In this study, we examined changes in the amplitude of differential digital photoplethysmogram (ΔDPG) and the power spectral changes of EEG at rest during cold water immersion of the contralateral fingers (2°C), and after alcohol intake (0.3 g/kg) in 8 male subjects. This experiment showed that the ΔDPG amplitude decreased at rest and finger blood pressure was increased during the cold water stimulation, but there was no signifincant change in heart rate and EEG power spectrum. On chronological measurements for 30 minutes after alcohol intake, ΔDPG amplitude decreased slightly and finger blood pressure increased. Heart rate also tended to increase, and the alpha 1 power (8.0-9.8 Hz) on EEG gradually increased. The ODPG and finger blood pressure responses to cold water stimulation every 10 minutes was decreased after alcohol intake, whereas heart rate was not affected. However, a decrease in the alphal power after stimulation was revealed. From these results, it may be concluded that during 5-10 s of cold water stimulation, increased skin sympathetic nerve activity was one of the factors that raises blood pressure.

No abstract available.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Curriculum* ; Humans ; Schools, Medical*

Patients with heart failure (HF) have structural and functional changes of the gut as a result of microcirculatory disturbances. A disrupted gut epithelial barrier may lead to translocation of microbial products into systemic circulation, possibly aggravating HF by inducing inflammatory responses. Gut microbiota play an essential role in the maintenance of host homeostasis because large quantities of their gene products complement host physiological processes. Emerging evidence has suggested the potential clinical significance of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of HF. Imbalances of gut microbe-derived metabolites can contribute to cardiac dysfunction and other morbidities in patients with HF. Therapeutic research for HF through targeting microbiota is under way. Thus, the novel concept of a heart-gut axis may lead to breakthroughs in the development of innovative diagnostics and therapeutic approaches for HF.
Complement System Proteins ; Dysbiosis ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Heart Failure* ; Heart* ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Microbiota ; Physiological Processes ; Therapeutic Human Experimentation

OBJECTIVESThe aim of this study was to determine whether the serum nitrite plus nitrate (NO( x )) level correlates with biomarkers that are known components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

METHODSSerum NO( x ) levels were measured using a commercial kit in 608 Japanese men and women between the ages of 39 and 85 years. Multivariate adjustments for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and exercise were made in the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The components of the metabolic syndrome were defined based on the following criteria: body mass index (BMI) >/=25.0 kg/m(2), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >/=5.6%, systolic blood pressure >/=130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >/=85 mmHg, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) /=1.69 mmol/l.

RESULTSThe logarithmically transformed age-adjusted serum NO( x ) (lnNO( x )) value was significantly higher in the low HDL-C group (1.76 +/- 0.05 mumol/l; p < 0.05) than MetS component groups (1.65 +/- 0.01 mumol/l) in men, but no difference was found in women. The means of serum lnNO( x ) after multivariate adjustment were 1.64, 1.65, 1.64, 1.66, and 1.81 mumol/l for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4-5 MetS components for all subjects, respectively. The results of ANCOVA confirmed that the serum lnNO( x ) level was significantly correlated with the clustering of MetS components in both men and women (p < 0.0001 for trend).

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that an increase in the clustering of MetS components was associated with the increase in serum NO levels in our general population.