Effect of postnatal intermittent hypoxia on growth and cardiovascular regulation of rat pups.

BACKGROUND: Intermittent hypoxic episodes are common among preterm infants, although longer term consequences on growth pattern and cardiovascular regulation are unclear. Furthermore, the effects of intermittent hypoxia (IH) may depend on the pattern of hypoxia-reoxygenation. OBJECTIVES: We tested the hypothesis that a clustered versus dispersed pattern of repetitive IH during early postnatal life would induce differential long-term alteration in growth and cardiovascular regulation. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rat pups were exposed to room air or to one of two patterns of IH (clustered vs. dispersed) from 1 to 7 days of life. Body weight was measured daily for the first 8 days and weekly from weeks 2 to 8. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate were measured weekly from weeks 4 to 8 using a noninvasive tail-cuff method for awake, nonanesthetized animals. RESULTS: Exposure to both patterns of repetitive IH induced early growth restriction followed by later catch-up of growth to controls 3 weeks after completion of IH exposures. IH-exposed rats exhibited a sustained decrease in heart rate regardless of the hypoxic exposure paradigm employed. In contrast, a differential response was seen for arterial pressure; the clustered paradigm was associated with a significantly lower BP versus controls, while the pups exposed to the dispersed paradigm showed no effect on BP. CONCLUSION: We speculate that repetitive IH during a critical developmental window and regardless of IH exposure paradigm contributes to prolonged changes in sympathovagal balance of cardiovascular regulation.

Simultaneous determination of gallium and aluminium in biological samples by conventional luminescence and derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry.

The simultaneous determination of gallium and aluminium by using conventional fluorimetry and derivative synchronous fluorescence spectrometry has been studied. These determinations are based on the formation of fluorescent complexes of gallium and aluminium with salicylaldehyde carbohydrazone (SACH). In the conventional method, two samples are analysed under different analytical conditions, and the results are evaluated by solving a system of two simultaneous equations. In the derivative synchronous method (at pH = 2.6, in an ethanol-water medium containing 72% of ethanol), the following conditions are used: a constant wavelength difference of 20 nm between the monochromator settings, a time-constant of 1.5 sec, a scan-speed of 120 nm/min, and a derivative wavelength difference of 10 nm; gallium can be determined in the range 7-38 ng/ml, and aluminium between 6 and 45 ng/ml. The synchronous method shows more advantages, and has been used in the determination of both metal ions in diverse biological samples (animal tissues and human serum) with good results.

Landsat image and sample design for water reservoirs (Rapel dam Central Chile).

Spatial heterogeneity of the Rapel reservoir surface waters is analyzed through Landsat images. The image digital counts are used with the aim or developing an aprioristic quantitative sample design.Natural horizontal stratification of the Rapel Reservoir (Central Chile) is produced mainly by suspended solids. The spatial heterogeneity conditions of the reservoir for the Spring 86-Summer 87 period were determined by qualitative analysis and image processing of the MSS Landsat, bands 1 and 3. The space-time variations of the different observed strata obtained with multitemporal image analysis.A random stratified sample design (r.s.s.d) was developed, based on the digital counts statistical analysis. Strata population size as well as the average, variance and sampling size of the digital counts were obtained by the r.s.s.d method.Stratification determined by analysis of satellite images were later correlated with ground data. Though the stratification of the reservoir is constant over time, the shape and size of the strata varys.