It was the purpose of this study to investigate how the endocrine and renal mechanisms of fluid volume control in humans (n = 4) adapt to microgravity by applying an intravenous isotonic saline infusion. The acute ground-based supine (Sup) and seated (Seat) positions were chosen as references. During microgravity, renal sodium excretion (UNaV) was doubled during the second and third hours after infusion compared with during Seat (P < 0.05) but blunted during the first hour after infusion compared with during Sup, leading to a reduction in cumulative UNaV (59 +/- 15 vs. 108 +/- 12 mmol/5 h; P < 0.05). Plasma norepinephrine (NE) attained the highest value 3 h after infusion during microgravity (31 +/- 5 x 10(-2) ng/ml vs. 19 +/- 1 and 13 +/- 3 x 10(-2) ng/ml for Seat and Sup, respectively; P < 0.05). Inflight levels of plasma renin and aldosterone were very similar to levels during Seat. In conclusion, 1) the microgravity-adapted renal responses to infusion reflected a condition in between that of ground-based Seat and Sup, respectively, and 2) the plasma levels of NE, renin, and aldosterone were elevated inflight and not related to the changes in UNaV and urinary flow rate. These observations are in contrast to results of ground-based simulation experiments and might partly have been caused by a prior inflight reduction in extracellular fluid volume. The high levels of NE during microgravity warrant further investigation.

Several hormonal systems participating in body fluid and electrolyte homeostasis were investigated in six healthy volunteers in a supine body position during a period of 9 days and nights. Under strictly controlled conditions, striking circadian rhythms were observed for plasma levels of vasopressin, renin, aldosterone, guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, cortisol, and epinephrine. Nocturnal decreases and diurnal increases in urine flow rate and urinary excretion of electrolytes were observed and closely paralleled the urinary excretion of urodilatin. During 48 h after an acute isotonic saline infusion (2 liters within 25 min) and after a 48-h control experiment the urinary excretion of H2O and electrolytes, and simultaneously the alterations in endocrine systems participating in body fluid homeostasis, were determined. Urine flow and urinary electrolyte excretion rates were significantly increased during 2 days after the saline infusion. The largest increase in urinary fluid and electrolyte excretion was observed between 3 and 22 h postinfusion. These long-term changes were paralleled by altered H2O and Na balances and also by elevated body weights that returned to baseline values with an approximate half-life of 7 h. These data suggest that vasopressin, atrial natriuretic peptide, and catecholamines are unlikely to be of major importance for the renal response to this hypervolemic stimulus. The renin-aldosterone system was suppressed during 2 days postinfusion. This suppression correlated with the effects of saline load on Na excretion. However, the closest relation with Na excretion was observed for the kidney-derived member of the atrial natriuretic peptide family, urodilatin, which was considerably increased during the long-term period up to 22 h postinfusion. Thus these data show that the human body in supine position requires approximately 2 days to regulate the amount of Na and H2O provided by an acute saline infusion. The data also suggest that urodilatin and the renin-aldosterone system might participate in the long-term renal response to an acute saline infusion and also in the mediation of circadian urinary excretion rhythms.

The RBC indexes HYPOm und CHr are significantly better screening measures for identification of iron depletion in blood donors than Hb.

The results of this study indicate that 20 mg of elemental iron per day can adequately compensate for iron loss in males and females who donate whole blood up to four (females) or six times per year (males).

A group of 20 healthy volunteers [10 women, 10 men; median age 25 (20-33) years] were examined by means of pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography, blood sample analysis and psychological testing before and after listening to three different examples of music: a waltz by J. Strauss, a modern classic by H. W. Henze, and meditative music by R. Shankar. To assess small haemodynamic changes, mitral flow, which reflects left ventricular diastolic behaviour, was measured by Doppler ultrasound. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure and plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, prolactin, adrenaline, noradrenaline, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) were determined simultaneously. Transmitral flow profile is characterized by early E-wave and late atrial induced A-wave. Velocity-time integrals were measured and the atrial filling fraction was calculated. The mental state was measured by using a psychological score (Zerssen) with low values (minimum 0) for enthusiastic and high values (maximum 56) for depressive patterns. Music by J. Strauss resulted in an increase of atrial filling fraction (AFF; 29% vs 26%; P < 0.05) and ANP (63 pg.ml-1 vs 60 pg.ml-1; P < 0.05). The mental state was improved (Zerssen: 6.5 vs 11 points; P < 0.05). After the music of H. W. Henze prolactin values were lowered (7.7 ng.ml-1 vs 9.1 ng.ml-1; P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

It was hypothesized that, in shift workers with a history of intermittent hypoxic stress (working 10 days at > 3,600 m, then resting for 4 days at sea level) for > 5 yr, the initial erythropoietin (EPO) response and the changes in central venous pressure (CVP) are different from those in Caucasian lowlanders. We studied the kitchen personnel (n = 11) of a mine (3,600 m) and a group of Caucasian lowlanders (n = 5). Blood samples were taken, and CVP was determined several times before, during, and after a typical shift. At baseline data collection (BDC) before transition, the shift workers had EPO concentrations of 5.2 +/- 2.4 mU/ml, which increased at altitude (P < 0.01) and returned to BDC values on the recovery (day 16). The Caucasians showed the same time course. Serum transferrin receptor concentrations did not change in either group. CVP values were generally higher in the shift workers than in the Caucasians. In conclusion, the hypothesis that the initial EPO response to a hypoxic stimulus is altered in these shift workers has to be refuted. Higher hemoglobin concentrations and/or CVP values in shift workers might be responsible for the rather low EPO concentrations in shift workers at BDC.

To see whether strenuous prolonged exertion increases blood platelet activation and thrombin activity in healthy well-trained men, 16 male amateur runners (mean age 31,8) were studied. A marathon race (mean time 2 h 44 min 30 s) caused a significant increase in plasma beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), platelet factor 4 (PF4), fibrinopetide A (FPA) and factor VIII (F VIII) activity. Sixty min after exertion beta-TG and F VIII activity were still significantly elevated. FPA continued to rise, reaching peak values 60 min after the run. 22 h after finishing the race F VIII activity was still significantly elevated. The study has demonstrated the great inter-individual variability of marathon race-induced haemostatic changes. The elevation of beta-TG varied from 42% to 156%, F VIII from 112% to 625%, and in three runners FPA reached more than 900% of its pre-exercise value. In some individuals the haemostatic changes observed could be potentially unfavourable for coronary heart disease prevention.

Humans’ core body temperature (CBT) is strictly controlled within a narrow range. Various studies dealt with the impact of physical activity, clothing, and environmental factors on CBT regulation under terrestrial conditions. However, the effects of weightlessness on human thermoregulation are not well understood. Specifically, studies, investigating the effects of long-duration spaceflight on CBT at rest and during exercise are clearly lacking. We here show that during exercise CBT rises higher and faster in space than on Earth. Moreover, we observed for the first time a sustained increased astronauts’ CBT also under resting conditions. This increase of about 1 °C developed gradually over 2.5 months and was associated with augmented concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, a key anti-inflammatory protein. Since even minor increases in CBT can impair physical and cognitive performance, both findings have a considerable impact on astronauts’ health and well-being during future long-term spaceflights. Moreover, our findings also pinpoint crucial physiological challenges for spacefaring civilizations, and raise questions about the assumption of a thermoregulatory set point in humans, and our evolutionary ability to adapt to climate changes on Earth.