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| 2. |
- Arevström, Lilith, et al.
(author)
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Freeze-dried bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) dietary supplement improves walking distance and lipids after myocardial infarction: an open-label randomized clinical trial
- 2019
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In: Nutrition Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0271-5317 .- 1879-0739. ; 62, s. 13-22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vaccinium myrtillus, have a high content of phenolic compounds including anthocyanins, which could provide cardiometabolic health benefits following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We hypothesized that standard medical therapy supplemented with freeze-dried bilberry after AMI would have a more beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk markers and exercise capacity than medical therapy alone. Patients were allocated in a 1:1 ratio within 24 hours of percutaneous coronary intervention in an 8- week trial either to V myrtillus powder (40 g/d, equivalent to 480 g fresh bilberries) and standard medical therapy or to a control group receiving standard medical therapy alone. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and exercise capacity measured with the 6-minute walk test were the primary biochemical and clinical end points, respectively. Fifty subjects completed the study. No statistically significant difference in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was detected between groups. The mean 6-minute walk test distance increased significantly more in the bilberry group compared to the control group: mean difference 38 m at follow-up (95% confidence interval 14- 62, P =.003). Ex vivo oxidized low-density lipoprotein was significantly lowered in the bilberry group compared to control, geometric mean ratio 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.66-0.96, P =.017), whereas total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not differ significantly between groups. Anthocyanin-derived metabolites in blood increased significantly in the bilberry group during the intervention and were different after 8 weeks between the bilberry group and control. Findings in the present study suggest that bilberries may have clinically relevant beneficial effects following AMI; a larger, double-blind clinical trial is warranted to confirm this.
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| 4. |
- Arinell, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Downregulation of platelet activation markers during long-term immobilization
- 2013
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In: Platelets. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0953-7104 .- 1369-1635. ; 24:5, s. 369-374
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Immobilization and sedentary lifestyle are risk factors for venous thromboembolism and cardiovascular disease, yet little is known about platelet function during long-term physical inactivity. Our aim was to investigate platelet activation markers and their coupling to standardized immobilization: platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and P-selectin. We studied 15 healthy females participating in the Women International Space simulation for Exploration study. Following a 20-day ambulatory control period, the subjects underwent 60 days of bed rest in head-down tilt position (-6 degrees) 24 hours a day, finalized by 20 days of recovery. The subjects were randomized into two groups during bed rest: a control group (n = 8) that remained physically inactive and an exercise group (n = 7) that participated in both supine resistance and aerobic exercise training. Blood samples for the analysis of platelet activation markers were collected at baseline (5 days before bed rest), after 44 days of bed rest and 8 days into the recovery period. Compared to baseline, the levels of P-selectin and PDGF-BB decreased after bed rest (by 55%, p = 0.01 and 73%, p < 0.03, respectively) and remained decreased in the recovery period (by 76%, p < 0.001 and 78%, p < 0.02, respectively, compared to baseline). Platelet count (baseline value for the exercise group 260 000/mu l +/- 34 000 and baseline value for the control group 210 000/mu l +/- 30 000) did not change during the bed rest study (two-way repeated measurements ANOVA, p = ns). There were no statistical differences between the physically inactive and the exercise group. During long-term immobilization, a known risk factor for thrombosis, the levels of P-selectin and PDGF-BB decreased. Our findings indicate downregulation of platelet activation during immobilization.
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| 5. |
- Arinell, Karin, 1982-, et al.
(author)
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Effect of prolonged standardized bed rest on cystatin C and other markers of cardiovascular risk
- 2011
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In: BMC Physiology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1472-6793. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Sedentary lifestyle is associated with coronary artery disease but even shorter periods of physical inactivity may increase cardiovascular risk. Cystatin C is independently associated with cardiovascular disease and our objective was to investigate the relation between this novel biomarker and standardized bed rest. Research of immobilization physiology in humans is challenging because good biological models are in short supply. From the Women International Space simulation for Exploration study (WISE) we studied markers of atherosclerosis and kidney function, including cystatin C, in a standardized bed rest study on healthy volunteers. Fifteen healthy female volunteers participated in a 20-day ambulatory control period followed by 60 days of bed rest in head-down tilt position (-6°) 24 h a day, finalized by 20 days of recovery. The subjects were randomized into two groups during bed rest: a control group (n = 8) that remained physically inactive and an exercise group (n = 7) that participated in both supine resistance and aerobic exercise training.RESULTS: Compared to baseline values there was a statistically significant increase in cystatin C in both groups after bed rest (P < 0.001). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), calculated by both cystatin C and Cockcroft-Gault equation, decreased after bed rest while there were no differences in creatinine or creatine kinase levels. CRP did not change during bed rest in the exercise group, but there was an increase of CRP in the control group during recovery compared to both the baseline and the bed rest periods. The apo-B/apo-Ai ratio increased during bed rest and decreased again in the recovery period. Subjects experienced a small but statistically significant reduction in weight during bed rest and compared to baseline weights remained lower at day 8 of recovery.CONCLUSION: During and following prolonged standardized bed rest the concentrations of several clinically relevant cardiovascular risk markers change.
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| 6. |
- Arinell, Karin, 1982-, et al.
(author)
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Physical inactivity and platelet function in humans and brown bears : A comparative study
- 2018
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In: Platelets. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0953-7104 .- 1369-1635. ; 29:1, s. 87-90
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Physical inactivity increases the risk of thromboembolism. However, good standardized human models on inactivity are in short supply and experimental models are few.Our objective was to investigate how standardized bed rest affects platelet aggregation in humans and to investigate if aggregation is altered in a translational model system - the hibernating brown bear (Ursus arctos). We collected blood from (1) healthy male volunteers participating in a 21-day bed rest study in head-down tilt position (-6°) 24 h a day; (2) free-ranging brown bears captured during winter hibernation and again during active state in summer. We analyzed platelet function using multiple electrode platelet aggregometry. In total, 9 healthy male volunteers (age 31.0 ± 6.4 years) and 13 brown bears (7 females and 6 males, age 2.8 ± 0.6 years) were included. In hibernating bears adenosine diphosphate, arachidonic acid, thrombin receptor activating peptide, and collagen impedance aggregometry tests were all halved compared to summer active state. In human volunteers no statistically significant changes were found between baseline and the end of bed rest. In human male volunteers 3 weeks of bed rest did not affect platelet function. In hibernating brown bears platelet aggregation was halved compared to summer and we hypothesize that this is a protective measure to avoid formation of thrombi under periods of low blood flow.
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| 7. |
- Evans, Alina L., et al.
(author)
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Body mass is associated with hibernation length, body temperature, and heart rate in free-ranging brown bears
- 2023
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In: Frontiers in Zoology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1742-9994. ; 20:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Despite centuries of research, debate remains on the scaling of metabolic rate to mass especially for intraspecific cases. The high variation of body mass within brown bears presents a unique opportunity to study the intraspecific effects of body mass on physiological variables. The amplitude of metabolic rate reduction in hibernators is dependent on body mass of the species. Small hibernators have high metabolic rates when euthermic but experience a drastic decrease in body temperature during torpor, which is necessary to reach a very low metabolic rate. Conversely, large hibernators, such as the brown bear (Ursus arctos), show a moderate decrease in temperature during hibernation, thought to be related to the bear's large size. We studied body mass, abdominal body temperature, heart rate, and accelerometer-derived activity from 63 free-ranging brown bears (1-15 years old, 15-233 kg). We tested for relationships between body mass and body temperature, heart rate, and hibernation duration.RESULTS: The smallest individuals maintained lower body temperatures during hibernation, hibernated longer, and ended hibernation later than large bears. Unlike body temperature, winter heart rates were not associated with body mass. In summer, the opposite pattern was found, with smaller individuals having higher body temperature and daytime heart rates. Body mass was associated with body temperature in the winter hypometabolic state, even in a large hibernating mammal. Smaller bears, which are known to have higher thermal conductance, reached lower body temperatures during hibernation. During summer, smaller bears had higher body temperatures and daytime heart rates, a phenomenon not previously documented within a single mammalian species.CONCLUSION: We conclude that the smallest bears hibernated more deeply and longer than large bears, likely from a combined effect of basic thermodynamics, the higher need for energy savings, and a lower cost of warming up a smaller body.
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| 8. |
- Evans, Alina L., et al.
(author)
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Physiological reactions to capture in hibernating brown bears
- 2016
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In: Conservation Physiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 2051-1434. ; 4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human disturbance can affect animal life history and even population dynamics. However, the consequences of these disturbances are difficult to measure. This is especially true for hibernating animals, which are highly vulnerable to disturbance, because hibernation is a process of major physiological changes, involving conservation of energy during a resource-depleted time of year. During the winters of 2011-15, we captured 15 subadult brown bears (Ursus arctos) and recorded their body temperatures (n = 11) and heart rates (n = 10) before, during and after capture using biologgers. We estimated the time for body temperature and heart rate to normalize after the capture event. We then evaluated the effect of the captures on the pattern and depth of hibernation and the day of den emergence by comparing the body temperature of captured bears with that of undisturbed subadult bears (n = 11). Both body temperature and heart rate increased during capture and returned to hibernation levels after 15-20 days. We showed that bears required 2-3 weeks to return to hibernation levels after winter captures, suggesting high metabolic costs during this period. There were also indications that the winter captures resulted in delayed den emergence.
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| 9. |
- Recapet, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Differences in the oxidative balance of dispersing and non-dispersing individuals : an experimental approach in a passerine bird
- 2016
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In: BMC Evolutionary Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2148. ; 16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Dispersal is often associated with a suite of phenotypic traits that might reduce dispersal costs, but can be energetically costly themselves outside dispersal. Hence, dispersing and philopatric individuals might differ throughout their life cycle in their management of energy production. Because higher energy expenditure can lead to the production of highly reactive oxidative molecules that are deleterious to the organism if left uncontrolled, dispersing and philopatric individuals might differ in their management of oxidative balance. Here, we experimentally increased flight costs during reproduction via a wing load manipulation in female collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) breeding in a patchy population. We measured the effects of the manipulation on plasmatic markers of oxidative balance and reproductive success in dispersing and philopatric females. Results: The impact of the wing load manipulation on the oxidative balance differed according to dispersal status. The concentration of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), a marker of pro-oxidant status, was higher in philopatric than dispersing females in the manipulated group only. Differences between dispersing and philopatric individuals also depended on habitat quality, as measured by local breeding density. In low quality habitats, ROMs as well as nestling body mass were higher in philopatric females compared to dispersing ones. Independently of the manipulation or of habitat quality, plasma antioxidant capacity differed according to dispersal status: philopatric females showed higher antioxidant capacity than dispersing ones. Nestlings raised by philopatric females also had a higher fledging success. Conclusions: Our results suggest that dispersing individuals maintain a stable oxidative balance when facing challenging environmental conditions, at the cost of lower reproductive success. Conversely, philopatric individuals increase their effort, and thus oxidative costs, in challenging conditions thereby maintaining their reproductive success. Our study sheds light on energetics and oxidative balance as possible processes underlying phenotypic differences between dispersing and philopatric individuals.
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| 10. |
- Revsbech, Inge G., et al.
(author)
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Decrease in the red cell cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate increases hemoglobin oxygen affinity in the hibernating brown bear Ursus arctos
- 2013
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In: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 0363-6119 .- 1522-1490. ; 304:1, s. R43-R49
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Revsbech IG, Malte H, Frobert O, Evans A, Blanc S, Josefsson J, Fago A. Decrease in the red cell cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate increases hemoglobin oxygen affinity in the hibernating brown bear Ursus arctos. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 304: R43-R49, 2013. First published November 21, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00440.2012.-During winter hibernation, brown bears (Ursus arctos) reduce basal O-2 consumption rate to similar to 25% compared with the active state, while body temperature decreases moderately (to similar to 30 degrees C), suggesting a temperature-independent component in their metabolic depression. To establish whether changes in O-2 consumption during hibernation correlate with changes in blood O-2 affinity, we took blood samples from the same six individuals of hibernating and nonhibernating free-ranging brown bears during winter and summer, respectively. A single hemoglobin (Hb) component was detected in all samples, indicating no switch in Hb synthesis. O-2 binding curves measured on red blood cell lysates at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C showed a less temperature-sensitive O-2 affinity than in other vertebrates. Furthermore, hemolysates from hibernating bears consistently showed lower cooperativity and higher O-2 affinity than their summer counterparts, regardless of the temperature. We found that this increase in O-2 affinity was associated with a significant decrease in the red cell Hb-cofactor 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) during hibernation to approximately half of the summer value. Experiments performed on purified Hb, to which DPG had been added to match summer and winter levels, confirmed that the low DPG content was the cause of the left shift in the Hb-O-2 equilibrium curve during hibernation. Levels of plasma lactate indicated that glycolysis is not upregulated during hibernation and that metabolism is essentially aerobic. Calculations show that the increase in Hb-O-2 affinity and decrease in cooperativity resulting from decreased red cell DPG may be crucial in maintaining a fairly constant tissue oxygen tension during hibernation in vivo.
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