Acetylene in breath: background levels and real-time elimination kinetics after smoking.

We have measured the acetylene concentration in the exhaled breath of 40 volunteers (31 non-smokers, nine smokers) using near-infrared cavity ring-down spectroscopy. The acetylene levels were found to be the same as in ambient air for non-smokers, whereas elevated levels were observed for smokers. Real-time measurements with sub-second time resolution have been applied to measure the elimination kinetics of acetylene in breath after exposure to tobacco smoke. Three exponential time constants can be distinguished from the data and these can be used to define the residence times for different compartments, according to the multi-compartment model of the human body.

Temperature compensation of sodium transport and ATPase activity in frog skin.

Na+ transport across frog skin, measured as short-circuit current (SCC) shows perfect temperature compensation in frogs acclimated to 6 degrees, 12 degrees, and 23 degrees C as SCC values observed at the acclimation temperatures are equal (about 13 muA/cm2). Reacclimation experiments show that this is not a starvation effect. While very little temperature compensation is seen in the activity of Na+, K+-ATPase in epidermal homogenates from frog skins, the activity of Mg2+-ATPase shows inverse compensation at assay temperatures from 4 degrees to 48 degrees C. This ATPase is apparently activated either by Mg2+ or by Ca2+ and it probably controls the passive permeability of epidermal cells. It is suggested that the inverse temperature compensation in the activity of this enzyme is the main mechanism by which the observed perfect temperature compensation of Na+ transport across frog skin occurs.