The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study: protocol and implementation.

Long-term bed-rest is used to simulate the effect of spaceflight on the human body and test different kinds of countermeasures. The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) tested the efficacy of whole-body vibration in addition to high-load resisitance exercise in preventing bone loss during bed-rest. Here we present the protocol of the study and discuss its implementation. Twenty-four male subjects underwent 60-days of six-degree head down tilt bed-rest and were randomised to an inactive control group (CTR), a high-load resistive exercise group (RE) or a high-load resistive exercise with whole-body vibration group (RVE). Subsequent to events in the course of the study (e.g. subject withdrawal), 9 subjects participated in the CTR-group, 7 in the RVE-group and 8 (7 beyond bed-rest day-30) in the RE-group. Fluid intake, urine output and axiallary temperature increased during bed-rest (p < .0001), though similarly in all groups (p > or = .17). Body weight changes differed between groups (p < .0001) with decreases in the CTR-group, marginal decreases in the RE-group and the RVE-group displaying significant decreases in body-weight beyond bed-rest day-51 only. In light of events and experiences of the current study, recommendations on various aspects of bed-rest methodology are also discussed.

Proton translocation in corn coleoptiles: ATPase or redox chain?

The O2 dependence of net H(+) efflux of maize coleoptiles has been investigated. Below 100 µM O2, H(+) efflux in young (1 cm long) coleoptiles is markedly decreased while old (7 cm long) coleoptiles show a decline only at 10 µM O2. Old coleoptiles show the same decrease in net H(+) efflux as young ones if treated with fusicoccin. The ratio of alteration of CO2 production to the change in net proton efflux is about 1:1 at 40-80 µM O2 but not at 10 µM O2. An influx can be observed at 10 µM O2 in young as well as in old coleoptiles if the H(+) concentration is held at values below pH 6.5. Lower O2 concentrations lead to an increase of net H(+) efflux, which might be caused by leaching of organic acids resulting from anaerobic processes, but CO2 production is not significantly changed at these values. It is proposed that more than one system is responsible for proton translocation across the plasmalemma. One of the systems has a high sensitivity to reduced O2 concentration which is within the same range as the high Km of the alternative path.

Growth of Avena coleoptiles and pH drop of protoplast suspensions induced by chlorinated indoleacetic acids.

Several indoleacetic acids, substituted in the benzene ring, were compared in the Avena straight growth bioassay. 4-Chloroindoleacetic acid, a naturally occurring plant hormone, is one of the strongest hormones in this bioassay. With an optimum at 10(-6) mol l(-1), it is more active than indoleacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid and naphthaleneacetic acid. 5-Chloro- and 6-chloroindoleacetic acids are very strong auxins as well. Other derivatives tested have a lower activity. 5,7-Dichloro- and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acids have very low auxin activity at 10(-4) mol l(-1) and may be anti-auxins. Some of the derivatives were compared for their effect on pH decline in stem protoplast suspensions of Helianthus annuus L. and Pisum sativum L. The change of pH occurs without a lag period or with only a very short one. Derivatives which are very active in the Avena straight growth assay cause a larger pH decline than indoleacetic acid, while inactive derivatives cause effectively no pH decline.