Effects of heat load and hypobaric hypoxia on cognitive performance: a combined stressor approach

This study investigates how cognitive performance is affected by the combination of two stressors that are operationally relevant for helicopter pilots: heat load and hypobaric hypoxia. Fifteen participants were exposed to: 1) no stressors, 2) heat load, 3) hypobaric hypoxia and 4) combined heat load and hypobaric hypoxia. Hypobaric hypoxia (13...

Exposure to hypoxia impairs helicopter pilots’ awareness of environment

The purpose of the present study was to determine how hypoxia effects awareness of environment (AoE) in helicopter pilots operating at high altitude. Eight helicopter crews flew two operational flights in a flight simulator while breathing gas mixtures of 20.9% (equivalent to 0 m altitude) and 11.4% (equivalent to 4572 m or 15,000 ft altitude)...

NF-B-mediated metabolic remodelling in the inflamed heart in acute viral myocarditis

Acute viral myocarditis (VM), characterised by leukocyte infiltration and dysfunction of the heart, is an important cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults. Unfortunately, to date, the pathological mechanisms underlying cardiac failure in VM remain incompletely understood. In the current study, we investigated if acute VM leads to cardiac...

Cognitive performance effects of bilastine 20 mg during 6 hours at 8000 ft cabin altitude

INTRODUCTION: Bilastine is a new oral, second generation antihistamine used in the symptomatic treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and urticaria. It is considered a nonsedating antihistamine and might be recommended for use in pilots, pending research on the effects on flying-related performance under hypobaric conditions that prevail in...

Spatiotemporal proliferation of human stromal cells adjusts to nutrient availability and leads to stanniocalcin-1 expression in vitro and in vivo

Cells and tissues are intrinsically adapted to molecular gradients and use them to maintain or change their activity. The effect of such gradients is particularly important for cell populations that have an intrinsic capacity to differentiate into multiple cell lineages, such as bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Our results...

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, stromal cell-derived factor-1, and CXCR4 in human limb muscle with acute and chronic ischemia

OBJECTIVE - Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) has been implicated in angiogenesis in ischemic tissues by recruitment of CXCR4-positive bone marrow-derived circulating cells with paracrine functions in preclinical models. Here, evidence for this is provided in patients with peripheral artery...

Determination of the relationship between group A streptococcal genome content, M type, and toxic shock syndrome by a mixed genome microarray

Group A streptococci (GAS), or Streptococcus pyogenes, are associated with a remarkable variety of diseases, ranging from superficial infections to life-threatening diseases such as toxic-shock-like syndrome (TSS). GAS strains belonging to M types M1 and M3 are associated with TSS. This study aims to obtain insight into the gene profiles...

Interleukin 4 and prolonged hypoxia induce a higher gene expression of lysyl hydroxylase 2 and an altered cross-link pattern: Important pathogenetic steps in early and late stage of systemic scleroderma?

The major pathological processes of systemic scleroderma (SSc) comprise inflammation and microvascular damage in the early or acute progressive stage as well as tissue fibrosis and hypoxia in the chronic end stage. Fibrosis seems to be a general phenomenon characterized by an increase of hydroxylysine aldehyde derived collagen cross-links which...

Influence of inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis on cardiac function in the newborn lamb after hypoxic-ischemic injury

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of immediate post-hypoxic-ischemic (HI) inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by N(ω)- nitro-L-arginine (NLA) on cardiac function and reactive oxygen species production. Fifteen newborn lambs were subjected to severe HI. Upon resuscitation 5 received 10 mg NLA/kg, 4 40 mg NLA/kg and 6 a...

Urokinase receptor expression on human microvascular endothelial cells is increased by hypoxia: Implications for capillary-like tube formation in a fibrin matrix

Hypoxia stimulates angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels. This study evaluates the direct effect of hypoxia (1% oxygen) on the angiogenic response of human microvascular endothelial cells (hMVECs) seeded on top of a 3-dimensional fibrin matrix, hMVECs stimulated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) or vascular endothelial growth...

Radiosensitization of mammalian cells by diamide

The effect of diamide on the radiosensitivity of T cells was investigated under oxic and anoxic conditions. The compound was found to sensitize the cells under both conditions. Under oxic conditions, exposure for 10 min before and during irradiation to 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM diamide produced dose modifying factors of 0.81, 0.60 and 0.55,...

Influence of the radiosensitizers paranitroacetophenone and triacetoneamine N oxyl on the effects of ionizing radiation on DNA

Paranitroacetophenone (PNAP) and triacetoneamine N oxyl (TAN), which sensitize anoxic cells to ionizing radiation, do not increase the radiosensitivity of bacteriophage DNA irradiated in the dry state, showing that the 'direct action model' of sensitization does not hold in this experimental set up. PNAP and TAN added within 1.5 msec after...