Cells of FL strain and primary human amnion cultures have been exposed to high hydrostatic pressure, and their ultrastructure has been observed following pressure release. Pressure treatment reveals a high degree of intercellular adhesiveness in primary amnion characterized by the formation of intercellular "bridges." Electron micrographs of these cells reveal well defined desmosomes associated...

In the early phase of their disease process, patients with acute lung injury are often ventilated with strategies that control the tidal volume or airway pressure, while modes employing spontaneous breathing are applied later to wean the patient from the ventilator. Spontaneous breathing modes may integrate intrinsic feedback mechanisms that should help prevent ventilator-induced lung injury, a...

Synaptic release of transmitter from central noradrenergic (NA) and serotonergic (5HT) neurons was studied in intact and pontine decerebrate unanesthetized rabbits, following intracisternal injections of the selective neurotoxic drugs 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT). The NA and 5HT neurons both raise blood pressure through a suprapontine pathway, with 5HT neuron...

During physiological activities, osteoblasts experience a variety of mechanical forces that stimulate anabolic responses at the cellular level necessary for the formation of new bone. Previous studies have primarily investigated the osteoblastic response to individual forms of mechanical stimuli. However in this study, we evaluated the response of osteoblasts to two simultaneous, but independen...