{"title":"Interindividual differences in dyspnea during acute hypoxic exercise in healthy adults: A single exposure to simulated altitude at ~9000 ft.","authors":"Jacob L Schwartz, Aisha Khan, Robert F Bentley","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71085","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing accessibility of simulated altitude facilities (~13%-16% fraction of inspired oxygen [FIO<sub>2</sub>]) has expanded their use to broader recreational populations. Although acute normobaric hypoxia reduces arterial oxygen saturation and increases ventilatory and sympathetic responses, interindividual variability in dyspnea during hypoxic exercise remains poorly characterized. Twenty-two healthy individuals (24 ± 4 years, 50% female) completed one 90-min exposure at an altitude facility (FIO<sub>2</sub> ≈ 15 ± 0.1%) that included an assessment of heart rate variability (autonomic activity), a vascular occlusion test (microvascular responsiveness), and submaximal cycling at 60% heart rate reserve. Vastus lateralis (VL) oxygen saturation and heart rate were measured throughout. Marked interindividual variability in dyspnea derived from the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile was observed across the cycling protocol. While resting autonomic activity (all p > 0.326) and microvascular responsiveness (all p > 0.138) were not associated with dyspnea perception, greater VL deoxygenation was strongly correlated with dyspnea during cycling (all r > -0.558, all p < 0.007) with the interpretation unchanged when adjusted for wattage. Additionally, males exhibited higher dyspnea (p = 0.022) and greater VL deoxygenation (-32 ± 14% vs. -15 ± 18%, p = 0.022) compared to females. Combined, these findings highlight the importance of interindividual variability in dyspnea during hypoxic exercise and warrant further investigation into its functional implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71085"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13527403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148866532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tadahiro Yamazaki, Donna M Mancini, Michelle Blate, Patrick Quan, Anna Norweg, Dane B Cook, Benjamin H Natelson
{"title":"Total blood volume and red blood cell volume are not associated with orthostatic intolerance in adults with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.","authors":"Tadahiro Yamazaki, Donna M Mancini, Michelle Blate, Patrick Quan, Anna Norweg, Dane B Cook, Benjamin H Natelson","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71087","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71087","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Orthostatic intolerance is common in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and may worsen daily functioning. Although hypovolemia has been proposed as a contributor, its relationship to objective orthostatic abnormalities remains uncertain. We examined whether measured blood-volume abnormalities were associated with standardized lean-test outcomes. Adults meeting the 1994 ME/CFS criteria and reporting substantial post-exertional malaise underwent a 10-min lean test with capnography, followed 8 days later by total blood volume (TBV) measurement using the Daxor BVA-100. Supine hypocapnia was defined as baseline end-tidal CO<sub>2</sub> (eTCO<sub>2</sub>) <34 mmHg; postural orthostatic syndrome of hypocapnia (POSH) as normal supine eTCO<sub>2</sub> with any leaning value <34 mmHg; and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) as a heart-rate increase ≥30 beats/min or absolute heart rate ≥120 beats/min. Among 49 participants, TBV was hypovolemic in 35%, normovolemic in 43%, and hypervolemic in 22%; red blood cell volume was deficient in 49%. Overall, 55.1% had at least one lean-test abnormality, most commonly POSH (40.8%). Abnormalities did not differ by TBV or red blood cell volume category. Static blood-volume categories were not associated with lean-test-defined orthostatic abnormalities in ME/CFS, suggesting contributions from autonomic, vascular, respiratory, or cerebrovascular mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71087"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13559018/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acute pre-exercise oral intake of cacao polyphenols attenuates central fatigue development during sustained low-intensity ankle dorsiflexion exercise in healthy young male adults.","authors":"Ikumi Morikawa, Ashiyu Ono, Yuta Osada, Yasuyuki Fujii, Midori Natsume, Naomi Osakabe, Ryota Akagi","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71095","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71095","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This double-blind, randomized, crossover study investigated whether acute cacao polyphenol (CP) ingestion attenuates neuromuscular fatigue in 19 healthy young male adults. After consuming CP or placebo, participants performed sustained isometric ankle dorsiflexion at 25% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque until task failure. Neuromuscular function (MVIC torque, voluntary activation [VA%], doublet torque) and electromyographic activity were assessed before, immediately after, and during recovery (1 and 5 min). Salivary chromogranin A and α-amylase were measured at baseline and 1 min post-task. Only VA% and chromogranin A showed significant condition × time interactions (p = 0.027-0.039). VA% significantly decreased from before to immediately after the task and 1 min post-task in both conditions (p ≤ 0.002), with significantly higher values in the CP condition than in placebo immediately after and 1 min post-task (p ≤ 0.037). Chromogranin A significantly increased from baseline to 1 min post-task in the placebo condition (p < 0.001) but not in the CP condition (p = 0.083). These findings suggest that acute CP ingestion attenuates the decline in central motor drive and autonomic stress responses following strenuous exercise, without altering performance or peripheral recovery, supporting its potential as a nutritional strategy for modulating central fatigue.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71095"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13550514/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148906354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clustering analysis of acute mountain sickness susceptibility among young adults during rapid ascent using low-altitude step test data.","authors":"Shanshan Wei, Linhong Ji, Kaiqi Liu, Yijia Lu","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71091","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71091","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute mountain sickness (AMS) compromises health and work efficiency after rapid ascent. This study aimed to explore a low-altitude-data-based method for classifying AMS-susceptible young adults. Forty-four low-altitude residents (18-31 years) completed a step test at 50 m. Measurements included maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O<sub>2</sub>max), peripheral oxygen saturation at rest (re_SpO<sub>2</sub>), exercise (ex_SpO<sub>2</sub>), and recovery (rec_SpO<sub>2</sub>), heart rate at rest (re_HR), exercise (ex_HR), and recovery (rec_HR), and step index. Participants ascended to 3650 m within 6 h, and AMS was assessed using the 2018 Lake Louise Score (LLS). Associations with LLS were examined before k-means clustering. Neither re_SpO<sub>2</sub> nor re_HR was significantly correlated with LLS, whereas non-resting-state variables (V̇O<sub>2</sub>max, ex_SpO<sub>2</sub>, rec_SpO<sub>2</sub>, ex_HR, rec_HR, and step index) were. Clustering using V̇O<sub>2</sub>max, ex_SpO<sub>2</sub>, rec_SpO<sub>2</sub>, and step index showed strong structure (silhouette coefficient = 0.767) and 93.18% agreement with LLS. Step index and ex_SpO<sub>2</sub> showed the greatest between-cluster separation, followed by rec_SpO<sub>2</sub> and V̇O<sub>2</sub>max. Exercise- and recovery-phase variables from a low-altitude step test may classify AMS susceptibility in young adults via unsupervised learning. Evaluated after rapid ascent to 3650 m, this noninvasive, low-cost, and practical approach shows potential for pre-ascent AMS susceptibility screening in healthy young adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71091"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13542986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148891005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leandro C Brito, Megan L Jones, Nicole Chaudhary, Steven A Shea, Saurabh S Thosar
{"title":"Nocturnal peak in cardiac baroreflex effectiveness aligns with nocturnal trough in systolic blood pressure in young healthy adults: Possible circadian effects.","authors":"Leandro C Brito, Megan L Jones, Nicole Chaudhary, Steven A Shea, Saurabh S Thosar","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71092","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We tested whether there is a circadian variation in baroreflex function measured as sensitivity and effectiveness, and whether it aligned with circadian variations in systolic blood pressure (BP). Eleven healthy adults (24 ± 2 years; 4 males and 7 females) completed a 30-h circadian protocol incorporating five recurring, identical, 6-h cycles of 4-h standardized wakefulness and 2-h sleep opportunities. Spontaneous beat-to-beat BP (finger photoplethysmography) and R-R intervals (electrocardiogram) were recorded at rest for 10 min during each wakefulness period, to assess cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and effectiveness index (BEI). Vascular endothelial function (VEF) was assessed as flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery. Dim light melatonin onset was used as a circadian phase marker. Systolic BP exhibited a significant trough at ~1:40 am (p = 0.02). This trough closely aligned with the nocturnal peak of cardiac BEI that occurred at ~1 am (p = 0.02). BRS showed no significant variation. VEF exhibited a significant peak at ~10 am In healthy adults, the nocturnal peak in BEI is possibly aligned with the circadian trough in systolic BP. It remains to be determined whether shifting one would shift the other in a similar direction, and whether the alignment holds in people with disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71092"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13538954/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction to \"Physically active adults with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes exhibit normal cardiopulmonary exercise test responses versus healthy controls\".","authors":"","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71084","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71084","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71084"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539052/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Damir Zubac, Timo Sonntag, Diana Kranjc, Freerk T Baumann
{"title":"Chronic, self-reported fatigue in adult immunotherapy patients and healthy controls: No association with cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters.","authors":"Damir Zubac, Timo Sonntag, Diana Kranjc, Freerk T Baumann","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71090","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined whether cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performance parameters are associated with chronic cancer-related fatigue in patients receiving immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and healthy controls. Also, the differences in energy expenditure of steady-state cycling and gross efficiency were assessed during submaximal cycling efforts. This study involved patients (n = 19, 48 ± 13 years) receiving PD-1, PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors and controls of similar age (n = 21, 49 ± 17 years). During the first visit, data on medical history, previous physical activity records, and CPET to voluntary exhaustion were collected. The second visit involved body composition assessment, the MFI-20 fatigue questionnaire, and 30-min steady-state cycling at 90% gas exchange threshold. There were no significant differences observed between the groups in age, stature, BMI, or resting blood pressure. Peak V̇O<sub>2</sub> was 33% lower, and the group under ICI treatment had lower cycling efficiency (22.49% vs. 20.07%, p = 0.031), compared to controls. All self-reported fatigue items derived from MFI-20 were significantly higher in the ICI group compared to controls (p = 0.001). The regression analysis found no association between the self-reported general fatigue and data collected during CPET. Patients under ICI treatment reported higher levels of chronic fatigue, lower peak V̇O<sub>2</sub>, and reduced cycling efficiency. Interestingly, variables collected during CPET did not explain self-reported chronic fatigue, underlying the complexity of this phenomenon.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71090"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Júlia Martins Felipe de Souza, Tiphany Coralie De Bessa, Amanda de Almeida Silva, Carolina Gonçalves Fernandes, Leonardo Yuji Tanaka, Francisco Rafael Martins Laurindo
{"title":"Exacerbated expansive vascular remodeling due to disturbed flow in male mice overexpressing protein disulfide isomerase-A1.","authors":"Júlia Martins Felipe de Souza, Tiphany Coralie De Bessa, Amanda de Almeida Silva, Carolina Gonçalves Fernandes, Leonardo Yuji Tanaka, Francisco Rafael Martins Laurindo","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71088","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Vascular expansive remodeling is involved in atherosclerosis/restenosis; however, its mechanisms need further investigation. Protein-disulfide isomerase (PDIA1), a redox chaperone from the endoplasmic reticulum and cell surface, supports vascular smooth muscle mechanoadaptation. Vascular injury repair reportedly associates with marked PDIA1 overexpression, while PDIA1 inhibition limits expansive remodeling. However, the effects of overexpressed PDIA1 in vessel remodeling are unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of transgenic constitutive PDIA1 overexpression (TgPDIA1) in carotid artery expansive remodeling in mice subjected to partial left carotid artery ligation. The ensuing disturbed flow was documented by ultrasound imaging. TgPDIA1 mice exhibited significantly larger total calibers 14 days after ligation, along with increased medial, neointimal, and total wall areas, compared with wild-type mice. These changes were exacerbated in proximal carotid, coincident with more disturbed flow. ECM analysis revealed reduced birefringent collagen in TgPDIA1 arteries, despite increased total collagen content, indicating enhanced amount but impaired collagen organization. Morphometry disclosed enhanced collagen fiber curvature and reduced elastin fiber thickness in TgPDIA1 ligated arteries. Immunohistochemistry depicted reduced α-smooth muscle actin and increased vimentin in TgPDIA1 vessels. Analogous expansive remodeling occurred in another series of mice 28 days after total carotid occlusion. These data corroborate the PDIA1 role as a mediator of expansive vascular remodeling.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 17","pages":"e71088"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13527409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148866529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kristen A McGovern, Traver J Wright, Erik D Marchant, Sean P Kilroe, William J Durham, E Lichar Dillon, Marc M Baum, Michael P Kinsky, William K Russell, Christopher S Fry, Pratik Gongloor, Richard B Pyles, Randall J Urban, Blake B Rasmussen, Melinda Sheffield-Moore
{"title":"Assessing the therapeutic potential of PDE-5 inhibitors in adults: Insights from a multi-omics study.","authors":"Kristen A McGovern, Traver J Wright, Erik D Marchant, Sean P Kilroe, William J Durham, E Lichar Dillon, Marc M Baum, Michael P Kinsky, William K Russell, Christopher S Fry, Pratik Gongloor, Richard B Pyles, Randall J Urban, Blake B Rasmussen, Melinda Sheffield-Moore","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71104","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors have beneficial pleiotropic effects and hold promise as adjuvant treatments for cancer, dementia, and other disorders. Sixteen men and women aged 50-60 were administered daily sildenafil/tadalafil for 1 month. We characterized molecular signatures of sildenafil/tadalafil treatment via analyses and multi-omics integration of the serum metabolome and skeletal muscle proteome and transcriptome. In serum, eicosanoids decreased and arginine biosynthesis pathway components increased following sildenafil/tadalafil. In skeletal muscle following sildenafil, blood vessel development and immune response genes increased, indicating augmented angiogenesis and possible inflammation at proximate biopsy sites. Proteins related to telomere maintenance and protein folding increased, suggesting reduced cellular senescence and cellular stress or functional adaptations. In skeletal muscle following tadalafil, there were no differentially expressed genes, and despite reduction of many proteins there were no enriched biological processes. Notably, sildenafil resulted in a more cohesive and substantial molecular signal in skeletal muscle. Multi-omics integration for both treatments revealed significant coexpression patterns. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors showed systemic anti-inflammatory effects, as indicated by reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids. However, this did not translate to immunohistochemical changes. Additional research is warranted to investigate PDE-5 inhibitor effects on various tissues, which can inform prospective applications for drug repurposing.</p>","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 18","pages":"e71104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591550/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Although myeloid-cell RGS2 knockout does not affect Ang II-induced hypertension/organ damage in mice, high RGS2 in Gitelman/Bartter syndromes-human models of endogenous Ang II signaling antagonism-is associated with hypotensive/antiremodeling effects.","authors":"Lorenzo A Calò, Martina Cacciapuoti, Paul A Davis","doi":"10.14814/phy2.71110","DOIUrl":"10.14814/phy2.71110","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20083,"journal":{"name":"Physiological Reports","volume":"14 18","pages":"e71110"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591543/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}