Despite the demonstrated exercise -induced increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, growing epidemiological evidence indicates that habitual, moderate physical activity reduces the incidence of several oxidative stress-based diseases. This apparent paradox can be explained taking into account that ROS produced during repeated ex ercise bouts may act as mild stressors able to trigger physiological and biomolecular hormetic responses through a number of redox-sensitive transcription pathways. Unfortunately, much more limited information is available from general population-based research, which could better reflect the condition of common people interested in achieving and maintaining good fitness levels. The present work aimed at investigatin g whether and how exercise-related habits in non-professional regular runners (n=33) can affect the systemic anti-oxidative capacity, and the resting serum levels of typical lipid peroxidation-related by-products and oxidatively- damaged proteins, in comparison with untrained sedentary individuals (n=25). We also anal yzed in both groups the redox response elicited by a modified Bruce-based maximal exercise test on the same parameters. Our findings indicated that long- term regular and moderate practice of aerobic physical activity can increase antioxidant defense systems, lower the resting protein oxidation processes and reduce the immediate up- regulation of lipid-targeting oxidative stress in response to an acute bout of exercise., S. Falone, A. Mirabilio, A. Pennelli, M. Cacchio, A. Di Baldassarre, S. Gallina, A. Passerini, F. Amicarelli., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effect of drought stress (DS) on photosynthesis and photosynthesis-related enzyme activities was investigated in F. pringlei (C3), F. floridana (C3-C4), F. brownii (C4-like), and F. trinervia (C4) species. Stomatal closure was observed in all species, probably being the main cause for the decline in photosynthesis in the C3 species under ambient conditions. In vitro ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) and stromal fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (sFBP) activities were sufficient to interpret the net photosynthetic rates (PN), but, from the decreases in PN values under high CO2 (C a = 700 µmol mol- 1) it is concluded that a decrease in the in vivo rate of the RuBPCO reaction may be an additional limiting factor under DS in the C3 species. The observed decline in the photosynthesis capacity of the C3-C4 species is suggested to be associated both to in vivo decreases of RuBPCO activity and of the RuBP regeneration rate. The decline of the maximum PN observed in the C4-like species under DS was probably attributed to a decrease in maximum RuBPCO activity and/or to decrease of enzyme substrate (RuBP or PEP) regeneration rates. In the C4 species, the decline of both in vivo photosynthesis and photosynthetic capacity could be due to in vivo inhibition of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) by a twofold increase of the malate concentration observed in mesophyll cell extracts from DS plants. and M. C. Dias, W. Brüggemann.
An attempt has been made to test for a reliable method of characterizing the isovolumic left ventricular pressure fall in isolated ejecting hearts by one or two time constants, tau. Alternative nonlinear regression models (three- and four-parametric exponential, logistic, and power function), based upon the common differential law dp(t)/dt = - [p(t)-Ptau]/ tau(t) are compared in isolated ejecting rat, guinea pig, and ferret hearts. Intraventricular pressure fall data are taken from an isovolumic standard interval and from a subinterval of the latter, determined data-dependently by a statistical procedure. Extending the three-parametric exponential fitting function to four-parametric models reduces regression errors by about 20-30 %. No remarkable advantage of a particular four-parametric model over the other was revealed. Enhanced relaxation, induced by isoprenaline, is more sensitively indicated by the asymptotic logistic time constant than by the usual exponential. If early and late parts of the isovolumic pressure fall are discarded by selecting a subinterval of the isovolumic phase, ? remains fairly constant in that central pressure fall region. Physiological considerations point to the logistic model as an advantageous method to cover lusitropic changes by an early and a late tau. Alternatively, identifying a central isovolumic relaxation interval facilitates the calculation of a single ("central") tau; there is no statistical justification in this case to extend the three-parametric exponential further to reduce regression errors., S. F. J. Langer,., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Photosynthetic acclimation to reduced growth irradiances (650 and 200 µmol m-2 s-1) in Eleusine coracana (L.) Garten, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) C4 species and Gomphrena globosa L., a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) C4 species were investigated. E. coracana plants acclimated in 4 and 8 d to 650 and 200 µmol m-2 s-1, respectively, whereas G. globosa plants took 8 and 10 d, respectively, to acclimate to the same irradiances. The acclimation to reduced irradiance was achieved in both species by greater partitioning of chlorophyll towards the light-harvesting antennae at the expense of functional components. However, magnitude of increase in the light-harvesting antenna was higher in E. coracana as compared to G. globosa. Superior photosynthetic acclimation to reduced irradiance in G. globosa was due to the smaller change in functions of the cytochrome b 6/f complex, photosystem (PS) 1 and PS2 leading to the higher carbon fixation rates compared to E. coracana. and M. V. Sailaja, V. S. Rama Das.
The impact of grazing by domestic goats, Capra hircus, on the photochemical apparatus of three co-ocurring Mediterranean shrubs, Erica scoparia, Halimium halimifolium, and Myrtus communis was evaluated. Seasonal course of gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic pigment concentrations were measured in the field in grazed and ungrazed plants. Net photosynthetic rate was higher in grazed plants of E. scoparia and H. halimifolium in May, while there were not significant differences in M. communis. Photosynthetic enhancement in grazed plants of E. scoparia could be explained largely by higher stomatal conductance. On the other hand, the lack of differences in stomatal conductance between grazed and ungrazed plants of
H. halimifolium could indicate that carboxylation efficiency, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration may have been enhanced by grazing. Overall grazing has little effect on the photochemical (PSII) apparatus, however grazed plants of M. communis showed chronic photoinhibition in the short term. Finally, seasonal variations recorded on photosynthesis, photochemical efficiency and pigment concentrations may be a physiological consequence of environmental factors, such as summer drought and competition for light, rather than an adaptation to grazing. and S. Redondo-Gómez ... [et al.].
We have investigated the role of m- and k-opioid receptors in the central control of preovulatory LH and FSH release in the proestrous rat. Animals were anesthetized with chloral hydrate at 14:00 h on proestrus day. Following femoral artery cannulation, they were mounted in a stereotaxic apparatus. Morphine and U-50488H (benzene-acetamide methane sulphonate) were infused intracerebroventricularly either alone or in combination with naloxone and MR1452, respectively. Controls received sterile saline alone. Blood samples were obtained at hourly intervals between 15:00 h and 17:00 h. Plasma LH and FSH levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Morphine did not significantly change plasma LH levels at 15:00 h and 16:00 h sampling intervals. A significant increase was observed at 17:00 h compared to the controls (p<0.05). U-50488H significantly increased LH levels at 16:00 h and 17:00 h (p<0.05). The co-administration of naloxone and MR1452 with m- and k-agonist had no significant effect on LH levels at any sampling interval. In all groups, LH levels showed a linear rise over the sampling period between 15:00 h and 17:00 h. None of the treatments significantly altered plasma FSH levels which however, declined towards the end of the afternoon surge. In conclusion, we suggest that the secretion of LH and FSH is differentially regulated by m- and k-opioid receptors. It is thought that in all groups chloral hydrate interfered with the LH surge secretory systems., S. Kumru, M. Şimşek, B. Yilmaz, E. Sapmaz, S. Kutlu, S. Sandal, S. Canpolat., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Nostoc muscorum cells showed metal-induced decrease in the relative growth, pigment contents, O2 evolution, and Hill activity in response to lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) treatment, which was further accentuated with increase in metal exposure time and metal concentration. I50 concentrations (50% growth inhibitory concentrations) of Pb2+ and Cd2+ for growth of N. muscorum were 55 and 21 μg mL-1, respectively. These results indicated that the cells of N. muscorum were more susceptible to Cd2+ in comparison to Pb2+. The O2 production was relatively more sensitive to both heavy metals (I50: 16 and 10 μg mL-1 of Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively) than the Hill activity (I50: 61 and 39 μg mL-1 of Pb2+ and Cd2+, respectively). Further, measurement of Hill activity in the presence of metals and electron donors showed that inhibition sites of both Pb2+ and Cd2+ were located on the oxidizing site of PSII. The chlorophyll a (Chl a) and phycobilisome (PB) fluorescence emission spectra showed that energy transfer from Chl a and PB to PSII reaction center was more susceptible to Cd2+ than Pb2+., S. Dixit, D. P. Singh., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. seedlings were subjected to continuous ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation for 18 h and post-irradiated with "white light" (WL) and UV-A enhanced fluorescent radiations. UV-B treatment alone reduced plant growth, pigment content, and photosynthetic activities. Supplementation of UV-A promoted the overall seedling growth and enhanced the synthesis of chlorophyll and carotenoids with a relatively high photosystem 1 activity. Post UV-B irradiation under WL failed to photoreactive the UV-B damage whereas a positive photoregulatory effect of UV-A was noticed in electron transport rates and low temperature fluorescence emission spectra. and K. Lingakumar, G. Kulandaivelu.
Fe, Mn, and Zn affected the chlorophyll (Chl) content whereas Fe deficiency caused larger reduction of total chlorophyll content than Mg and Zn deficiencies. Mg deficient mango had a higher Chl a/b ratio than the respective healthy plants. The foliar contents of Fe, Zn, and Mg in the deficient leaves were lower than the critical level. Nutrient deficiency significantly affected the Fv/Fm ratios as observed from the Chl fluorescence induction curves. Fe deficiency resulted in larger reduction of variable fluorescence than Mg and Zn deficiency. and K, Balakrishnan, C. Rajendran, G. Kulandaivelu.
Leaf stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), and light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PNmax) at three developmental stages (tillering stage, jointing-booting stage, and milking stage) and leaf total nitrogen concentration (LTNC) and δ13C value at milking stage were measured for a conventional rice line (Minghui 63) and its corresponding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-gene [cry1A
(b and c)] introduced line (Bt line) under three fertilizer levels. Compared to conventional line, Bt line showed lower gs, which was associated with lower P Nmax and E, but instantaneous water-use efficiency (WUE), measured as the ratio of PNmax to E, was higher in the Bt line than in the conventional line, particularly in the jointing-booting stage. However, δ13C values were not significantly different across treatments, suggesting that intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEin) might be indistinguishable between Bt and conventional lines. LTNC was higher but PNmax was lower in Bt line compared to conventional line, resulting in significantly lower photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE). This might result from the additional cost of producing Bt protein in the Bt line due to the effect of competing nitrogen with photosynthetic machinery. Bt-gene introduction and expression does not significantly change WUEin but may significantly decrease leaf PNUE. Thus we suggest that Bt rice should be carefully examined in relation to environmental risks (e.g. water-body pollution) before planting commercially. and R. Q. Guo ... [et al.].