Differential control of efferent sympathetic activity revisited.

This article reviews 40 years of research (1970-2010) into the capability of the efferent sympathetic nervous system to display differential responsiveness. Discovered first were antagonistic changes of activity in sympathetic filaments innervating functionally different sections of the cardiovascular system in response to thermal stimulation. During the subsequent four decades of investigation, a multitude of differential sympathetic efferent response patterns were identified, ranging from opposing activity changes at the level of multi-fiber filaments innervating different organs to the level of single fibers controlling functionally different structures in the same organ.

Heat disorder in Yamanashi Prefecture during the summer from 1995 to 2004.

The incidence of heat disorders in July and August during 10 yr (1995-2004) reported for the population of Yamanashi prefecture was analyzed, with special consideration of an aging society, in relation to levels and patterns of phases with high daily maximal temperatures. There was an increasing tendency for years with hot summers in comparison to preceding decades. Two climatic characteristics associated with increased incidence of heat disorders have become apparent: first, sustained phases of atmospheric temperatures exceeding approximately 32 degrees C, second, rapid onset of phases with high maximal temperature after preceding phases of relatively cool weather.

Role of afferent pathways of heat and cold in body temperature regulation.

The detection of surface and internal temperatures is achieved by axons terminating at lamina I of the spinal dorsal horn, otherwise approached only by nociceptive afferents. Recent advances in thermal physiology research have disclosed that temperature-sensitive ion channels belonging to the "transient receptor potential" family exist in the peripheral sensory neurons and in the brain. Thermosensory, nociceptive and polymodal afferents project to different thalamic nuclei, and specific pathways to the insular cortex evoke the conscious experience of thermal sensation.

The difference between Japan and other countries, in particular the United Kingdom, in views regarding the teaching of geriatrics to undergraduate medical students.

Objectives: To examine differences in views on geriatrics education at the undergraduate level between Japan and other industrialized countries, including the United Kingdom.

Design: We conducted a nationwide survey of professorial staff responsible for undergraduate education in all medical schools in Japan, and an international survey of 37 medical schools and geriatric institutes in other industrialized countries, including 16 medical schools in the United Kingdom.

Results: The results indicate that undergraduate education in geriatrics in Japan emphasizes the theoretical aspects of the aging process and the features of diseases in the elderly, and lacks attention to the practical aspects of care.

[University education in geriatrics--present status and future prospects of gerontology and geriatrics education in pathology].

The increase in the number and proportion of the elderly in Japan over the last 30 years has been faster than that in any other country. One of the measures we are compelled to take to deal with this drastic change in medicosocial circumstances is reform of the medical school curriculum. However, the necessary reforms are being implemented slowly and are still insufficient.

Brain angiotensin II tonically modulates sympathetic baroreflex in rabbit ventrolateral medulla.

The role of endogenous angiotensin II (ANG II) at the level of the rostral (RVLM) and caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) in the control of sympathetic baroreflex function was investigated in urethan-anesthetized rabbits. The baroreflex relationship between mean arterial pressure and integrated renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) was compared before and during microinfusion of saralasin, an ANG II receptor antagonist into RVLM or CVLM. The infusion of saralasin (20 pmol/min) into RVLM reduced the upper plateau, the range, and the range-dependent gain of the baroreflex, as well as the resting level of RSNA.

[Undergraduate teaching of geriatric medicine in western countries--literature review].

To help plan for the future of undergraduate education in geriatric medicine in Japan, we reviewed the literature concerning undergraduate teaching of geriatric medicine in western countries. Undergraduate teaching in geriatric medicine in the UK is well developed: 22 of 25 universities have a full department of geriatric medicine. Training in geriatric medicine is mandatory in almost all universities.

[University education in geriatrics: medical student's opinions on gerontology and geriatric medicine].

With the aging of Japan's population, physicians need to be aware of advances in geriatric medicine. To assess the status of geriatric medicine in undergraduate education, we surveyed of medical student's opinions on gerontology and geriatric medicine. A questionnaire was sent to six-year medical students at a total of 20 schools that did not include geriatric medicine in their curriculum.

[University education in geriatrics: medical students' understandings of gerontology and geriatric medicine].

With the rapid aging of Japan's population, medical professionals who specialize in geriatric medicine are in unprecedented demand. To meet that demand and to improve the curriculum for teaching geriatric medicine and gerontology in Japan, we surveyed medical students' understandings of these specialties. Students at 14 schools with classes in geriatric medicine and gerontology were surveyed.

[University education in geriatrics. Opinions of teaching staff on undergraduate education in gerontology and geriatric medicine].

Undergraduate education in gerontology and geriatric medicine has become more important because of a progressive increase in the aged population. To assess curricula in geriatric medicine and to survey the opinions of teaching staffs as to the ideal curriculum, a questionnaire was sent to professors of gerontology and geriatric medicine at 14 medical schools. Responses were obtained from all 14 professors.

[University education in geriatrics. Present status and future plans of universities regarding the development of a program in geriatrics].

Because the number of people who reach an advanced age has been increasing at an unprecedented rate in Japan, geriatricians are expected to play a central role in health care for the elderly. However, only 16 out of 80 medical schools (20 percent) now have departments of geriatrics for undergraduate education. To develop undergraduate education in the field of geriatrics, a survey was sponsored by the Research Projects on Aging and Health (Health Science Research Grant the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan).

Procaine microinjection into the lower midbrain increases brown fat and body temperatures in anesthetized rats.

A tonic inhibitory mechanism on heat production was studied by microinjecting procaine into various regions of the brain while recording temperature changes of the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and rectum in urethane-anesthetized rats at room temperature of 23-25 degrees C. Procaine microinjected bilaterally (10%, 1.0 mu l/site, 1.

Usefulness of R-R interval and its variability in evaluation of thermal comfort.

The use of R-R interval and the coefficient of variation in R-R intervals (CVR-R) for the evaluation of thermal comfort was investigated. The experiments were carried out with ten male subjects but data from one were excluded from the analysis. Thermal sensation, comfort, and tolerance of environmental conditions were reported and mean skin temperature, R-R interval and CVR-R were monitored during a 3 h period in a climatic chamber with the operative temperature set at 26, 20, or 30 degrees C.

What roles does the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis play in fever in rabbits?

Experiments were designed to clarify the role of the brain's organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (OVLT) in the development of fever in rabbits. Rectal and ear skin temperatures were recorded in conscious animals in which the OVLT had been electrolytically destroyed or in which the preoptic anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) had been transected bilaterally. When the OVLT had been ablated the febrile responses to intravenous injection of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) or tumour necrosis factor alpha were significantly attenuated, while those to intracerebroventricular injection of IL-1 beta were not affected.

Effects of halothane and enflurane on the peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering induced by internal body cooling in rabbits.

General anesthetic agents have central and peripheral effects on body temperature regulation, and its alterations are related to the depth of anesthesia. To evaluate the effect of halothane and enflurane on thermoregulation, we investigated the threshold of body core temperatures to induce peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering in spontaneously breathing rabbits. Rabbits were anesthetized with halothane or enflurane at 0.

Does interleukin-1 mediate tumour necrosis factor alpha-induced fever in rabbits?

We investigated the humoral mechanisms involved in tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha)-induced fever in rabbits. No change in lymphocyte-activating factor activity was detected in serum drawn during TNF alpha-induced fever. The pyrogenic activity of recombinant rabbit interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) was entirely abolished by pre-incubation with anti-IL-1 beta antiserum from the goat.

Intraperitoneal injection of 1-oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine enhances discriminatory shock avoidance learning in rats.

Effects of injection of 1-oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (ODHPC) on learning ability were investigated in rats using discriminatory shock avoidance learning task. When ODHPC (2 mumol) was intraperitonealy administered 5 min before the beginning of the first trial of learning task from the second to fifth sessions, avoiding rates of the ODHPC-injected group were significantly higher than those of the control group. However, any injection of ODHPC derivatives, such as 1-oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-diacylglycerol, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, glycerophosphorylcholine, docosahexaenoate, oleate and choline chloride, did not affect learning.

1-Oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine increased paradoxical sleep in F344 rats.

The effects of administration of 1-oleoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (O-DH-PC), a kind of lecithin, and of glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) on sleep were investigated in male F344 rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of O-DH-PC at a dose of 10 micrograms/rat induced significant increase in paradoxical sleep time and total sleep time in the following 24 h, while administration of GPC did not. Results suggest that O-DH-PC affects on neuronal mechanism relating to paradoxical sleep, and that the effect of O-DH-PC might be caused by fatty acid residues, rather than choline residue.

A new infrared tympanic thermometer in surgery and anesthesia.

We have evaluated a new infrared tympanic thermometer, IT-10, as an intraoperative temperature monitor in patients with or without open abdominal surgery. It determines temperature by measuring infrared radiation given off by a warm object. Temperatures measured with this device were closely correlated with those measured with rectal and bladder thermometries.

Comparison of TRH and its analog (NS-3) in thermoregulatory and cardiovascular effects.

The effects of TRH and its metabolically stable analog NS-3 [(3R,6R)-6-methyl-5-oxo-3-thiomorpholinylcarbonyl-L-histidyl-L-pro linamide tetrahydrate] on thermoregulation and circulatory control have been investigated. Both NS-3 (1-100 ng/kg ICV) and TRH (0.1-10 micrograms/kg ICV) increased rectal temperature and metabolic rate with a transient cutaneous vasoconstriction in conscious rabbits.

[Effect of halothane on the peripheral cutaneous vasoconstriction and shivering induced by internal body cooling in rabbits].

Although suppression of thermoregulatory mechanisms by anesthetics is generally assumed, the extent to which thermoregulatory responses are active during general anesthesia is not known. To evaluate the effect of anesthetics on thermoregulation, we investigated the threshold body core temperatures to induce peripheral cutaneous vasoconstriction and shivering in spontaneously breathing rabbits. Rabbits are anesthetized with halothane at 0.

Hypothermia enhances contractile responses of the guinea pig taenia caeci to acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, caffeine and calcium.

Isometric contraction of isolated guinea-pig taenia caeci was induced with acetylcholine (ACh) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) at 37 and 30 degrees C to investigate the effect of hypothermia on the response of smooth muscle to neurotransmitters. Lowering the temperature increased the amplitude of contraction in response to 10(-6) M ACh. Contraction in response to 10(-6) M 5-HT was also greater at 30 degrees C.

Action site of circulating interleukin-1 on the rabbit brain.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is now generally accepted as an endogenous pyrogenic mediator of fever induction. IL-1 induces fever by means of activation of arachidonate metabolism in the brain. However, whether circulating IL-1 enters the brain or not, further, the question of where is the action site of circulating IL-1 on the brain, have not been clearly demonstrated.

[Effect of propiverine hydrochloride on the function of the bladder in decerebrated dogs].

The effect of propiverine hydrochloride (P-4) on the function of the bladder in decerebrated dogs was compared with that of propantheline, an anticholinergic drug which is used for the treatment of micturitional disorders. P-4 (5 and 10 mg/kg, i.v.