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At least 37 records · Page 2

Is cell aging caused by respiration-dependent injury to the mitochondrial genome

Though intrinsic mitochondrial aging has been considered before as a possible cause of cellular senescence, the mechanisms of such mitochondrial aging have remained obscure. In this article, the hypothesis of free-radical-induced inhibition of mitochondrial replenishment in fixed postmitotic cells is expanded. It is maintained that the respiration-dependent production of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals may not be fully counteracted, leading to a continuous production of lipoperoxides and malonaldehyde in actively respiring mitochondria. These compounds, in turn, can easily react with the mitochondrial DNA which is in close spatial relationship with the inner mitochondrial membrane, producing an injury that the mitochondria may be unable to counteract because of their apparent lack of adequate repair mechanisms. Mitochondrial division may thus be inhibited leading to age-related reduction of mitochondrial numbers, a deficit in energy production with a concomitant decrease in protein synthesis, deterioration of physiological performance, and, therefore, of organismic performance.

Fleming, J. E.↗

Relative rates of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production by nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and nitrate respirers

An account is given of the atmospheric chemical and photochemical effects of biogenic nitric and nitrous oxide emissions. The magnitude of the biogenic emission of NO is noted to remain uncertain. Possible soil sources of NO and N2O encompass nitrification by autotropic and heterotropic nitrifiers, denitrification by nitrifiers and denitrifiers, nitrate respiration by fermenters, and chemodenitrification. Oxygen availability is the primary determinant of these organisms' relative rates of activity. The characteristics of this major influence are presently investigated in light of the effect of oxygen partial pressure on NO and N2O production by a wide variety of common soil-nitrifying, denitrifying, and nitrate-respiring bacteria under laboratory conditions. The results obtained indicate that aerobic soils are primary sources only when there is sufficient moisture to furnish anaerobic microsites for denitrification.

Anderson, I. C.↗

BOREAS TE-2 Root Respiration Data

The BOREAS TE-2 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the respiration of the foliage, roots, and wood of boreal vegetation. This data set includes means of tree root respiration measurements on roots having diameters ranging from 0 to 2 mm conducted in the NSA during the growing season of 1994. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Ryan, Michael G.↗

BOREAS TE-2 Foliage Respiration Data

The BOREAS TE-2 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the respiration of the foliage, roots, and wood of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of foliar respiration conducted in the NSA during the growing season of 1994. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Ryan, Michael G.↗

BOREAS TE-2 Continuous Wood Respiration Data

The BOREAS TE-2 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the respiration of the foliage, roots, and wood of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of wood respiration measured continuously (about once per hour) in the NSA during the growing season of 1994. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Hall, Forrest G.↗

BOREAS TE-2 Wood Respiration Data

The BOREAS TE-2 team collected several data sets in support of its efforts to characterize and interpret information on the respiration of the foliage, roots, and wood of boreal vegetation. This data set contains measurements of wood respiration conducted in the NSA during the growing season of 1994. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884), or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Ryan, Michael G.↗

Sleep and Respiration in Microgravity

Sleep is often reported to be of poor quality in microgravity, and studies on the ground have shown a strong relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and sleep disruption. During the 16-day Neurolab mission, we studied the influence of possible changes in respiratory function on sleep by performing comprehensive sleep recordings on the payload crew on four nights during the mission. In addition, we measured the changes in the ventilatory response to low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in the same subjects during the day, hypothesizing that changes in ventilatory control might affect respiration during sleep. Microgravity caused a large reduction in the ventilatory response to reduced oxygen. This is likely the result of an increase in blood pressure at the peripheral chemoreceptors in the neck that occurs when the normally present hydrostatic pressure gradient between the heart and upper body is abolished. This reduction was similar to that seen when the subjects were placed acutely in the supine position in one-G. In sharp contrast to low oxygen, the ventilatory response to elevated carbon dioxide was unaltered by microgravity or the supine position. Because of the similarities of the findings in microgravity and the supine position, it is unlikely that changes in ventilatory control alter respiration during sleep in microgravity. During sleep on the ground, there were a small number of apneas (cessation of breathing) and hypopneas (reduced breathing) in these normal subjects. During sleep in microgravity, there was a reduction in the number of apneas and hypopneas per hour compared to preflight. Obstructive apneas virtually disappeared in microgravity, suggesting that the removal of gravity prevents the collapse of upper airways during sleep. Arousals from sleep were reduced in microgravity compared to preflight, and virtually all of this reduction was as a result of a reduction in the number of arousals from apneas and hypopneas. We conclude that any sleep disruption in microgravity is not the result of respiratory factors.

West, John B.↗

Role of O2 in regulating tissue respiration in dog muscle working in situ

This study was designed to investigate the role of tissue oxygenation in some of the factors that are thought to regulate muscle respiration and metabolism. Tissue oxygenation was altered by reductions in O2 delivery (muscle blood flow x arterial O2 content), induced by decreases in arterial PO2 (PaO2). O2 uptake (VO2) was measured in isolated in situ canine gastrocnemius at rest and while working at two stimulation intensities (isometric tetanic contractions at 0.5 and 1 contractions/s) on three separate occasions, with only the level of PaO2 (78, 30, and 21 Torr) being different for each occasion. Muscle blood flow was held constant (pump perfusion) at each work intensity for the three different levels of PaO2. Muscle biopsies were obtained at the end of each rest and work period. Muscle VO2 was significantly less (P less than 0.05) at both stimulation intensities for the hypoxemic conditions, whereas [ATP] was reduced only during the highest work intensity during both hypoxemic conditions (31% reduction at 21 Torr PaO2 and 17% at 30 Torr). For each level of PaO2, the relationships between the changes that occurred in VO2 and levels of phosphocreatine, ADP, and ATP/ADP.P(i) as the stimulation intensity was increased were significantly correlated; however, the slopes and intercepts of these lines were significantly different for each PaO2. Thus a greater change in any of the proposed regulators of tissue respiration (e.g., phosphocreatine, ADP) was required to achieve a given VO2 as PaO2 was decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS).

NASA Discipline Musculoskeletal↗

Acclimation of Plant Populations to Shade: Photosynthesis, Respiration, and Carbon Use Efficiency

Cloudy days cause an abrupt reduction in daily photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), but we have a poor understanding of how plants acclimate to this change. We used a unique lo-chamber, steady-state, gas-exchange system to continuously measure daily photosynthesis and night respiration of populations of a starch accumulator [tomato (Lycopersicone scukntum Mill. cv. Micro-Tina)] and a sucrose accumulator [lettuce (Latuca sativa L ev. Grand Rapids)] over 42 days. AI1 measurements were done at elevated CO2, (1200micr-/mol) avoid any CO2 limitations and included both shoots and roots. We integrated photosynthesis and respiration measurements separately to determine daily net carbon gain and carbon use efficiency (CUE) as the ratio of daily net C gain to total day-time C fixed over the 42-day period. After 16 to 20 days of growth in constant PPF, plants in some chambers were subjected to an abrupt PPF reduction to simulate shade or a series of cloudy days. The immediate effect and the long term acclimation rate w'ere assessed from canopy quantum yield and carbon use efficiency. The effect of shade on carbon use efficiency and acclimation was much slower than predicted by widely used growth models. It took 12 days for tomato populations to recover their original CUE and lettuce CUE never completely acclimated. Tomatoes, the starch accumulator, acclimated to low light more rapidly than lettuce, the sucrose accumulator. Plant growth models should be modified to include the photosynthesis/respiration imbalance and resulting inefficiency of carbon gain associated with changing PIT conditions on cloudy days.

Frantz, Jonathan M.↗

Sub-10-Micron and Respirable Particles in Lunar Soils

Based on published lunar soil grain size distribution data, we estimate that 1-3% of the mass of typical mature lunar soils is comprised of grains less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. These particles are in the respirable range (small enough to be inhaled). Estimates are used because the early methods of obtaining grain size distributions did not give reliable results below about 10 micrometers. Grain size analyses of Apollo 11 soil 10084 by a laser diffraction technique shows that this soil contains roughly 2% by volume in the respirable grain size, in agreement with our prior estimate.

Cooper, Bonnie L.↗