Experimental Physiology最新文献

{"title":"Environmental modulators of vascular physiology and inflammation.","authors":"Anusha N Seneviratne, Anne Majumdar, Kalpana Surendranath, Mark R Miller","doi":"10.1113/EP092309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092309","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Environmental factors play a crucial role in modulating vascular inflammation, contributing significantly to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. This review synthesizes current evidence on how various environmental exposures influence vascular function and inflammation, with a focus on pollutants such as particulate matter and chemical toxins like bisphenols and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These environmental stressors can trigger oxidative stress, chronic inflammation and vascular dysfunction, potentially accelerating the progression of atherosclerosis. We also explore the protective effects of natural compounds and exposure to green spaces in dampening inflammation and reducing cardiovascular risk. By examining the complex interplay between traditional risk factors and environmental exposures, this work highlights the need for comprehensive public health strategies that address both individual lifestyle factors and broader environmental determinants of cardiovascular health. We underscore the importance of further research to elucidate the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms by which environmental factors influence vascular function, with the aim of developing targeted interventions to mitigate their harmful effects and promote cardiovascular well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143986294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circumferential strain and strain rates of the descending aorta as novel measures of aortic stiffness and wall mechanics from standard cardiac MRI.","authors":"Denis J Wakeham, Sauyeh K Zamani, Andrew P Oneglia, Matthew M Howrey, Samer Majeed, Tiffany L Brazile, Joshua A Beckman, James P MacNamara, Mark J Haykowsky, Vlad G Zaha, Benjamin D Levine, Christopher M Hearon, Satyam Sarma, Michael D Nelson","doi":"10.1113/EP092585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092585","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During standard cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) the horizontal long-axis cine image (i.e., 4-chamber) is captured which includes a cross-section of the descending aorta. The aortic cross-section can be used to assess aortic stiffness (distensibility; ∆area/pressure) or circumferential strain (percentage vascular deformation). We examined whether descending aortic strain from traditional CMR is sensitive to age- and disease-related (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; HFpEF) arteriosclerosis. We recruited 83 participants into three groups: (1) 34 young individuals (age: 22 ± 3 years; body mass index (BMI): 24.3 ± 2.8 kg/m²); (2) 19 older individuals (age: 69 ± 5 years; BMI: 26.9 ± 4.7 kg/m²) and (3) 26 patients with HFpEF (age: 69 ± 6 years; BMI: 35.8 ± 6.1 kg/m²). All participants were studied in the same 3 T scanner (Phillips, Achieva). Descending aortic cross-sectional area and circumferential strain were measured using cvi⁴² software. Blood pressure was measured via a brachial oscillometric cuff. Data were compared via ANOVA. All data are reported as means ± standard deviation. Compared to the young group (71 ± 5 mmHg), mean arterial pressure was higher in the older (83 ± 9 mmHg, P < 0.001) and HFpEF groups (86 ± 10 mmHg, P < 0.001). Minimum and maximum aortic areas were greater in the older and HFpEF groups (both, P < 0.01). Peak descending aortic strain (young: 11.4% ± 2.2%; older: 4.8% ± 1.6%; HFpEF 3.8% ± 1.6%) and absolute distension were lower (all, P < 0.02) in the older and HFpEF groups compared to the young. Peak descending aortic strain and strain rates are sensitive to age and may provide a novel assessment of arterial stiffness for longitudinal studies that utilize or have utilized CMR.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143974042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cocoa shell extract supplementation in hypertensive rats induces outward hypertrophic remodelling in mesenteric resistance arteries, reducing fibrosis.","authors":"Pilar Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Santiago Ruvira, Fatima Abderrahim, Dolores Morales, Metee Iampanichakul, Lucía Juárez, David Ramiro-Cortijo, Silvia M Arribas","doi":"10.1113/EP092528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092528","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is difficult to control, putting the focus on foods and nutraceuticals. Cocoa has beneficial cardiovascular effects but generates large amounts of residues, such as cocoa shells, which contain bioactive molecules. In a rat model of hypertension (in males) induced by fetal-maternal undernutrition (MUN), supplementation with cocoa shell extract (CSE) at 250 mg/kg for 3 weeks reduced blood pressure, improving mesenteric resistance artery (MRA) vasodilatation. We aimed to investigate, in the same rats, the effect of supplementation on MRA remodelling and stiffening, assessing modifications in cellular and extracellular matrix and contractility. Structural and mechanical parameters were studied with pressure myography, vasoconstriction with wire myography, and cells, collagen and internal elastic lamina fenestrae with confocal microscopy. In comparison to sex-matched control animals, MUN males and females showed a reduction in MRA diameter. However, only MUN males exhibited stiffening, reduced media and increased adventitial layer thickness, and augmented collagen content and noradrenaline-induced contractions. CSE induced outward hypertrophic remodelling, with a normal wall-to-lumen ratio in all groups, and a hypertrophic effect on smooth muscle cells. In addition, in MUN males CSE reduced MRA adventitial collagen and improved elasticity. In conclusion, CSE supplementation induces MRA outward hypertrophic remodelling, possibly related to improved flood flow. In MUN hypertensive rats, the increased diameter and elasticity, associated with modification to the ratio of cells to extracellular matrix, might contribute to the blood pressure-lowering effects of CSE.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143963590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in the work of breathing during exercise are independent of forced vital capacity in healthy adults.","authors":"Gracie O Grift, Jack R Dunsford, Jasvir K Dhaliwal, Paolo B Dominelli, Yannick Molgat-Seon","doi":"10.1113/EP092586","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092586","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During exercise, females have a higher work of breathing (Ẇ_B) than males for a given minute ventilation ( <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> ) ≥ 50-60 L min^-1, presumably due to sex differences in airway size. However, on average, males have greater forced vital capacity (FVC) than females, and the confounding effect of FVC on sex differences in Ẇ_B is unknown. To determine the effects of FVC and sex on Ẇ_B during exercise in healthy adults, 30 healthy adults (15 males, 15 females) completed spirometry and an incremental cycle exercise test to exhaustion. Throughout exercise, Ẇ_B was calculated based on oesophageal pressure and open-circuit spirometry. The Ẇ_B- <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> relationship was compared between the sexes across all participants and in seven males and seven females matched for FVC and age. Across all participants, FVC had no effect on the Ẇ_B- <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> relationship (P = 0.323), and females had a higher Ẇ_B than males at a <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> of 50 (P = 0.030), 60 (P = 0.023), 70 (P = 0.021) and 80 L min^-1 (P = 0.020). At a <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> of 35 ± 2 L min^-1, FVC was not associated with Ẇ_B (r²= 0.042, P = 0.278). Conversely, at a <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> of 70 ± 5 L min^-1, FVC was associated with Ẇ_B across all participants (r²= 0.164, P = 0.026), but not within each sex (males: r²= 0.077, P = 0.317; females: r²= 0.011, P = 0.714). In the males and females matched for FVC and age, females had a higher Ẇ_B than males at a <math> <semantics> <msub><mover><mi>V</mi> <mo>̇</mo></mover> <mi>E</mi></msub> <annotation>$ dot {V}_{text {E}}$</annotation></semantics> </math> of 60 (P = 0.049), 70 (P = 0.019), 80 (P = 0.020) and 90 L min^-1 (P = 0.014). Overall, our findings indicate that sex differences in Ẇ_B during exercise are not influenced by male-female differences in FVC.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143981449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seizing opportunities and navigating the challenges of spaceflight research as an early career researcher.","authors":"Colleen S Deane","doi":"10.1113/EP091469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP091469","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143993532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibitory effect of oestradiol on the cardiac K_V7.1/KCNE1 channel is species dependent.","authors":"Veronika A Linhart, Lucas Dauga, Sara I Liin","doi":"10.1113/EP092531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092531","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oestradiol (17β-E2) is reported to prolong the cardiac action potential duration and QT interval, in part by affecting cardiac ion channels. Previous studies found inhibiting 17β-E2 effects on the repolarizating cardiac K_V7.1/KCNE1 channel, or its native current, in heterologous expression systems or tissue from animal species. However, there is variability in reported 17β-E2 effects and required concentrations. In this work, we aimed to test whether a contributing factor may be different pharmacological profiles of K_V7.1/KCNE1 channels from different species. To this end, we used the two-electrode voltage clamp technique to characterize and quantitatively compare the effects of 17β-E2 on K_V7.1/KCNE1 channels from guinea pig, zebrafish, and rabbit expressed in Xenopus oocytes. We found that K_V7.1/KCNE1 of all tested species is inhibited by 17β-E2, although with species variability in the response. The guinea pig channel responded similar to previous reports for the human channel with a concentration-dependent reduction in the overall conductance. In contrast, the rabbit channel was sensitive to lower 17β-E2 concentrations, whereas the zebrafish channel responded with an additional inhibiting effect seen as a shifted voltage dependence of channel opening toward more positive voltages. By testing the 17β-E2 response of K_V7.1 alone, and by combining K_V7.1 and KCNE1 subunits from different species, we conclude that the species variability is not simply dictated by one of the subunits but rather by the K_V7.1/KCNE1 complex. The species variability in the 17β-E2 response of K_V7.1/KCNE1 could be considered when choosing appropriate animal models or interpreting findings from different experimental models.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143984732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Status quo of Experimental Physiology - Anno 2025: What's in a name?","authors":"Damian M Bailey, David C Poole, Ronan M G Berg","doi":"10.1113/EP092847","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092847","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143969989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping reticulospinal drive across various muscles of the upper and lower extremities.","authors":"Antonia Maria Eilfort, Lennart Carlson Neumann, Linard Filli","doi":"10.1113/EP092763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092763","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The reticulospinal (RS) system is a fundamental descending pathway involved in human movement control. However, the relative strength of RS projections across different muscles and its specific contributions to distinct movements are poorly understood. We systematically mapped the RS drive across a broad range of muscles in the upper and lower extremities. The RS drive was assessed in 14 muscles of 29 healthy participants using the StartReact paradigm, characterized by shortened premotor reaction times when movement initiation is paired with a loud versus moderate acoustic stimulus. Reaction times were assessed by surface EMG. RS drive was compared as follows: (1) across individual muscles; (2) between proximal and distal muscles; and (3) between flexor and extensor muscles. The RS drive was lowest in the finger abductor, with significantly reduced values in comparison to those in the shoulder flexor and extensor, the elbow flexor, hip and knee extensors, and the ankle plantar flexor. A proximal-to-distal gradient in RS drive was observed only in the upper extremities, mainly attributable to the low RS drive to the finger abductor. Additionally, the RS drive was greater to flexors than to extensors in the upper extremities. Conversely, the RS drive was enhanced to extensors versus flexors in the lower extremities. Our findings emphasize the presence of RS drive in all examined muscles, with no distinctive proximal-to-distal gradient in RS motor control. Notably, a reversed flexor-extensor bias in RS control was evident between the upper and lower extremities. These findings advance our understanding of RS motor control and might inform the development of targeted neurorehabilitation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143981447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between thyroid function and acute mountain sickness upon rapid ascent to 3650 m in euthyroid lowlanders in China.","authors":"Cencen Wu, Yuanyuan Fan, Jiageng Cai, Zhulan Cai, Qi Yu, Jiayu Li, Yuan Xu, Penghui Zhao, Yuwen Ruan, Yongqi Zhao, Jicheng Gong, Yifan Xu, Tong Zhu, Lingyun Zu","doi":"10.1113/EP092400","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092400","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a major health issue for lowlanders when they ascend rapidly to altitudes above 2500 m. Thyroid hormones are essential for adaptive responses to the hypoxic environment of high altitude. However, there is limited evidence regarding the association between thyroid function and the prevalence of AMS. This study included 70 healthy euthyroid Chinese lowlanders who ascended from Beijing (44 m above sea level) to Lhasa (3650 m above sea level) by aircraft (flight time, approximately 5 h). The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) for the development and validation of a prediction model. Thyroid hormones, demographic data and blood biochemical data were measured in the week before the ascent. The subjects in the training set were divided into an AMS group and a non-AMS group based on the 2018 Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Scale score. Thyroid hormones and thyroid hormone sensitivity indices were compared between the groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher baseline total triiodothyronine (TT3) level (odds ratio (OR) 2.474, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.083-5.653) and a higher free triiodothyronine/free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio (OR 3.427; 95% CI 1.266-9.280) were independent risk factors for development of AMS. The receiver-operating characteristic and calibration curves showed that the model had good predictive ability and consistency in both the training and validation sets. In China, euthyroid lowlanders with a higher TT3 level or FT3/FT4 ratio are more susceptible to AMS after exposure to high altitudes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143980771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary manipulations for health and the prevention and management of disease: An editorial.","authors":"Kelly A Bowden Davies, Colleen S Deane","doi":"10.1113/EP092517","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1113/EP092517","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12092,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143973621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}