Cell-to-cell coupling assayed by means of electrical measurements

The importance of electrical measurements in the evaluation of cell-to-cell coupling in heart muscle was discussed. The presence of gap junctions in heart and smooth muscle, and the implications of this for electrical synchronization and healing-over, was emphasized. Moreover, the modulation of junctional resistance by Ca, protons and cAMP was reviewed.     

Cell-to-cell coupling studied in isolated ventricular cell pairs

Summary Cell pairs isolated from adult rat and guinea pig ventricles were used to study the electrical properties of the nexal membrane. Each cell of a pair was connected to a voltage-clamp system so as to enable whole-cell, tight-seal recording. The current-voltage relationship of the nexal membrane was found to be linear, revealing a resistance r_n of 2–4 M. r_n was insensitive to the sarcolemmal membrane potential (range:–90 to +30 mV), and exerted no time-dependent gating behavior (range: 0.1 to 10 s). Lowering pH_i yielded a small increase in r_n. Vigorous elevations in [Ca²⁺]_i gave rise to an increase in r_n which was associated with a cell shortening. Uncoupling caused by aliphatic alcohols or halothane did not produce cell shortening. Cell pairs were also used to study action potential transfer.     

Cell-to-cell coupling studied by diffusional methods in myocardial cells

Summary The diffusion of large molecular substances from cell to cell in multicellular and enzymatically isolated cell pairs is described. Permeability of the gap junctional membrane to these molecules and the critical diffusing diameter of the myocardial gap junctional channel are discussed.     

Cell-to-cell communication in the heart: structure-function correlations

Summary The communicating cell junctions that ensure the electrical and diffusional continuity of the intracellular space in the heart fibres can be switched from their normal conducting, or opened state, to an exceptional non-conducting or closed state. This electrical uncoupling is observed after cell injury in the presence of Ca²⁺ ions in the extracellular fluid, after metabolic inhibition and in the presence of aliphatic alcohols (C₆ to C₉). The correlations between electrical uncoupling and gap junction morphology in the heart are briefly reviewed. A decrease of the distance between P-face particles and between the E-face pits has been found in all investigations^{3,10,16,18,55}, but the functional significance of this observation is not understood at present. A quantitatively very similar decrease of the average particle diameter (about –0.7 nm) has been measured in glutaraldehyde-fixed sheep Purkinje fibres¹⁶ and in unfixed, quickly frozen rat auricles¹⁸ that had been electrically uncoupled by three different procedures. About half of this decrease was reversible on short-term electrical recoupling (within 20 min). It is concluded that a measurable decrease of the connexon diameter correlates with electrical uncoupling.     

Cell-to-cell coupling studied by diffusional methods in myocardial cells

The diffusion of large molecular substances from cell to cell in multicellular and enzymatically isolated cell pairs is described. Permeability of the gap junctional membrane to these molecules and the critical diffusing diameter of the myocardial gap junctional channel are discussed.     

Degree of allogeneic histoincompatibility assayed by the hemolytic plaque technique

Zusammenfassung Es wurden in vitro die Wechselwirkungen von Milzzellen verschiedener allogener Mausstämme untersucht. Als Indikator für die cytotoxische Wirkung der lymphoiden Zellen wurde die Fähigkeit dieser Zellen, in vitro Antikörper zu bilden, herangezogen (Methode vonMishell undDutton). Es hat sich dabei gezeigt, dass bei ausgeprägter gegenseitiger Histoinkompatibilität die Zahl der Plaque formenden Zellen erniedrigt ist. Bei geringer Histoinkompatibilität war die Zahl der Plaque formenden Zellen unverändert oder leicht erhöht.

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On leave of absence from National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan).     

Effects of pCai and pHi on cell-to-cell coupling

Summary Internal longitudinal resistance (r_i), a determinant of cardiac conduction, is affected by changes in intracellular calcium and protons. However, the role and mechanism by which H⁺ and Ca²⁺ may modulate r_i is uncertain. Cable analysis was performed in cardiac Purkinje fibers to measure r_i during various interventions. In some experiments, intracellular pH (pH_i) was recorded simultaneously to study the pH_i-r_i relation. Both intracellular Ca²⁺ and H⁺ independently modified r_i. However, internal resistance of cardiac fibers was insensitive to pH_i changes compared to other tissues. A latent period preceded the pH_i-related changes in r_i and the amount of change depended upon methodology. The results suggest that direct action of protons on r_i may be subordinate to other regulatory processes. Ionic regulation of internal longitudinal resistance may occur by more than one mechanism: i) direct cationic binding to sites on junctional membrane proteins; and ii) H⁺- or Ca²⁺-dependent phosphorylation of junctional proteins.     

Intercellular communication in smooth muscle

The functioning of a group of cells as a tissue depends on intercellular communication; an example is the spread of action potentials through intestinal tissue resulting in synchronized contraction. Recent evidence for cell heterogeneity within smooth muscle tissues has renewed research into cell coupling.Electrical coupling is essential for propagation of action potentials in gastrointestinal smooth muscle.Metabolic coupling may be involved in generation of pacemaker activity. This review deals with the role of cell coupling in tissue function and some of the issues discussed are the relationship between electrical synchronization and gap junctions, metabolic coupling, and the role of interstitial cells of Cajal in coupling.     

Perception of olfactory and intranasal trigeminal stimuli following cutaneous electrical stimulation

Based on previous research it may be hypothesized that the perception of odorants is modified by an axon reflex emanating from trigeminal afferents activated via the skin and/or the intranasal respiratory epithelium. The present experiment investigated the effects of trigeminal cutaneous stimulation on intensity estimates of intranasal chemical stimuli. While the left nostril was stimulated chemically with olfactory and trigeminal stimulants, four regions of the face were stimulated electrically. Intensity estimates of the chemical stimuli tended to increase after cutaneous electrical stimulation which may be interpreted in terms of response priming. The effect of electrical stimulation did not differ at the 4 stimulation sites. The results argue against the hypothesis that the processing of intranasal chemical stimuli is modified peripherally by cutaneous trigeminal excitation.     

互耦条件下双基地MIMO雷达的收发角度估计

阵元互耦的存在会使双基地MIMO雷达多目标定位算法的性能恶化．利用发射和接收互耦矩阵的带状、对称Toeplitz性质,提出了一种基于ESPRIT的双基地MIMO雷达收发角度算法,并针对现有参数配对算法中存在参量兼并的问题,给出了一种改进的自动配对算法．仿真结果表明：在存有相同发射角／接收角时,本文算法仍能有效实现多目标定位,无需进行谱峰搜索和额外的目标配对;本文算法对互耦系数自由度和扰动误差的稳健性优于MUSIC-like算法,并且具有更高的估计精度．此外,还推导了确定信号模型下收发角和互耦系数的CRB（Cramer—Raobound）．     

Forecasting volatility by means of threshold models

The aim of this paper is to compare the forecasting performance of competing threshold models, in order to capture the asymmetric effect in the volatility. We focus on examining the relative out‐of‐sample forecasting ability of the SETAR‐Threshold GARCH (SETAR‐TGARCH) and the SETAR‐Threshold Stochastic Volatility (SETAR‐THSV) models compared to the GARCH model and Stochastic Volatility (SV) model. However, the main problem in evaluating the predictive ability of volatility models is that the ‘true’ underlying volatility process is not observable and thus a proxy must be defined for the unobservable volatility. For the class of nonlinear state space models (SETAR‐THSV and SV), a modified version of the SIR algorithm has been used to estimate the unknown parameters. The forecasting performance of competing models has been compared for two return time series: IBEX 35 and S&P 500. We explore whether the increase in the complexity of the model implies that its forecasting ability improves. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cell-to-cell transmission in the activation of in situ nematocytes in acontia ofCalliactis parasitica

Summary It is reported that Ca²⁺-induced discharge of in situ nematocytes of acontia ofCalliactis parasitica can occur by cell-to-cell transmission along the acontial filament at a speed that averages 9.8·10^–3 cm^–1. The discharge is preceded by protrusion of nematocytes that proceeds along the acontium at a slightly higher speed.     

Cardiac cellular electrophysiology: past and present

Summary The time-course of the cardiac action potential can be accounted for in terms of ionic currents crossing the cell membranes. Depolarizing current is carried by Na⁺ or Ca²⁺ entering the cells, repolarizing current by K⁺ leaving the cells. Membrane permeability for the passive movement of these ions is thought to be voltage-dependent as well as time-dependent. Net transfer of charge may also result from active transport, 2 Na⁺ out against 1 K⁺ in; or coupled exchange, 3 or 4 Na⁺ in against 1 Ca²⁺ out. This review follows the path by which present-day knowledge has been reached. It also gives a few examples to illustrate that electrophysiology has provided concepts useful to clinical cardiology.     

Inhibition of germination inStriga by means of urea

Summary In vitro seed germination percentages and radicle lengths ofStriga hermonthica markedly decreased in the presence of urea at concentrations which could be expected in the field after standard application rates. Relatively high concentrations of ammonium sulphate brought about a similar effect while sodium nitrate was ineffective.     

Oxidation of cyclophosphamide by means of KMnO4

Zusammenfassung Nach Oxidation von Cyclophosphamid mit KMnO₄ lässt sich eine Verbindung gewinnen, die dünnschichtchromatographisch und reaktionskinetisch mit dem vorherrschenden Urinmetaboliten übereinstimmt. Es handelt sich um N,N-bis(2-chloräthyl) diamidophosphorsäure (2-carboxyäthylester). Da weder diese Verbindung noch das bereits als Nebenmetabolit bekannte 4-Keto-cyclophosphamids zelltoxisch wirkt, muss der Effekt des Cyclophosphamids von einem anderen Stoffwechselprodukt ausgehen. Durch modifizierte oxidative Umsetzung in vitro sollte es möglich sein, Cyclophosphamid auch in den wirksamen Metaboliten zu überführen.