Blood flow and O2 extraction as a function of O2 uptake in muscles composed of different fiber types

Influence of exercise intensity on skeletal muscle blood flow, O2 extraction and O2 uptake on-kinetics

Following the start of low-intensity exercise in healthy humans, it has been established that the kinetics of skeletal muscle O(2) delivery is faster than, and does not limit, the kinetics of muscle O(2) uptake (V(O(2)(m))). Direct data are lacking, however, on the question of whether O(2) delivery might limit (V(O(2)(m))) kinetics during high-intensity exercise. Using multiple exercise transitions to enhance confidence in parameter estimation, we therefore investigated the kinetics of, and inter-relationships between, muscle blood flow (Q(m)), a-(V(O(2))) difference and (V(O(2)(m))) following the onset of low-intensity (LI) and high-intensity (HI) exercise. Seven healthy males completed four 6 min bouts of LI and four 6 min bouts of HI single-legged knee-extension exercise. Blood was frequently drawn from the femoral artery and vein during exercise and Q(m), a-(V(O(2))) difference and (V(O(2)(m))) were calculated and subsequently modelled using non-linear regression techniques. For LI, the fundamental component mean response time (MRT(p)) for Q(m) kinetics was significantly shorter than (V(O(2)(m))) kinetics (mean ± SEM, 18 ± 4 vs. 30 ± 4 s; P < 0.05), whereas for HI, the MRT(p) for Q(m) and (V(O(2)(m))) was not significantly different (27 ± 5 vs. 29 ± 4 s, respectively). There was no difference in the MRT(p) for either Q(m) or (V(O(2)(m))) between the two exercise intensities; however, the MRT(p)for a-(V(O(2)) difference was significantly shorter for HI compared with LI (17 ± 3 vs. 28 ± 4 s; P < 0.05). Excess O(2), i.e. oxygen not taken up (Q(m) x (V(O(2))), was significantly elevated within the first 5 s of exercise and remained unaltered thereafter, with no differences between LI and HI. These results indicate that bulk O(2) delivery does not limit (V(O(2)(m))) kinetics following the onset of LI or HI knee-extension exercise.

Plasticity of microvascular oxygenation control in rat fast-twitch muscle: effects of experimental creatine depletion

Aging, heart failure and diabetes each compromise the matching of O2 delivery (Q˙O2)-to-metabolic requirements (O2 uptake, V˙O2) in skeletal muscle such that the O2 pressure driving blood-myocyte O2 flux (microvascular PO2, PmvO2) is reduced and contractile function impaired. In contrast, β-guanidinopropionic acid (β-GPA) treatment improves muscle contractile function, primarily in fast-twitch muscle (Moerland and Kushmerick, 1994). We tested the hypothesis that β-GPA (2% wt/BW in rat chow, 8 weeks; n=14) would improve Q˙O2-to-V˙O2 matching (elevated PmvO2) during contractions (4.5V @ 1Hz) in mixed (MG) and white (WG) portions of the gastrocnemius, both predominantly fast-twitch). Compared with control (CON), during contractions PmvO2 fell less following β-GPA (MG -54%, WG -26%, P<0.05), elevating steady-state PmvO2 (CON, MG: 10±2, WG: 9±1; β-GPA, MG 16±2, WG 18±2 mmHg, P<0.05). This reflected an increased Q˙O2/V˙O2 ratio due primarily to a reduced V˙O2 in β-GPA muscles. It is likely that this adaptation helps facilitate the β-GPA-induced enhancement of contractile function in fast-twitch muscles.

Muscle oxygen transport and utilization in heart failure: implications for exercise (in)tolerance

The defining characteristic of chronic heart failure (CHF) is an exercise intolerance that is inextricably linked to structural and functional aberrations in the O(2) transport pathway. CHF reduces muscle O(2) supply while simultaneously increasing O(2) demands. CHF severity varies from moderate to severe and is assessed commonly in terms of the maximum O(2) uptake, which relates closely to patient morbidity and mortality in CHF and forms the basis for Weber and colleagues' (167) classifications of heart failure, speed of the O(2) uptake kinetics following exercise onset and during recovery, and the capacity to perform submaximal exercise. As the heart fails, cardiovascular regulation shifts from controlling cardiac output as a means for supplying the oxidative energetic needs of exercising skeletal muscle and other organs to preventing catastrophic swings in blood pressure. This shift is mediated by a complex array of events that include altered reflex and humoral control of the circulation, required to prevent the skeletal muscle "sleeping giant" from outstripping the pathologically limited cardiac output and secondarily impacts lung (and respiratory muscle), vascular, and locomotory muscle function. Recently, interest has also focused on the dysregulation of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β as well as reactive oxygen species as mediators of systemic and muscle dysfunction. This brief review focuses on skeletal muscle to address the mechanistic bases for the reduced maximum O(2) uptake, slowed O(2) uptake kinetics, and exercise intolerance in CHF. Experimental evidence in humans and animal models of CHF unveils the microvascular cause(s) and consequences of the O(2) supply (decreased)/O(2) demand (increased) imbalance emblematic of CHF. Therapeutic strategies to improve muscle microvascular and oxidative function (e.g., exercise training and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant strategies, in particular) and hence patient exercise tolerance and quality of life are presented within their appropriate context of the O(2) transport pathway.

Functional impairment of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism during knee extension exercise after bed rest

A functional evaluation of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism during dynamic knee extension (KE) incremental exercises was carried out following a 35-day bed rest (BR) (Valdoltra 2008 BR campaign). Nine young male volunteers (age: 23.5 ± 2.2 yr; mean ± SD) were evaluated. Pulmonary gas exchange, heart rate and cardiac output (by impedance cardiography), skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) fractional O(2) extraction, and brain (frontal cortex) oxygenation (by near-infrared spectroscopy) were determined during incremental KE. Values at exhaustion were considered "peak". Peak heart rate (147 ± 18 beats/min before vs. 146 ± 17 beats/min after BR) and peak cardiac output (17.8 ± 3.3 l/min before vs. 16.1 ± 1.8 l/min after BR) were unaffected by BR. As expected, brain oxygenation did not decrease during KE. Peak O(2) uptake was lower after vs. before BR, both when expressed as liters per minute (0.99 ± 0.17 vs. 1.26 ± 0.27) and when normalized per unit of quadriceps muscle mass (46.5 ± 6.4 vs. 56.9 ± 11.0 ml·min(-1)·100 g(-1)). Skeletal muscle peak fractional O(2) extraction, expressed as a percentage of the maximal values obtained during a transient limb ischemia, was lower after (46.3 ± 12.1%) vs. before BR (66.5 ± 11.2%). After elimination, by the adopted exercise protocol, of constraints related to cardiovascular O(2) delivery, a decrease in peak O(2) uptake and muscle peak capacity of fractional O(2) extraction was found after 35 days of BR. These findings suggest a substantial impairment of oxidative function at the muscle level, "downstream" with respect to bulk blood flow to the exercising muscles, that is possibly at the level of blood flow distribution/O(2) utilization inside the muscle, peripheral O(2) diffusion, and intracellular oxidative metabolism.

Control of microvascular PO₂ kinetics following onset of muscle contractions: role for AMPK

The microvascular partial pressure of oxygen (Pmv(o(2))) kinetics following the onset of exercise reflects the relationship between muscle O(2) delivery and uptake (Vo(2)). Although AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known as a regulator of mitochondria and nitric oxide metabolism, it is unclear whether the dynamic balance of O(2) delivery and Vo(2) at exercise onset is dependent on AMPK activation level. We used transgenic mice with muscle-specific AMPK dominant-negative (AMPK-DN) to investigate a role for skeletal muscle AMPK on Pmv(o(2)) kinetics following onset of muscle contractions. Phosphorescence quenching techniques were used to measure Pmv(o(2)) at rest and across the transition to twitch (1 Hz) and tetanic (100 Hz, 3-5 V, 4-ms pulse duration, stimulus duration of 100 ms every 1 s for 1 min) contractions in gastrocnemius muscles (each group n = 6) of AMPK-DN mice and wild-type littermates (WT) under isoflurane anesthesia with 100% inspired O(2) to avoid hypoxemia. Baseline Pmv(o(2)) before contractions was not different between groups (P > 0.05). Both muscle contraction conditions exhibited a delay followed by an exponential decrease in Pmv(o(2)). However, compared with WT, AMPK-DN demonstrated 1) prolongation of the time delay before Pmv(o(2)) began to decline (1 Hz: WT, 3.2 ± 0.5 s; AMPK-DN, 6.5 ± 0.4 s; 100 Hz: WT, 4.4 ± 1.0 s; AMPK-DN, 6.5 ± 1.4 s; P < 0.05), 2) a faster response time (i.e., time constant; 1 Hz: WT, 19.4 ± 3.9 s; AMPK-DN, 12.4 ± 2.6 s; 100 Hz: WT, 15.1 ± 2.2 s; AMPK-DN, 9.0 ± 1.7 s; P < 0.05). These findings are consistent with the presence of substantial mitochondrial and microvascular dysfunction in AMPK-DN mice, which likely slows O(2) consumption kinetics (i.e., oxidative phosphorylation response) and impairs the hyperemic response at the onset of contractions thereby sowing the seeds for exercise intolerance.

Methodological validation of the dynamic heterogeneity of muscle deoxygenation within the quadriceps during cycle exercise

The conventional continuous wave near-infrared spectroscopy (CW-NIRS) has enabled identification of regional differences in muscle deoxygenation following onset of exercise. However, assumptions of constant optical factors (e.g., path length) used to convert the relative changes in CW-NIRS signal intensity to values of relative concentration, bring the validity of such measurements into question. Furthermore, to justify comparisons among sites and subjects, it is essential to correct the amplitude of deoxygenated hemoglobin plus myoglobin [deoxy(Hb+Mb)] for the adipose tissue thickness (ATT). We used two time-resolved NIRS systems to measure the distribution of the optical factors directly, thereby enabling the determination of the absolute concentrations of deoxy(Hb+Mb) simultaneously at the distal and proximal sites within the vastus lateralis (VL) and the rectus femoris muscles. Eight subjects performed cycle exercise transitions from unloaded to heavy work rates (>gas exchange threshold). Following exercise onset, the ATT-corrected amplitudes (Ap), time delay (TDp), and time constant (τp) of the primary component kinetics in muscle deoxy(Hb + Mb) were spatially heterogeneous (intersite coefficient of variation range for the subjects: 10–50 for Ap, 16–58 for TDp, 14–108% for τp). The absolute and relative amplitudes of the deoxy(Hb+Mb) responses were highly dependent on ATT, both within subjects and between measurement sites. The present results suggest that regional heterogeneity in the magnitude and temporal profile of muscle deoxygenation is a consequence of differential matching of O2 delivery and O2 utilization, not an artifact caused by changes in optical properties of the tissue during exercise or variability in the overlying adipose tissue.

Influence of priming exercise on muscle deoxy[Hb + Mb] during ramp cycle exercise

The aim of the present study was to gain better insight into the mechanisms underpinning the sigmoid pattern of deoxy[Hb + Mb] during incremental exercise by assessing the changes in the profile following prior high-intensity exercise. Ten physically active students performed two incremental ramp (25 W min(-1)) exercises (AL and LL, respectively) preceded on one occasion by incremental arm (10 W min(-1)) and on another occasion by incremental leg exercise (25 W min(-1)), which served as the reference test (RT). Deoxy[Hb + Mb] was measured by means of near-infrared spectroscopy and surface EMG was recorded at the Vastus Lateralis throughout the exercises. Deoxy[Hb + Mb], integrated EMG and Median Power Frequency (MdPF) were expressed as a function of work rate (W) and compared between the exercises. During RT and AL deoxy[Hb + Mb] followed a sigmoid increase as a function of work rate. However, during LL deoxy[Hb + Mb] increased immediately from the onset of the ramp exercise and thus no longer followed a sigmoid pattern. This different pattern in deoxy[Hb + Mb] was accompanied by a steeper slope of the iEMG/W-relationship below the GET (LL: 0.89 ± 0.11% W(-1); RT: 0.74 ± 0.08% W(-1); AL: 0.72 ± 0.10% W(-1)) and a more pronounced decrease in MdPF in LL (17.2 ± 4.5%) compared to RT (5.0 ± 2.1%) and AL (3.9 ± 3.2%). It was observed that the sigmoid pattern of deoxy[Hb + Mb] was disturbed when the ramp exercise was preceded by priming leg exercise. Since the differences in deoxy[Hb + Mb] were accompanied by differences in EMG it can be suggested that muscle fibre recruitment is an important underlying mechanism for the pattern of deoxy[Hb + Mb] during ramp exercise.

Dynamics of muscle microcirculatory and blood-myocyte O(2) flux during contractions

The O(2) requirements of contracting skeletal muscle may increase 100-fold above rest. In 1919, August Krogh's brilliant insights recognized the capillary as the principal site for this increased blood-myocyte O(2) flux. Based on the premise that most capillaries did not sustain RBC flux at rest, Krogh proposed that capillary recruitment [i.e. initiation of red blood cell (RBC) flux in previously non-flowing capillaries] increased the capillary surface area available for O(2) flux and reduced mean capillary-to-mitochondrial diffusion distances. More modern experimental approaches reveal that most muscle capillaries may support RBC flux at rest. Thus, rather than contraction-induced capillary recruitment per se, increased RBC flux and haematocrit within already-flowing capillaries probably elevate perfusive and diffusive O(2) conductances and hence blood-myocyte O(2) flux. Additional surface area for O(2) exchange is recruited but, crucially, this may occur along the length of already-flowing capillaries (i.e. longitudinal recruitment). Today, the capillary is still considered the principal site for O(2) and substrate delivery to contracting skeletal muscle. Indeed, the presence of very low intramyocyte O(2) partial pressures (PO(2)s) and the absence of intramyocyte PO(2) gradients, whilst refuting the relevance of diffusion distances, place an even greater importance on capillary hemodynamics. This emergent picture calls for a paradigm-shift in our understanding of the function of capillaries by de-emphasizing de novo'capillary recruitment'. Diseases such as heart failure impair blood-myocyte O(2) flux, in part, by decreasing the proportion of RBC-flowing capillaries. Knowledge of capillary function in healthy muscle is requisite for identification of pathology and efficient design of therapeutic treatments.

Nitric oxide bioavailability modulates the dynamics of microvascular oxygen exchange during recovery from contractions

AIM

lowered microvascular PO(2) (PO(2) mv) during the exercise off-transient likely impairs muscle metabolic recovery and limits the capacity to perform repetitive tasks. The current investigation explored the impact of altered nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability on PO(2) mv during recovery from contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that increased NO bioavailability (sodium nitroprusside: SNP) would enhance PO(2) mv and speed its recovery kinetics while decreased NO bioavailability (l-nitro arginine methyl ester: l-NAME) would reduce PO(2) mv and slow its recovery kinetics.

METHODS

  PO(2) mv was measured by phosphorescence quenching during transitions (rest-1 Hz twitch-contractions for 3 min-recovery) in the spinotrapezius muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats under SNP (300 microm), Krebs-Henseleit (CONTROL) and l-NAME (1.5 mm) superfusion conditions.

RESULTS

relative to recovery in CONTROL, SNP resulted in greater overall microvascular oxygenation as assessed by the area under the PO(2) mv curve (PO(2 AREA) ;

CONTROL

3471 ± 292 mmHg s; SNP: 4307 ± 282 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and faster off-kinetics as evidenced by the mean response time (MRToff;

CONTROL

60.2 ± 6.9 s; SNP: 34.8 ± 5.7 s; P < 0.05), whereas l-NAME produced lower PO(2 AREA) (2339 ± 444 mmHg s; P < 0.05) and slower MRToff (86.6 ± 14.5s; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

no bioavailability plays a key role in determining the matching of O(2) delivery-to-O(2) uptake and thus the upstream O(2) pressure driving capillary-myocyte O(2) flux (i.e. PO(2) mv) following cessation of contractions in healthy skeletal muscle. Additionally, these data support a mechanistic link between reduced NO bioavailability and prolonged muscle metabolic recovery commonly observed in ageing and diseased populations.

Influence of body position on muscle deoxy[Hb+Mb] during ramp cycle exercise

We used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to test the hypothesis that body position alters the sigmoidal response profile of muscle fractional O(2) extraction (estimated using deoxy[Hb+Mb]) during incremental cycle exercise. Seven male subjects (mean±SD age 32±13 years) completed a ramp incremental cycling test to exhaustion (30W/min) in both the supine and upright body positions. The sigmoidal (as opposed to hyperbolic) model that provided the better fit to deoxy[Hb+Mb] data during upright cycling was also present for the supine response; however, the slope of the sigmoid was increased (upright: 0.052±0.012 vs. supine: 0.090±0.036%⋅%P(peak)(-1); P<0.05) and a plateau occurred at a lower work rate (upright: 83±8 vs. supine: 68±19%P(peak)(-1); P<0.05) during supine exercise. These changes occurred in the absence of a leftward shift of the sigmoid. We also found a significantly greater deltaV(O)₂/deltaW slope above compared to below gas exchange threshold (GET) for both conditions (upright: 9.8±0.5 vs. 8.2±0.9; supine: 10.7±0.9 vs. 8.0±0.8) and for supine compared to upright cycling above GET. These findings suggest that the supine posture affects O₂ extraction and V(O)₂ kinetics to a greater extent as work rate progresses during ramp incremental exercise.

Dendritic phosphorescent probes for oxygen imaging in biological systems

Oxygen levels in biological systems can be measured by the phosphorescence quenching method using probes with controllable quenching parameters and defined biodistributions. We describe a general approach to the construction of phosphorescent nanosensors with tunable spectral characteristics, variable degrees of quenching, and a high selectivity for oxygen. The probes are based on bright phosphorescent Pt and Pd complexes of porphyrins and symmetrically pi-extended porphyrins (tetrabenzoporphyrins and tetranaphthoporphyrins). pi-Extension of the core macrocycle allows tuning of the spectral parameters of the probes in order to meet the requirements of a particular imaging application (e.g., oxygen tomography versus planar microscopic imaging). Metalloporphyrins are encapsulated into poly(arylglycine) dendrimers, which fold in aqueous environments and create diffusion barriers for oxygen, making it possible to regulate the sensitivity and the dynamic range of the method. The periphery of the dendrimers is modified with poly(ethylene glycol) residues, which enhance the probe's solubility, diminish toxicity, and help prevent interactions of the probes with the biological environment. The probe's parameters were measured under physiological conditions and shown to be unaffected by the presence of biomacromolecules. The performance of the probes was demonstrated in applications, including in vivo microscopy of vascular pO(2) in the rat brain.

Deoxygenated hemoglobin/myoglobin kinetics of forearm muscles from rest to exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Exercise capacity is frequently decreased in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and muscle dysfunction is one factor in this reduction. Studies using (31)-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) have shown that phosphocreatine (PCr) and muscle pH (pHi) are significantly decreased in patients with COPD during mild exercise, suggesting the early activation of anaerobic glycolysis in their muscles. Thus, muscle oxygenation states during exercise might differ between patients with COPD and healthy individuals. We simultaneously measured oxygenation state and pHi in the muscles of patients with COPD during the transition from rest to exercise (on-transition) using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and (31)P-MRS. Sixteen patients with COPD (aged 68.6 +/- 7.5 years) and 7 healthy males (controls; aged 63.3 +/- 7.5 years) performed dynamic handgrip exercise (lifting a weight by gripping at a rate of 20 grips per min for 3 min). Patients were classified based on pHi data at the completion of exercise as having a normal (>or= 6.9; n = 8) or a low (< 6.9; n = 8) pHi. The deoxygenated hemoglobin/myoglobin (deoxy-Hb/Mb) in NIRS recordings remained constant or slightly decreased initially (time delay), then increased to reach a plateau. We calculated the time delay and the time constant of deoxy-Hb/Mb kinetics during the on-transition. The time delay was shorter in the group with a low pHi than in the controls. These findings might reflect a slower increase in O(2) delivery in patients with a low pHi, which might partly account for altered muscle energy metabolism.

Neuromuscular blockade of slow twitch muscle fibres elevates muscle oxygen uptake and energy turnover during submaximal exercise in humans

We tested the hypothesis that a greater activation of fast-twitch (FT) fibres during dynamic exercise leads to a higher muscle oxygen uptake (VO2 ) and energy turnover as well as a slower muscle on-kinetics. Subjects performed one-legged knee-extensor exercise for 10 min at an intensity of 30 W without (CON) and with (CUR) arterial injections of the non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent cisatracurium. In CUR, creatine phosphate (CP) was unaltered in slow twitch (ST) fibres and decreased (P < 0.05) by 28% in FT fibres, whereas in CON, CP decreased (P < 0.05) by 33% and 23% in ST and FT fibres, respectively. From 127 s of exercise, muscle VO2 was higher (P < 0.05) in CUR compared to CON (425 +/- 25 (+/- S.E.M.) versus 332 +/- 30 ml min(-1)) and remained higher (P < 0.05) throughout exercise. Using monoexponential fitting, the time constant of the exercise-induced muscle VO2 response was slower (P < 0.05) in CUR than in CON (55 +/- 6 versus 33 +/- 5 s). During CUR and CON, muscle homogenate CP was lowered (P < 0.05) by 32 and 35%, respectively, and also muscle lactate production was similar in CUR and CON (37.8 +/- 4.1 versus 35.2 +/- 6.2 mmol). Estimated total muscle ATP turnover was 19% higher (P < 0.05) in CUR than in CON (1196 +/- 90 versus 1011 +/- 59 mmol) and true mechanical efficiency was lower (P < 0.05) in CUR than in CON (26.2 +/- 2.0 versus 30.9 +/- 1.5%). In conclusion, the present findings provide evidence that FT fibres are less efficient than ST fibres in vivo at a contraction frequency of 1 Hz, and that the muscle VO2 kinetics is slowed by FT fibre activation.

Dynamics of noninvasively estimated microvascular O2 extraction during ramp exercise

Utilization of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in clinical exercise testing to detect microvascular abnormalities requires characterization of the responses in healthy individuals and theoretical foundation for data interpretation. We examined the profile of the deoxygenated hemoglobin signal from NIRS {deoxygenated hemoglobin + myoglobin [deoxy-(Hb+Mb)] ≈ O2 extraction} during ramp exercise to test the hypothesis that the increase in estimated O2 extraction would be close to hyperbolic, reflecting a linear relationship between muscle blood flow (Q̇m) and muscle oxygen uptake (V̇o2m) with a positive Q̇m intercept. Fifteen subjects (age 24 ± 5 yr) performed incremental ramp exercise to fatigue (15–35 W/min). The deoxy-(Hb+Mb) response, measured by NIRS, was fitted by a hyperbolic function [ f( x) = ax/( b + x), where a is the asymptotic value and b is the x value that yields 50% of the total amplitude] and sigmoidal function { f( x) = f0 + A/[1 + e−(− c+ dx)], where f0 is baseline, A is total amplitude, and c is a constant dependent on d, the slope of the sigmoid}, and the goodness of fit was determined by F test. Only one subject demonstrated a hyperbolic increase in deoxy-(Hb+Mb) ( a = 170%, b = 193 W), whereas 14 subjects displayed a sigmoidal increase in deoxy-(Hb+Mb) ( f0 = −7 ± 7%, A = 118 ± 16%, c = 3.25 ± 1.14, and d = 0.03 ± 0.01). Computer simulations revealed that sigmoidal increases in deoxy-(Hb+Mb) reflect a nonlinear relationship between microvascular Q̇m and V̇o2m during incremental ramp exercise. The mechanistic implications of our findings are that, in most healthy subjects, Q̇m increased at a faster rate than V̇o2m early in the exercise test and slowed progressively as maximal work rate was approached.

Effects of ageing on muscle O2 utilization and muscle oxygenation during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise

At the onset of exercise, an increase in muscle and pulmonary O2 consumption is met by increases in muscle O2 delivery and muscle O2 extraction. Thus, the study of pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics reflects the integrated response between the convective and diffusive O2 delivery systems and the muscle metabolic machinery (i.e., mitochondrial enzyme activation and provision of acetyl groups to the tricarboxcylic acid cycle) to increase muscle O2 consumption. Pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics are slowed in older adults compared with young adults and previous studies suggest that the slower O2 uptake kinetics may be the result of an age-associated decline in the ability of older adults to increase O2 delivery to active muscles. However, an inherent limitation to understanding the control of and limitations to pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics is that it is methodologically difficult to examine the adaptation of muscle perfusion and O2 delivery and muscle O2 utilization in the muscle microcirculation of active muscles in the dynamically exercising human. In this review, we provide an overview of the effect of ageing on pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics (reflecting the activation of muscle O2 consumption) during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise. Age-related changes in O2 delivery systems and muscle oxidative capacity are examined as potential limitations to pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics. We then review recent studies from our laboratory that have investigated the control of pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics at the level of the muscle microcirculation by examining the adaptation of muscle O2 delivery and muscle O2 utilization using near-infrared spectroscopy during the transition to exercise in healthy young and older adults.

Energy and electron transfer in enhanced two-photon-absorbing systems with triplet cores

Enhanced two-photon-absorbing (2PA) systems with triplet cores are currently under scrutiny for several biomedical applications, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and two-photon microscopy of oxygen. The performance of so far developed molecules, however, is substantially below expected. In this study we take a detailed look at the processes occurring in these systems and propose ways to improve their performance. We focus on the interchromophore distance tuning as a means for optimization of two-photon sensors for oxygen. In these constructs, energy transfer from several 2PA chromophores is used to enhance the effective 2PA cross section of phosphorescent metalloporphyrins. Previous studies have indicated that intramolecular electron transfer (ET) can act as an effective quencher of phosphorescence, decreasing the overall sensor efficiency. We studied the interplay between 2PA, energy transfer, electron transfer, and phosphorescence emission using Rhodamine B-Pt tetrabenzoporphyrin (RhB-PtTBP) adducts as model compounds. 2PA cross sections (sigma2) of tetrabenzoporphyrins (TBPs) are in the range of several tens of GM units (near 800 nm), making TBPs superior 2PA chromophores compared to regular porphyrins (sigma2 values typically 1-2 GM). Relatively large 2PA cross sections of rhodamines (about 200 GM in 800-850 nm range) and their high photostabilities make them good candidates as 2PA antennae. Fluorescence of Rhodamine B (lambda(fl) = 590 nm, phi(fl) = 0.5 in EtOH) overlaps with the Q-band of phosphorescent PtTBP (lambda(abs) = 615 nm, epsilon = 98 000 M(-1) cm(-1), phi(p) approximately 0.1), suggesting that a significant amplification of the 2PA-induced phosphorescence via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) might occur. However, most of the excitation energy in RhB-PtTBP assemblies is consumed in several intramolecular ET processes. By installing rigid nonconducting decaproline spacers (Pro10) between RhB and PtTBP, the intramolecular ETs were suppressed, while the chromophores were kept within the Förster r0 distance in order to maintain high FRET efficiency. The resulting assemblies exhibit linear amplification of their 2PA-induced phosphorescence upon increase in the number of 2PA antenna chromophores and show high oxygen sensitivity. We also have found that PtTBPs possess unexpectedly strong forbidden S0 --> T1 bands (lambda(max) = 762 nm, epsilon = 120 M-1 cm-1). The latter may overlap with the laser spectrum and lead to unwanted linear excitation.

Partitioning locomotor energy use among and within muscles Muscle blood flow as a measure of muscle oxygen consumption

Linking the mechanics and energetics of locomotion in vertebrates has been hampered by a lack of information regarding the energy use of individual skeletal muscles in vivo. Here, we present a review of the available data concerning the relationship between the rates of skeletal muscle blood flow and oxygen consumption(V̇O2). In active muscle, during aerobically supported exercise, there is a linear relationship between these variables, irrespective of the muscle fiber type and intensity of exercise through most of the aerobic exercise range. We conclude that the rate of blood flow is the best available indicator of aerobic metabolic rate in multiple individual muscles or regions of muscles during locomotion. The practical considerations of using the injectable microsphere technique to measure muscle blood flow in this context are discussed.