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Neuronal population discharges within the CNS and in somatic and sympathetic motor nerves often display oscillations. Peripheral oscillations may provide a window into central mechanisms, as they often show coherence with population activity of subsets of central neurones. The reduction in heat loss through the cutaneous circulation during fever may be mediated via sympathetic premotor neurones not utilised during normal temperature regulation. Consequently, here we assessed, in anaesthetised rats, whether the frequency signature of population sympathetic discharge observed in neurones innervating the tail (thermoregulatory) circulation changed during a fever-like response induced by intracerebroventricular injection of prostaglandin E1.We found that when core temperature was raised to 38.8–40.5°C sympathetic activity was abolished. Following administration of prostaglandin (400 ng or 1 μg per rat), activity was restored to levels seen prior to heating (154±53.5%; n=10). Injection of vehicle had no effect (n=7). Prior to heating when most animals were in central apnoea (14/18) two peaks were observed in autospectra of sympathetic activity: one at 0.68–0.93 Hz (T-peak) and another at the frequency of ventilation (2 Hz). Central respiratory drive was recruited during hyperthermia where it was 1:2 locked to the frequency of ventilation and following prostaglandin administration, an additional peak in sympathetic autospectra was seen at this frequency. Time-evolving spectra indicated that this peak resulted from the dynamic locking of the ‘T-peak’ to central respiratory drive.Our data show that during a fever-like response the dominant oscillations in sympathetic activity controlling a thermoregulatory circulation and their dynamic coupling to respiratory-related inputs are similar to those seen under normal conditions. Therefore, during this fever-like response, the neural substrate(s) underlying the oscillations is not reconfigured and remains capable of sculpturing the pattern of sympathetic neuronal discharge that may be regulated by several descending pathways. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) occurs in a proportion of overweight and obese children and increases their future risk of serious health complications, even in adolescence and young adulthood. We aimed to explore the role of certain adipokines and inflammatory markers in identifying children with MetS., Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of data coming from the Healthy Growth Study, a cross-sectional study conducted with schoolchildren in Greece. The present study included data from a representative sample of 1376 schoolchildren (mean age: 11.19 ± 0.66 years), recruited from 77 primary schools in four large regions in Greece. Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical data were recorded. Children's body weight status and the presence of MetS were determined and their correlation with the serum levels of leptin, adiponectin and C-reactive protein (CRP) was explored., Results: The prevalence of the MetS was 21.7 % and 3.7 % in obese and overweight children, respectively. The balance of adipokines was disturbed in obesity, as the serum level of adiponectin decreased as body weight increased, while the serum level of leptin increased. The serum level of the inflammatory marker CRP increased significantly as body weight increased. Discriminant analysis showed that these factors could distinguish the children with MetS as compared to children with no MetS., Conclusions: In the under study Mediterranean childhood population, monitoring of the levels of adipokines and CRP could identify the overweight and obese children with MetS. Appropriate individualized dietary and lifestyle interventions can be applied in these children to prevent health complications associated with MetS., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Although balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) improves symptoms and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), the effects of riociguat on hemodynamics and exercise capacity in patients after BPA remain to be elucidated., Methods and Results: This study was a single-center, prospective, randomized, open-label trial. From November 2015 to November 2018, we prospectively examined 21 patients with CTEPH (65 ± 9 years old, M/F 2/19) who showed hemodynamic improvement with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) < 30 mmHg after BPA without any vasodilators. We performed hemodynamic evaluation and expired gas analysis both at rest and during exercise in supine position using cycle ergometer. After right heart catheterization during exercise, they were randomly assigned to 2 groups with minimized method, using age, sex, and resting mPAP; riociguat (N = 10) and control (N = 11) groups. After 6 months, exercise capacity evaluated by 6-min walk distance and cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and resting hemodynamic parameters were comparable in both groups. However, cardiac output (CO) (6.0 ± 1.7-7.4 ± 1.6, P < 0.01) and pulmonary vascular resistance (4.8 ± 1.8-3.2 ± 0.7 Wood units, P = 0.02) at peak workload were significantly improved in the riociguat group as compared with the control group. The slope of linearized mPAP-CO relationship was significantly decreased in the riociguat group [14.5 (7.8, 14.7) to 6.41 (5.1, 11.4), P < 0.01] but not in the control group., Conclusions: These results indicate that riociguat exerts beneficial effects on hemodynamic response to exercise in CTEPH patients even after hemodynamic improvement by BPA., (© 2020 The Author(s).)