Phenotypic Diversity and Productivity of Medicago sativa Subspecies from Drought-Prone Environments in Mediterranean Type Climates.

The phenotypic diversity and productivity of a diverse alfalfa (M. sativa subspp.) panel of cultivars, landraces and wild relatives with putative drought tolerance were evaluated in two Mediterranean environments (central Chile and Southern Australia). In Chile, 70 accessions were evaluated in rainfed conditions and in Australia 30 accessions under rainfed and irrigated conditions, during three growing seasons. Large phenotypic variation was observed among and within subspecies for NDVI, stem length, intercepted PAR and forage yield. Principal component analysis indicated that the first two principal components (PC) accounted for 84.2% of total variance; fall dormancy, taxa, and breeding status were closely related to the agronomical performance of alfalfa accessions. Forage yield varied largely among accessions across years and locations. A linear relationship was found between annual forage yield and annual water added to the experiments (R2 = 0.60, p < 0.001). The GxE analysis for forage yield allowed the detection of the highest yielding accessions for each of the two mega-environments identified. The accessions CTA002 and CTA003 showed greater forage yield in both Chile and Australia environments. It is concluded that new breeding lines derived from crosses between cultivated alfalfa (M. sativa subsp. sativa) and wild relatives belonging to the primary (M. sativa subsp. falcata) and tertiary (M. arborea) gene pool, achieve outstanding agronomical performance in drought-prone environments.

Ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity combine to enhance the invasiveness of the most widespread daisy in Chile, Leontodon saxatilis.

Dispersal and reproductive traits of successful plant invaders are expected to undergo strong selection during biological invasions. Numerous Asteraceae are invasive and display dimorphic fruits within a single flower head, resulting in differential dispersal pathways - wind-dispersed fruits vs. non-dispersing fruits. We explored ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity of seed output and fruit dimorphisms in exotic Chilean and native Spanish populations of Leontodon saxatilis subsp. rothii. We collected flower heads from populations in Spain and Chile along a rainfall gradient. Seeds from all populations were planted in reciprocal transplant trials in Spain and Chile to explore their performance in the native and invasive range. We scored plant biomass, reproductive investment and fruit dimorphism. We observed strong plasticity, where plants grown in the invasive range had much greater biomass, flower head size and seed output, with a higher proportion of wind-dispersed fruits, than those grown in the native range. We also observed a significant ecotype effect, where the exotic populations displayed higher proportions of wind-dispersed fruits than native populations. Together, these patterns reflect a combination of phenotypic plasticity and ecotypic differentiation, indicating that Leontodon saxatilis has probably increased propagule pressure and dispersal distances in its invasive range to enhance its invasiveness.

A eficácia da terlipressina versus adrenalina na ressuscitação cardiopulmonar em suínos / The efficacy of terlipressin versus adrenaline in swine cardiopulmonary resuscitation / La eficacia de la terlipresina versus adrenalina en la resucitación cardiopulmonar en cerdos

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia da terlipressina (TP) versus adrenalina (ADR) em aumentar a pressão de perfusão coronariana (PPC) e o retorno da circulação espontânea (RCE) na RCP em suínos. MÉTODOS: Sob anestesia cetamina/tiopental, induziu-se fibrilação ventricular em 44 porcos fêmeas imaturos, permanecendo não assistida por 10 min, seguidos de 2 min de RCP-manual (100 compressões/10 ventilações/min com ar). Os animais foram então alocados em quatro grupos, recebendo: 1) ADR (45 µg.kg-1); 2) salina-placebo (10 mL); 3) TP (20 µg.kg-1); 4) TP (20 µg.kg-1) + ADR (45 µg.kg-1). Desfibrilação foi realizada 2 min após, observando-se os animais sobreviventes por um período de 30 min. ECG, PA sistêmica, PAD e PetCO2 foram monitorados continuamente. RESULTADOS: A TP não diferiu do placebo quanto aos efeitos na PPC, com baixas taxas de RCE em ambos os grupos (1/11 vs.2/11; p = NS). A ADR aumentou a PPC de 13 ± 12 para 54 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0,0001), efeito similar a TP + ADR (de 21 ± 10 para 45 ± 13 mmHg; p < 0,0001), com altas taxas de RCE/sobreviventes em ambos os grupos (10/11 vs.9/11, respectivamente). Entre os sobreviventes, maior PAM foi observada no grupo TP + ADR vs.ADR (105 ± 19 mmHg vs.76 ± 21 mmHg; p = 0,0157). CONCLUSÕES: ADR e TP + ADR foram efetivas para aumentar a PPC/RCE neste modelo experimental, mas a TP, isolada, não foi diferente do placebo. Contudo, nos animais sobreviventes do grupo TP + ADR observou-se maior estabilidade hemodinâmica após a RCE, sugerindo que a TP possa ser uma medicação útil no manuseio da hipotensão pós-RCP.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of terlipressin (TP) vs.adrenaline (ADR) in increasing coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in swine CPR. METHODS: Under anesthesia with ketamine/thiopental, ventricular fibrillation was induced in 44 female immature pigs, remaining unassisted for 10 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of manual CPR (100 compression/10 ventilations/min with air). Animals were, then, divided into four groups: 1) ADR (45 µg.kg-1); 2) saline-placebo (10 mL); 3) TP 20 µg.kg-1); and TP (20 µg.kg-1) + ADR (45 µg.kg-1). Defibrillation was performed after 2 minutes, observing surviving animals for a 30-minute period. Electrocardiogram, systemic BP, DBP, and PetCO2 were monitored continuously. RESULTS: Terlipressin did not differ from placebo regarding the effects on CPP, with low rates of ROSC in both groups (1/11 vs.2/11; p = NS). Adrenaline increased CPP from 13 ± 12 to 54 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0.0001), similar effect to TP + ADR (from 21 ± 10 to 45 ± 13 mmHg; p < 0.0001), with high rates of ROSC/survivors in both groups (10/11 vs.9/11, respectively). Among survivors, greater MAP was observed in the TP + ADR group vs.ADR (105 ± 19 mmHg vs.76 ± 21 mmHg; p = 0.0157) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenaline and TP + ADR were effective on maintaining CPP/ROSC in this experimental model, but isolated TP did not differ from placebo. However, in surviving animals in the TP + ADR group, greater hemodynamic stability was observed after ROSC, suggesting that TP can be a useful medication in the management of post-CPR hypotension.

JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la eficacia de la terlipresina (TP) versus adrenalina (ADR) en aumentar la presión de perfusión coronaria (PPC) y el retorno de la circulación espontánea (RCE) en la RCP en cerdos. MÉTODOS: Bajo la anestesia ketamina/tiopental, se indujo la fibrilación ventricular en 44 cerdos hembras no adultos, permaneciendo no asistida por 10 min, seguidos de 2 min de RCP-manual (100 compresiones/10 ventilaciones/min con aire). Los animales se ubicaron entonces en cuatro grupos, recibiendo: 1) ADR (45 µg.kg-1); 2) salina-placebo (10 mL); 3) TP (20 µg.kg-1); 4) TP (20 µg.kg-1) + ADR (45 µg.kg-1). La desfibrilación fue realizada 2 min después, haciendo el seguimiento de los animales sobrevivientes por un período de 30 min. ECG, PA sistémica, PAD y PetCO2 fueron monitorizados continuamente. RESULTADOS: La TP no fue diferente del placebo en cuanto a los efectos en la PPC, con bajas tasas de RCE en ambos grupos (1/11 vs.2/11; p = NS). La ADR aumentó la PPC de 13 ± 12 para 54 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0,0001), efecto similar a TP + ADR (de 21 ± 10 para 45 ± 13 mmHg; p < 0,0001), con altas tasas de RCE/supervivientes en ambos grupos (10/11 vs.9/11, respectivamente). Entre los supervivientes, se observó una mayor PAM en el grupo TP + ADR vs.ADR (105 ± 19 mmHg vs.76 ± 21 mmHg; p = 0,0157). CONCLUSIONES: La ADR y TP + ADR fueron efectivas para aumentar la PPC/RCE en este modelo experimental, pero la TP aislada, no fue diferente del placebo. Sin embargo, en los animales supervivientes del grupo TP + ADR, vimos una mayor estabilidad hemodinámica después de la RCE, lo que nos indica que la TP puede ser una medicación útil en el manejo de la hipotensión post-RCP.

The efficacy of terlipressin versus adrenaline in swine cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of terlipressin (TP) vs. adrenaline (ADR) in increasing coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in swine CPR. METHODS: Under anesthesia with ketamine/thiopental, ventricular fibrillation was induced in 44 female immature pigs, remaining unassisted for 10 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of manual CPR (100 compression/10 ventilations/min with air). Animals were, then, divided into four groups: 1) ADR (45µg.kg(-1)); 2) saline-placebo (10mL); 3) TP 20µg.kg(-1)); and TP (20µg.kg(-1)) + ADR (45µg.kg(-1)). Defibrillation was performed after 2 minutes, observing surviving animals for a 30-minute period. Electrocardiogram, systemic BP, DBP, and PetCO(2) were monitored continuously. RESULTS: Terlipressin did not differ from placebo regarding the effects on CPP, with low rates of ROSC in both groups (1/11 vs. 2/11; p=NS). Adrenaline increased CPP from 13±12 to 54±15mmHg (p<0.0001), similar effect to TP + ADR (from 21±10 to 45±13mmHg; p<0.0001), with high rates of ROSC/survivors in both groups (10/11 vs. 9/11, respectively). Among survivors, greater MAP was observed in the TP + ADR group vs. ADR (105±19mmHg vs. 76±21mmHg; p=0.0157) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenaline and TP + ADR were effective on maintaining CPP/ROSC in this experimental model, but isolated TP did not differ from placebo. However, in surviving animals in the TP + ADR group, greater hemodynamic stability was observed after ROSC, suggesting that TP can be a useful medication in the management of post-CPR hypotension.