ABSTRACT
The atmospheres of the gas giant planets (Jupiter and Saturn) contain jets that dominate the circulation at visible levels. The power source for these jets (solar radiation, internal heat, or both) and their vertical structure below the upper cloud are major open questions in the atmospheric circulation and meteorology of giant planets. Several observations and in situ measurements found intense winds at a depth of 24 bar, and have been interpreted as supporting an internal heat source. This issue remains controversial, in part because of effects from the local meteorology. Here we report observations and modelling of two plumes in Jupiter's atmosphere that erupted at the same latitude as the strongest jet (23 degrees N). The plumes reached a height of 30 km above the surrounding clouds, moved faster than any other feature (169 m s(-1)), and left in their wake a turbulent planetary-scale disturbance containing red aerosols. On the basis of dynamical modelling, we conclude that the data are consistent only with a wind that extends well below the level where solar radiation is deposited.
ABSTRACT
Convergent evidence suggests that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a principal regulator of several vagally mediated gastric responses. Serotonin (5-HT) interacts with TRH in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) to augment gastric acid secretory responses. This study investigated the ability of 5-HT to alter other gastric responses mediated by TRH administration into the DVC. Co-injection of 5-HT (7.9 pmol) and the TRH analogue RX-77368 (0.66 pmol) produced a 117% enhancement in 1-h gastric acid output compared with rats treated with RX-77368 (0.66 pmol) alone into the DVC. In contrast, coadministration of RX-77368 (4 pmol) with various doses of 5-HT (0.0048-480 pmol) was ineffective in significantly altering stimulation of gastric antral motility produced by RX-77368 (4 pmol) alone. The effect of a lower dose of DVC RX-77368 (0.66 pmol) on gastric motility was also not changed by 5-HT coadministration. Moreover, the cytoprotective effect of DVC RX-77368 (1.5 pmol) on oral ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions was reversed by 5-HT coadministration (54 or 18 pmol). The results suggest that activation of 5-HT receptors in the DVC can augment, not affect, and attenuate DVC TRH analogue-stimulated gastric acid secretion, antral motility, and cytoprotection, respectively.
