in vitro.     

Effects of imidazoline derivatives on cholinergic motility in guinea-pig ileum: involvement of presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptors or imidazoline receptors?

The present study investigates the possibility that imidazoline receptors mediate modulation of cholinergic motor functions of the guinea-pig ileum. For this purpose, the effects of a series of compounds with known affinity for alpha2-adrenoceptors and/or imidazoline recognition sites were examined on the cholinergic twitch contractions evoked by electrical field stimulation (0.1 Hz) of longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations. Additional experiments were carried out on ileal strips preincubated with [3H]choline, superfused with physiological salt solution containing hemicholinium-3, and subjected to electrical field stimulation (1 Hz). The stimulation-induced outflow of radioactivity was taken as an index of endogenous acetylcholine release. Alpha-methyl-noradrenaline, noradrenaline, clonidine, medetomidine, oxymetazoline and xylazine caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of twitch responses (IC50 from 0.13 to 1.05 microM; Emax from 85.9 to 92.5%). Rilmenidine and agmatine were less potent in reducing the twitch activity, and the latter compound acted also with low intrinsic activity (IC50=44.9 microM; Emax=35.5%). In interaction experiments, the inhibitory action of clonidine on twitch responses was competitively antagonized by RX 821002 (2-(2-methoxy-1,4-benzodioxan-2-yl)-2-imidazoline), idazoxan, rauwolscine, yohimbine and BRL 44408 (2-[2H-(1-methyl-1,3-dihydroisoindole)-methyl] -4,5-dihydroimidazoline), whereas prazosin (10 microM), ARC 239 (2-(2,4-(O-methoxy-phenyl)-piperazin-1-yl)-ethyl-4,4-dimethyl- 1,3-(2H,4H)-isoquinolindione; 10 microM) and BRL 41992 (1,2-dimethyl-2,3,9,13b-tetrahydro-1H-dibenzo[c,f]imidazol[1,5-a]a zepine; 10 microM) were without effect. Rauwolscine antagonized the inhibitory effects of various agonists on ileal twitch activity in a competitive manner and with similar potency. Agmatine and idazoxan did not significantly modify the twitch contractions when tested in the presence of alpha2-adrenoceptor blockade by rauwolscine (3 microM) or RX 821002 (1 microM). Linear regression analysis showed that the affinity values of antagonists correlated with their affinity at the alpha2A and alpha2D binding sites as well as at previously classified alpha2A/D adrenoceptor subtypes, whereas no significant correlation was obtained when comparing the potency estimates of agonists and antagonists with the affinity at I1 or I2 binding sites. When tested on the electrically induced outflow of tritium, alpha-methyl-noradrenaline, noradrenaline, clonidine, medetomidine, oxymetazoline, xylazine and rilmenidine yielded inhibitory concentration-response curves which were shifted rightward to a similar extent in the presence of rauwolscine (3 microM). In the absence of further drugs, agmatine significantly reduced the evoked tritium outflow at the highest concentrations tested (10 and 100 microM), whereas idazoxan (up to 100 microM) was without effect. When RX 821002 (1 microM) was added to the superfusion medium, neither agmatine nor idazoxan modified the evoked outflow of radioactivity. The results argue against modulation by imidazoline receptors of acetylcholine release from myenteric plexus nerve terminals. They provide evidence that compounds endowed with imidazoline-like structures affect the cholinergic motor activity of the guinea-pig ileum by interacting with presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptors belonging to the alpha2D subtype.     

Muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) after fatigue in elderly subjects

The changes in muscle fiber conduction velocity (MFCV) and median frequency (MDF) during and after muscle fatigue were investigated in 9 younger (mean age: 29.3) and 7 elderly (mean age: 72.0) healthy subjects to determine if age has any effect on them. The surface EMG of the abductor digiti minimi muscle was examined at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) during a prefatigue session. The subjects were instructed to continue applying maximal force until the force declined to 50% MVC. EMG signals were measured during brief subsequent contractions at 50% MVC until 60 minutes after fatigue as a postfatigue session. The decrement in MFCV and MDF at 50% MVC before and after fatigue was 73.4%, 67.3% in the younger and 71.2%, 66.7% in the elderly subjects, respectively. MFCV and MDF recovered to initial value after fatigue more slowly in the elderly subjects (recovery time: elderly: MFCV 6.0 min., MDF 6.0 min.; younger: MFCV 2.77 min., MDF 3.00 min.) (P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). The over-shooting recovery phase was recognized in both age groups, but the elderly subjects had a smaller and shorter one. The slower recovery in the elderly suggested that they possibly had less potential to recovery the membrane potential propagation, metabolic capacity and more type 1 fiber composition. The smaller and shorter overshooting in the elderly might be due to less increase of muscle swelling and/or less membrane hyperpolarization.     

Classical conditioning of a flexor nerve response in spinal cats: Effects of tibial nerve CS and a differential conditioning paradigm.

Examined, in 4 experiments using 59 cats, the effects of a differential conditioning paradigm on the deep peroneal motor nerve response. Results show that flexor nerve response increases were produced when the conditioned stimulus/stimuli (CS) was delivered to the whole tibial nerve or to the medial plantar branch. The responses to CS/unconditioned stimuli presentations on the superficial peroneal nerve increased, whereas responses to CS presentations on the tibial nerve remained unchanged. However, lack of extinction effects in the superficial peroneal data suggests that stimulation of the tibial nerve potentiated superficial peroneal evoked responses. Furthermore, responses evoked by stimulation of either nerve increased when paired trials were given on the tibial nerve. These data demonstrate that stimulation of the tibial nerve potentiates responses to superficial peroneal nerve stimulation but that superficial peroneal nerve stimulation has no effect on responses to CS presentations to the tibial nerve. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)