Using Quantitative Circulatory Physiology (QCP) software to study hormones & more

QCP 2005 is free < @ bottom of the page, or use it on I/Opal/wilkin/drive, in QCP2005 folder
QCP was begun in 1970s as HUMAN, constructed by Dr. Coleman at U of MS medical school, who
fitted equations to changes in human body variables, like blood pressure, in response to trials, like drugs.

Open QCP2005.exe  Click VIEW, add autopsy - in case you kill him.
You can FIND anything that is in the simulation by using the FIND button 
Click on GO, run Mr. Norm for 1 hour, to get baseline data. 

1) Who is Mr. Norm:  Age?           Height?          Weight?           Health?
Note the simulation sets up with Mr. Norm being fed continuously, like an IV drip
 
Click the fourth icon from left: Norm's BP__________, HR______, temp______& respiratory rate_______

2) Exercise: predict changes to   BP                     HR                     temp               respiratory rate

    Describe exercise:

    Result:                                 BP                     HR                     temp               respiratory rate

3) RESTART, GO 1 Hr: Norm's normal blood sugar:                 , insulin                 , & glucagon             

    Glucose is at the flame; insulin & glucagon are @ hormones, next to flame
     Note this may not be fasting glucose because Norm is on an IV drip

    Using the daily planner, blue clock, switch Mr. Norm to three meals a day
What will happen to Norm's blood sugar, insulin & glucagon secretions over a 24 hour period?


What did happen?


RESTART Norm to return to continuous feeding, & GO 1 hour for baseline data
4) hypothalamus / posterior pituitary

    ADH > conserves H2O in kidneys by reducing urine volume, p 549 & fig 7

H2O icon: urine formation is?                            Hormone icon, ADH is?

What can you do to Norm to change his ADH secretion rate, & will it go up or down?
 

Try it, & record result:  urine:                                          ADH:

RESTART & GO 1 Hr
5) Hypothalamus/anterior pituitary: TRH > TSH > Thyroxine & T3 > metabolic rate, p 550

What's Norm's   Throxine:                                     TSH:                                             BMR:
 
We can /\ or \/ Norm's throxine level: what will happen to BMR?                                & to TSH?

Try it for a week, data: Throxine:                            TSH:                                             BMR:
 

RESTART & GO 1 HR    6) Stress: Hypothalamus > Adrenals
Cortisol is not in the simulation, but epinephrine (acute stress) is, p 554, Norm's normal EPI:

What will more epinephrine do to Norm's BP?                                 Heart Rate (HR):

Try it for just a few minutes, data: EPI:                             BP?                            HR:

RESTART & GO: 7) Salt & water  Aldosterone = mineralocorticoid, p 548:
More aldosterone is secreted when potassium (K) rises in the internal environment

Normal plasma: Na:                              K:                                    Aldosterone

If we put Norm on low Na diet for 1 week, what should happen?  Na              K           Aldosterone

Data                 Na:                              K:                                    Aldosterone

RESTART & GO: 8) Erythropoietin: stimulates red blood cell production, textbook page 512,
Erythropoietin is secreted by kidneys, more when their oxygen supply goes down

Normal: blood hemoglobin                                      & erythropoietin

We can do many things to Norm to change his blood hemoglobin but we'll try hemorrhage
Describe the hemorrhage & what you expect will happen to blood hemoglobin level:


Run for a day & record   blood hemoglobin                                           & erythropoietin

RESTART & GO: 
9) Acid/base balance in extracellular fluid (ECF) = plasma
Acid base balance involves both breathing & urine production: [concentration]
1) The pH or acidity of the internal environment (ECF) must be kept within normal limits
2) ECF pH = 1/[H+] is determined by the ratio of [CO2] to [HCO3-]
    i.e. [H+] is proportional to [CO2] divided by [HCO3-], because
    CO2 is converted into H+ > more CO2 increases H+;
         & HCO3- binds to H+ > more HCO3- decreases H+
3) ECF [CO2] is set by breathing, while [HCO3-] is set by how much H+ is excreted in urine. 
4) If [CO2] or [HCO3-] become abnormal, then the other is adjusted to bring pH back to normal

  Respiratory acidosis is due to hypoventilation > [CO2] rises, what happens to [HCO3-] to compensate?
Respiratory alkalosis is due to hyperventilation > [CO2] falls, what happens to [HCO3-] to compensate?
  Metabolic acidosis is due to low [HCO3-], what happens to [CO2] to compensate?
Metabolic alkalosis is due to high [HCO3-], what happens to [CO2] to compensate?

Write down Norm's normal ECF,  pH:                                   [CO2]:                                  [HCO3-]:

Causes of metabolic acidosis are:   
Try one on Norm, describe what you did & the data:


Causes of metabolic alkalosis are:
Try one on Norm, describe what you did & the data: