Category Archives: Physiology

Physiology

Invasive coronary physiology in patients with angina and non-obstructive coronary artery disease: a consensus document from the coronary microvascular…

This article was originally published here

Heart. 2022 Mar 22:heartjnl-2021-320718. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2021-320718. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Nearly half of all patients with angina have non-obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA); this is an umbrella term comprising heterogeneous vascular disorders, each with disparate pathophysiology and prognosis. Approximately two-thirds of patients with ANOCA have coronary microvascular disease (CMD). CMD can be secondary to architectural changes within the microcirculation or secondary to vasomotor dysfunction. An inability of the coronary vasculature to augment blood flow in response to heightened myocardial demand is defined as an impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR), which can be measured non-invasively, using imaging, or invasively during cardiac catheterisation. Impaired CFR is associated with myocardial ischaemia and adverse cardiovascular outcomes.The CMD workstream is part of the cardiovascular partnership between the British Heart Foundation and The National Institute for Health Research in the UK and comprises specialist cardiac centres with expertise in coronary physiology assessment. This document outlines the two main modalities (thermodilution and Doppler techniques) for estimation of coronary flow, vasomotor testing using acetylcholine, and outlines a standard operating procedure that could be considered for adoption by national networks. Accurate and timely disease characterisation of patients with ANOCA will enable clinicians to tailor therapy according to their patients coronary physiology. This has been shown to improve patients quality of life and may lead to improved cardiovascular outcomes in the long term.

PMID:35318254 | DOI:10.1136/heartjnl-2021-320718

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Invasive coronary physiology in patients with angina and non-obstructive coronary artery disease: a consensus document from the coronary microvascular...

Physiology

How the gut communicates with the brain – EurekAlert

How the gut communicates with the brain

How the second brain the enteric nervous system in our gut communicates with our first brain has been one of the most challenging questions faced by enteric neuroscientists, until now.

New research from Flinders University has discovered how specialised cells within the gut can communicate with both the brain and spinal cord, which up until now had remained a major mystery.

The gut-brain axis consists of bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut, which links emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions, says study author Professor Nick Spencer from the College of Medicine and Public Health.

Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these pathways but we had yet to uncover how the communication was working.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, reveals a breakthrough discovery regarding how enterochromaffin cells communicate with sensory nerve endings.

Within the gut wall lie specialised cells called enterochromaffin (EC) cells that produce and release hormones and neurotransmitters in response to particular stimuli that are ingested when we eat, says Professor Spencer.

These EC cells release the vast majority of serotonin into the body, so our study has uncovered a major clue into how the food we eat stimulates the release of serotonin, which then acts on the nerves to communicate with the brain.

There is a direct connection between serotonin levels in our body and depression and how we feel. So, understanding how the gut EC cells communicate with the brain is of major importance.

The team made the discovery using a neuronal tracing technique developed in their lab, not used anywhere else in the world, allowing them to see the sensory nerve endings with clarity, for the first time, in the gut wall.

This has not been possible, until now, because there were so many other types of nerves also present in the gut its like finding a needle in a haystack, says Professor Spencer.

The technique allowed the researchers to see that EC cells likely release substances by a process of diffusion, which then acts on the sensory nerves that communicate with the brain.

No direct physical connection between the EC cells and sensory nerve endings were found, contrary to some suggestions.

The gut is the only organ with its own nervous system, known as the Enteric Nervous System or the second brain. We now have a better understanding of how the second brain communicates with the first brain, says Professor Spencer.

The article The gut-brain axis: spatial relationship between spinal afferent nerves and 5-HT-containing enterochromaffin cells in mucosa of mouse colon by Kelsi N. Dodds, Lee Travis, Melinda A. Kyloh, Lauren A. Jones, Damien J. Keating, and Nick J. Spencer is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00019.2022.

The study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.

Observational study

Animals

The gut-brain axis: spatial relationship between spinal afferent nerves and 5-HT-containing enterochromaffin cells in mucosa of mouse colon

16-Mar-2022

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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How the gut communicates with the brain - EurekAlert

Physiology

Fruit Flies Create Buzz in Exercise Research – News and Events – Kalamazoo College

While many student-athletes at Kalamazoo College are interested in health and wellness, there might only be one who has applied that interest not only to sports, classes, externships and travel, but also to fruit flies.

Marco Savone 22 is a chemistry major and Spanish minor on the pre-med track who played football at K for four years. His first year at K, he completed an externship refining nutrition plans for a local health company. COVID-19 scrapped his study abroad plans, but he was able to make a medical volunteering trip to Costa Rica.

In summer 2021, Savone completed his Senior Integrated Project (SIP) by participating in a three-month research study at Wayne State Medical School with exercising fruit flies.

It sounds bizarre at first, Savone said. Theyre one of the very few labs in the country that does this. They want to apply the fruit fly model to human models because fruit flies have about 60 percent of their genome similar to humans and share many genes that are related to those in the human exercise response. Their goal is to be able to apply what they find with fruit flies to mice and rodents, and eventually human studies with exercise physiology.

Fruit flies also make good test subjects because they are cheap and have short lifespans. Within 60 days, researchers can see the effects of exercise over a full lifespan.

Humans live a long time so its hard to look at a human model in regards to how exercise affects the health span, Savone said. Ideally you would need a longitudinal study.

Savone took part in a study exploring the relationship between exercise and two gene-encoded proteins, myostatin and follistatin, that are involved in muscle mass development. Through a process called RNAi, or gene silencing, one group of fruit flies had myostatin basically eliminated in their systems, while a second group underwent the same process with follistatin.

Within each group, Savone exercised one sub-group and did not exercise another.

We had lots of vials and they were all labeled with stickers, Savone said. We had this machine that would move the vials up and then they would drop down, and when the flies would feel the impact, they would fall to the bottom of their vial and then they would start climbing up to the top. This process would be repeated to act like a treadmill for the flies.

The team would measure the speed and endurance of the fruit flies over time.

One overarching thing that I did find was that we did see exercise responses with the two groups of flies, Savone said. We tested them for how long they would basically run, how fast they would fatigue. Then we also looked at their climbing speed to see how fast they would climb up their vial and we did see that exercise improved climbing speed and endurance.

While Savone experienced some success, he also learned from setbacks in the research. The RT-PCR test to verify how much of each gene was expressed in the fruit flies did not work, and Savone had to pivot to another type of testing.

I was really bummed that it didnt work out, he said. But I was told by my mentor that its a hard thing to get used to and you need a lot of practice. I didnt feel as bad when he told me that.

Research is so unpredictable. You have to learn how to troubleshoot when something goes wrong, and there are so many outcomes that can happen. There may be one singular thing you want to find, but you may find different things you didnt even expect to see. That was really eye opening for me.

Savone sees immense benefit in gaining hands-on research experience outside of K to bring back and apply to classwork. He also benefitted from mentorship and collaboration with the lab staff, mainly Ph.D. students, and from a presentation he gave at Wayne State that boosted his confidence when presenting his SIP at the chemistry symposium.

His experiences at Wayne State also came into play in January, when Savone started a short-term contracted position with Kalamazoo lab Genemarkers, LLC, which had pivoted during the pandemic from skincare-product testing to COVID-19 testing.

His job involved separating test tube vials and preparing them for RT-PCR testing, the same type of testing he had attempted on the fruit flies at Wayne State. Savone also helped chart data for the tests.

They were just starting to train me on other things, but unfortunately, since I was a contract employee, they had to let me go when the COVID numbers went down significantly, Savone said. It was interesting to see how that whole process works behind the scenes of the COVID testing and it was a rewarding experience.

After graduating this June, Savone plans to study for the MCAT in the summer and take at least two gap years to work in clinical research before attending medical school, perhaps back at Wayne State.

Looking back on the past four years, Savone sees how far hes come. He credits his growth to the academics at K, his hands-on experiences at Wayne State and Genemarkers, and the lessons in teamwork and time management he learned as a student-athlete.

My experiences wouldnt have been possible without going to K, Savone said. If I had to redo the whole thing again, I would do it the same.

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Fruit Flies Create Buzz in Exercise Research - News and Events - Kalamazoo College

Physiology

Opinion | Permanent Daylight Saving Time Is the Wrong Choice – Medpage Today

Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act. The legislation proposes making daylight saving time (DST) permanent in the U.S. One motivator is to stop the unpopular practice of switching back and forth from standard time (ST) to DST each year. The springtime switch from ST to DST is most annoying because we lose sleep to wake up an hour earlier. This "spring forward" is also associated with an increase in traffic accidents, cardiovascular events, and other health hazards.

Although there is strong support from the public and research communities for ending the biannual time changes, the question is, what's the best alternative: permanent ST or DST? Unfortunately, the Sunshine Protection Act mandates permanent DST. From the scientific and medical point of view, this is the worse alternative. The optimal choice is permanent standard time.

Why is permanent ST better for human health and wellbeing? We need a little background: Our 24-hour day is determined by the rotation of earth that leads to a day-night energetic cycle driven by the sun. Life on earth has evolved under this daily cycle for millennia, and virtually all living systems have internal 24-hour or "circadian" clocks that anticipate daily challenges such as food and shelter. Having our body clocks in tune with the sun clock aligns just about every aspect of our physiology and behavior. Humans synchronize to local time primarily by light. While ST was designed so the middle of each time zone has the sun directly overhead at noon, DST is a social and political construct that advances our social schedule by 1 hour without changing environmental light cycles. During permanent DST, increased exposure to evening light and decreased morning light exposure tells the circadian system to wake up later the next morning, misaligning our daily rhythms with local time and making it tougher to live without an alarm clock.

Even a 1-hour deviation creates a chronic internal desynchrony between our body clocks and the sun. Why would we go against the tuning of our body clock to the sun? Does it improve mental health? Does it decrease accidents? Does it save energy? Does it reduce crime? The answer to all of these is no.

Research over the last 25 years shows we have 24-hour biological rhythms that are generated by a set of genes that turn on and turn off once each day. Surprisingly, this research showed that this circadian clock is found in almost every cell in our bodies. This cellular circadian clock not only controls our daily behaviors, such as our sleep-wake and fasting-eating cycles, but also our metabolism, immune function, and cognitive ability. The circadian clocks in our bodies are normally aligned and kept in sync by the environmental day-night cycle. Until the advent of DST in 1916, the sun was the primary synchronizer of our circadian clocks. The normal alignment of our circadian clocks by the sun is in register with Standard Time. DST causes a 1-hour misalignment of our clocks with the natural day-night cycle. Permanent DST would lead to a permanent misalignment of our clocks with the solar day.

While a 1-hour misalignment may sound trivial, consider that there would be 75 to 100 more dark morning commutes during permanent DST compared to permanent ST. Many lines of evidence show significant consequences of circadian misalignment. Laboratory and field experiments in humans and rodents have shown that circadian misalignment can lead to cognitive impairment, mood dysregulation, a reduction in glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity, and changes in satiety hormones such as leptin that can lead to increased food consumption and weight gain.

Most concerning regarding permanent DST is epidemiological evidence showing a significant increase in the rates of cancers on the western border of each U.S. time zone compared to the eastern border. There is an overall 3 to 4% increase in cancer risk ratio for every 5 degrees west within a time zone, which is on average about 15 degrees in longitude. This was found in each of the four U.S. time zones. The border separating time zones is an arbitrary, politically drawn line, making it both surprising and notable that cancer rates can vary on either side of each time zone. This suggests the cause of this association with cancer is the greater circadian misalignment for those living on the western edge of their time zone.

Now the bad news: being on permanent DST is equivalent to being on the extreme western border of each time zone, suggesting this may increase cancer rates (as a consequence of permanent circadian misalignment). Studies also find increases in obesity and heart attacks on western edges of time zones. Congress must seriously consider these consequences of permanent DST.

Countering Permanent DST Proponents

Proponents of permanent DST argue that 1 hour more of light at the end of the day will enable people to have more time to enjoy sunshine after work. This is the "extend the day" argument. But extending the day by 1 hour of light in the evening can only occur at the expense of a loss of 1 hour of light in the morning. As a wise old quote goes, only a fool would believe you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it to the bottom and have a longer blanket. Some argue 1 hour of light in the evening is more valuable than 1 hour of dark in the morning -- they say businesses will have more customers, and there will be less crime and fewer traffic accidents at night. Thus, there is strong motivation and strong lobbies from retail and leisure businesses to adopt permanent DST. The evidence for improved public safety is, however, misrepresented and even contradicted by other studies.

Others, such as individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) -- which is triggered by the short days of winter -- argue permanent DST is better because extra light in the evening makes them feel better. However, there is not an "extra" hour of light; rather that hour of light is moved in our social schedules from the morning to the evening. Research on bright light therapy for SAD has shown morning light is more effective in alleviating the symptoms of SAD than evening light. In addition, researchers find that light in the morning (e.g., during the commute to school or work) is associated with improved health, safety, and economics. In contrast, dark mornings and light afternoons (resulting from switching clocks to DST) is associated with poorer outcomes.

We should also pay attention to history -- this wouldn't be the first time we tried switch to permanent DST. In the 1970s, the U.S. adopted permanent DST in response to the oil embargo in order to save energy. It was reversed within a year primarily because of concerns when children, sadly, were killed waiting in the dark for their school buses. The idea of saving energy stems from "war time," which was adopted during World War I and II with the thought of saving energy and increasing productivity. However, in each of the cases when permanent DST was adopted, there was a cry to go back to standard time.

It turns out that people don't like permanent DST in the winter time. Sunrise will occur 1 hour later, and the afternoons will still be dark because of the short days of winter in northern latitudes. So, there is not much extra evening light in the winter because sunset occurs near the end of the work day. Thus, we predict most people will not be happy with DST in the winter, and history will likely repeat itself and we will again abolish DST.

Another fallacy of DST is that farmers like it. This is not true. Farmers generally dislike the current switching between ST and DST because farm animals (and in reality all animals) are not paying attention to our social time zones, but rather are waking and sleeping with the sun. Thus, animals are not going to switch to permanent DST because they will remain on solar time, and farmers (if we adopt DST) will be permanently misaligned with the natural cycles of their animals.

Finally, many medical organizations have endorsed permanent ST. None, to our knowledge, advocate for permanent DST. Therefore, for scientific and medical reasons, Congress should abolish switching to DST and adopt permanent standard time.

Joseph S. Takahashi, PhD, is an Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and a member of the National Academy of Science and National Academy of Medicine, and recipient of the Gruber Neuroscience Prize. He is known for his discovery of the CLOCK gene in mice and humans, which led to the description of the circadian clock mechanism in mammals. Erik Herzog, PhD, is the Viktor Hamburger Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. His laboratory studies the molecules, cells, and circuits that underlie daily rhythms in physiology and behavior.

Disclosures

Takahashi is a co-founder and Science Advisory Board member of Synchronicity Pharma.

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Opinion | Permanent Daylight Saving Time Is the Wrong Choice - Medpage Today

Physiology

Steel vs. Iron: Who Wins When Superman and John Henry Irons Come to Blows? – Black Girl Nerds

Superman is one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time and the worlds best-known superhero. Ever since he appeared in 1938s Action Comics #1, the Man of Steel successfully fought crime and villainy, without any permanent injury thanks to his godlike abilities. However, that changed in 1966s Superman #188, when the superhero was killed for the first time in comics. We say the first time because he died, or was presumed dead, more than a dozen times throughout his comic book run.

His deaths usually served as a turning point in the comics, allowing creatives at DC to create parallel timelines, reboots, crossovers, etc. For example, one of his most iconic killed-in-action moments happened in 1992s The Death of Superman comic crossover story, in which the superhero perished at the hands of Doomsday. This was later adapted in 2016s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which set the stage for 2017s Justice League. But what Batman v. Superman failed to adapt from the comics was the birth of Steel.

Steel, also known as John Henry Irons, a genius weapons expert in hiding who was saved by Superman, actually tried to reach the Man in Blue as Doomsday smashed his way into Metropolis. But, unfortunately, he was trapped under a collapsing building and couldnt reach the Man of Steel before it was too late. A few weeks later, in light of Supermans death, Irons forged a high-tech suit of armor, flight boots and completed its look with an S-emblem and a cape. Later, when Superman resurrected, he accepted Steel as an ally.

But were here to ask: What exactly would happen if these allies clashed against each other and exchanged blows? Would Irons technology win over Supermans brute force? Or would Superman dominate the fight, as weve seen in Superman & Lois Season 1 Episode 12 when the Man of Steel proved to be a bite that Steel couldnt easily swallow? To answer that question properly, wed have to dig a little further into comic book history and compare todays contestants.

We all know Kal-Els powers and abilities, as our yellow sun affected his Kryptonian physiology, granting him powers like heat vision, super-hearing, flight, invulnerability, superhuman strength, etc. Steels exoskeleton armor was specifically designed to emulate Supermans capabilities, including superhuman strength and superhuman durability. So, suppose he was ever to face Superman mano-a-mano. In that case, Steel could be potentially curtailed by the physical limitation of his armor since Superman has been shown to tear through steel and various other metals and alloys.

With that said, John Henry Irons sustained extensive skeletal and neural damage during 2105s Convergence event, which left him paralyzed. Wanting to prevent the worlds end, Irons convinced Professor Hamilton to gene-splice him with his armor, after which he was forever transformed into a new and quite literal Man of Steel. His entire physiology was surgically modified with alien techno-organics, which repaired his damaged tissue and fused the armors technical capabilities with Irons living flesh, significantly improving his capabilities.

Being transformed into a literal living weapon also gave Irons energy-absorption, which allows him to manipulate various forms of energy, and force field projections. The former would effectively render Supermans physical attacks and heat vision useless, as such attacks would only allow Steel to accumulate Supermans energy and use it against him. On the other hand, the latter might provide ample protection from the Kryptonian, but one must use all assets in a fight and manipulate their opponents weaknesses.

And thats where Steel surpasses Superman since he doesnt suffer from the same weakness inherent to all Kryptonians vulnerability to Kryptonite. Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite and magic, and while its certain that Steel wont cast any spells, hes likely to exploit his opponents weaknesses in a fight. The superhero posing as Clark Kent has been previously harmed and even fatally injured by blades and projectile weapons made of Kryptonite. This is something Irons, a weapon specialist, might use to his advantage over the Kryptonian.

Unfortunately, theres no clear-cut or DC Cannon winner in this fight. Supermans physical prowess might be unquantifiable compared to Steels, but Irons is now empowered by alien nano techno-organics, which could potentially put him on par with the Kryptonian. Steel isnt vulnerable to Kryptonite, which has effects that weaken and impair Kryptonians, and prolonged exposure to its effects could very well induce death. And were not discussing the death-like state known as the Kryptonian coma.

However, if trapped between a Thanagarian War Mace and the Lasso of Truth, if we had to choose the winner, our vote would go to Kal-El. Bruce Waynes Batman once said Supermans biggest weakness wasnt Kryptonite but the fact that hes a good person. So hed might hold back, which could cost him the fight. But if he ever got into a all-out fight mode and was completely uninhibited, Steel would be lucky to find himself not dropped right in the middle of the sun.

Unlike Superman, Steel never got an adequate cinematic release or even an appearance or cameo in one of the Justice League movies. His only cinematic appearance happened in a feature film from 1997, named Steel a box office flop that was loosely an adaptation of the comic book character. The film didnt even mention Superman, one of Irons greatest influences. Well, we hope to see him in some of the future DC releases, especially now that Superman has resurrected and the world anticipates another Justice League/Superman film.

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Steel vs. Iron: Who Wins When Superman and John Henry Irons Come to Blows? - Black Girl Nerds

Physiology

Best of Weekender: From art exhibits exploring the effects of pandemic isolation to tweaking diet this summer – YourStory

With the COVID-19 pandemic now becoming endemic to our living, artists and art enthusiasts can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. After all, the emotions evoked while viewing a work of art in person can never be replicated digitally.

Artwork of K Ramanujan at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

Kiran Nadar, a well-known art collector and patron of the Indian art community, is the most excited about opening theKiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA)in Delhi to the public after two long years.

The museum has reopened with two new exhibitions at its DLF South Court Mall in the Saket location. These are K Ramanujam: Into The Moonlight Parade and Atul Dodiya: Walking With The Waves. The preview took place onMarch 22, 2022, and the exhibitions are open to the public from March 23.

Whats in a number?Going by ancient wisdom everything. The science of astro-numerology dates back centuries. It traverses manmade borders, with versions of the science found across nations and practices.

In India, particularly, it is taken very seriously by a large section of the population, who feel compelled to consult intricately drawn birth charts and other details, before making major life decisions. However, does this age-old practice appeal to the millennials and Gen-Z?

Gurugram-based sixth-generation astro-numerologist,Sidhharrth S Kumaar,believes it can when packaged correctly. He does exactly that through his platformNumroVani. The platform merges the knowledge of occult sciences and psychology to advise corporate professionals and individuals on a variety of aspects for optimal growth.

Changing seasons are always sensitive times for health. As the body adjusts to changes in temperature, physiology, and functions, these are usually the times when most people fall ill. This need not be a given at all. Bytweaking diet, lifestyle, and daily habits,we can easily support our body in sailing through these changes.

The main reason that we must adjust our habits is so that we accept how seasons impact our bodys physiology and therefore support this to avoid negative impact.

Until the pandemic uncertainties recede, many music festivals will carry on with virtual showcases. A collective of world music festival organisers has again rallied together to host the third edition ofCulturas 360,an annual global online music project.

The virtual showcase, free to view for all attendees, will be streamed live on March 26-27 this weekend. The Festival Collective now consists of festival organisers from Canada, the US, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and India.

Sonya Mazumdar, CEO of EarthSync, shares insights on this unique online music festival, and opportunities for aspiring musicians and entrepreneurs.

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Best of Weekender: From art exhibits exploring the effects of pandemic isolation to tweaking diet this summer - YourStory

Physiology

Biophysicist Amy Rowat honored by the National Science Foundation – UCLA Newsroom

Biophysicist Amy Rowat, an associate professor and vice chair of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College,has received a National Science Foundation BRITE Fellow award thatwill provide$995,000 of research funding over five years.

This is the first time the foundation has given out these awards, which allow researchers to explorebold and ambitiousideas.

Rowats BRITEFellowawardwill advance knowledge of cells as materials, including fundamental studies to identify new molecules that regulate how cells sense and respond to physical and mechanical cues. The award will also support Rowats workto translateknowledge of cells as materials to developcutting-edge scientific methods to meet the food needs of the worlds growing population, without slaughtering animals.

One of the goals of the project is to grow animal protein in a laboratory for food. Rowat, the Marcie H. Rothman Professor of Food Studies,will conduct research on cultured meat grown from cells from an animals muscles also known as slaughter-free and clean meat.

Rowat is a member of UCLAsbioengineering department, California NanoSystems Institute, Center for Biological Physics, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center,Broad Stem Cell Research Center and co-lead of the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center Eatwell group.She also leadsactivities attheUCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, including expanding her popular science and food course and public events,and developing the chef-in-residence program.

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Biophysicist Amy Rowat honored by the National Science Foundation - UCLA Newsroom

Physiology

How can Insects be Used to Study Physiology? – News-Medical.net

Insects outnumber humans, and indeed almost all animals, in the number of organisms belonging to this class. Scientists say they make up over 950,000 insect species, with about 25,000 being bees, 12,000 species of ants, and over 350,000 beetle species. When the number of individuals in each species is counted up, they far exceed the number and total mass of all other creatures.

Most insects are known for their nuisance value or danger, though some are accepted to be valuable, such as honeybees.

Image Credit:pitaksin/Shutterstock.com

Insects and humans are quite different in their morphology and anatomy but do have bodily processes that are very similar. This is partially explained by the fact that human and insect genes are often very similar in sequence and function they are conserved, in other words.

Moreover, insects and humans have the most enzymes in common. The mechanism of operation of muscle and nerve cells in both classes of the organism also has a high degree of similarity.

The pattern of organization, by organ systems dedicated to one or a few functions, is also very similar in humans and insects, both of which need digestive, reproductive, muscular, and excretory systems. Both require food and oxygen, and both must eliminate wastes efficiently.

Skeletal muscle cells in insects and humans are identical in structure and function. Neurons in both classes are found to transmit electrical impulses, which spread from synapse to synapse via chemical signaling mediated by neurotransmitters. Insects also have strong sexual impulses, show typical attracting behavior to secure mates for themselves, and fight for territory.

Social insects are particularly fascinating as they specialize in their jobs, have armies to wage war and work in teams to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks.

The use of insects allows a quick estimate to be formed about the effects of different types of food, changes in ambient temperature, and other environmental conditions.

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent candidate for the study of gene modifications, making it the archetypal genetic model organism. Others include the bee Apis mellifera, the silkworm Bombyx mori, the cockroach Periplaneta americana, and the locust Locusta migratoria.

These features of insects also allow them to be used as model organisms in uncovering the pathogenesis of human diseases and to examine drug toxicity.

The neuroendocrine system shows a basic similarity of structure, function, and development, as do insects and human hormones and neuropeptides. In humans, specialized neurosecretory cells (NSCs) are found in this system, comprising hormone-producing neurons.

These not only supply nerve centers in the brain to modulate neural circuits, but also project to the posterior pituitary gland that stores hormones produced in these cells, releasing them in response to specific feedback signals. Stimulatory hormones are also produced by some NSCs and are transported to the anterior pituitary gland to trigger the release of a specific pituitary hormone.

Insects lack a hypothalamic homolog but do have groups of NSCs in various regions. Some of these groups project to peripheral targets that resemble the human pituitary in having an anterior lobe to store neurohormones secreted by the NSCs, and a lateral lobe that has its own NSCs. Understanding these systems could help how neuroendocrine regulation works in larger animals, as well as the mechanism of disease in various disorders.

Insect neuropeptides that have the same structure, function, or sometimes origin are important in studies of animal feeding and energy regulation, for instance. These include homologs of vertebrate metabolic hormones like leptin, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin (CCK), or other neuropeptides such as neuropeptide Y or the orexins.

With cardiovascular disease being among the top killers in almost all regions of the world that have shown some industrial development, the underlying mechanism of disease is an important area of research. Beetles and other insects are key to such studies since they provide a convenient model for the heart and myocardium.

The peptide hormones, neuropeptides, and classical neurotransmitters are also often conserved, in part or the whole, between invertebrates and vertebrates. These could form candidates for drug discovery.

Insects have innate immune systems with both cellular and humoral components. Pathogen recognition is fundamental to the activation of humoral immunity which in turn stimulates hemocyte activity.

These immune mechanisms are similar to those in vertebrates, and the components have vertebrate counterparts, from peripheral receptors to transcription factors, including immune regulators. Thus, insects are good models for studying the vertebrate immune response at the molecular level, and the results of its manipulation at the genetic level.

Aging is a biological process in which changes occur in the tissues and cells, observable at the molecular level, to affect the lifespan of an organism. Genetic and phenotypic similarities exist between aging in insects and larger animals, including vertebrates. However, disease states and lifestyle factors also play a role, which makes the relationship between them more complex.

For this reason, insects offer a useful model of aging mechanisms, with their conserved genes and simple structure, which helps discover changes in tissues and molecules with aging. Such research helped reveal that the resting heart rate in many insects goes down with age, as well as the cardiac response to stimulation and stress.

Heart rhythm abnormalities are also more common in older insects. Thus, insect heart preparations may serve as a good model for aging studies and drug development in this field.

Image Credit:Bodor Tivadar/Shutterstock.com

The small scale of insects has led to the adoption of advanced microscopy and X-ray imaging, along with micro-assays for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of insect chemicals and functions. Understanding how insect chemicals work in neural signaling and other processes can help understand how the same or similar signaling molecules operate in humans and animals.

The small size and short lifespan of insects reduce the cost of rearing them in the laboratory so that rapid studies can be carried out for later extrapolation to larger vertebrates. In fact, such neurobiological research in insects could be potentially useful in the treatment of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease in humans.

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How can Insects be Used to Study Physiology? - News-Medical.net

Physiology

Applied Physiology Lab Seeking Participants for Birth Control Survey | Newsroom – UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

Data from the 15-minute survey will be completely confidential and de-identified during analysis.

The UNC-Chapel Hill Applied Physiology Lab is seeking female participants who are 18-years-old or older to share their experiences with birth control methods in a 15-minute survey.

The survey is available online and it aims to characterize the prevalence of and attitudes toward female contraception in adult females. A secondary aim is to understand the factors impacting contraception satisfaction and usage history. All survey data will be completely confidential and will be de-identified during analysis.

For more information on the study, please contact aplresearch@unc.edu.

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Physiology

Envisage life: Convergence between anatomy and 3D simulation – BSI bureau

Modern technology allows for the development of digital bodies with 3D models of human bodies that can replicate living anatomy and physiological functions. Sudip Bagchi, President - CLSS & Imaging, Trivitron Healthcare explains

As one of the most complicated science concepts, physiology can be challenging to understand without integrating appropriate instructional materials. Modern technology resources offer invaluable benefits to teachers and learners in the digital age while bridging any learning gap to boost academic outcomes.

Trivitron Healthcare in collaboration with Anatomage distributes Virtual Anatomy Dissection Table in India to bridge the gap between traditional learning and advanced learning. Unlike traditional cadaver-based learning, students dont have to worry about mistakes when dissecting 3D cadavers. In a 3-dimensional space, motions on the anatomical planes can be simulated for 360-degree viewing, enabling viewers to examine different movements a body makes. Anatomical terms such as flexion, extension, abduction, adduction can be hard to comprehend.

Modern technology allows for the development of digital bodies with 3D models of human bodies that can replicate living anatomy and physiological functions. Advanced technology such as 3D simulation also encourages learning activities involving experimenting with physiological responses to a stimulus or given scenarios. These technologies all aim to provide a scientific perspective into life; from when its formed, functions and falls into illness.

With the growth of these virtual technologies, anatomy and physiology students are enabled to digitally access a wide variety of learning materials anywhere and anytime. Aside from digital textbooks, online cadavers are made available for their usage. Students no longer need to depend on the labs availability to examine gross anatomy models or walk to the campus library to borrow reference books. This level of convenience is helping A&P students to reclaim their most valuable resource time.

To accelerate the applications of digital bodies in medical education and diagnostics, Anatomage develops a portfolio of digital bodies Anatomage Bodies that can be simulated to produce living anatomy and physiological reactions. Modelled after real human bodies, anatomage bodies transform Anatomy and Physiology concepts to reality by helping users visualise life better.

Pregnancy

Visualise and interact with the fetus scan to appreciate the anatomical structure of a fetus

Examine the anatomical changes that a female body undergoes to develop a suitable fetal environment for the baby

Cardiac motion

Digitally adjust heart rate to visualise various heart rhythms with an ECG

Visualise a living hearts electrical activities inside a digital body

Nervous pathway

Visualise the connection between nerve pathways and dermatomes

Use nerve pathways to pinpoint and identify pain locations

Physiological responses

Simulate 11 physiological pathways to visualize how a substance travels from one organ to another

Access essential physiological pathways including air pathways, blood flow, GI tract

Anatomical movements

Involve in hands-on kinesiology simulation activities to understand how a living body physiologically produce motions

Utilise a variety of simulation tools to manipulate skeletal, muscular, nervous, and cardiovascular tissue and activate anatomical movements on a digital body

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Envisage life: Convergence between anatomy and 3D simulation - BSI bureau