Treadmill walking differently affects body composition and metabolic parameters of female rats from normal or small litters

This work assessed whether walking affects bodily development and metabolic parameters of female rats raised in small litters (three pups, group S) or control litters (nine pups, group C). After weaning, some of the rats had five sessions per week of a 30-min treadmill walking (CE and SE), while the others remained sedentary (CS and SS) until the age of 120 days. Exercise caused a reduction of body weight (CS/CE = 1.18), Lee index (CS/CE = 1.04), fasting blood glucose (CS/CE = 1.35), mesenteric (CS/CE = 1.23), and ovarian fat (CS/CE = 1.33) in CE, but only glucose was decreased in SE (SS/SE = 1.16). The diameter of adipocytes decreased to a half in the small-litter groups. Exercise increased subcutaneous (CS/CE = 0.88 and SS/SE = 0.71), but decreased retroperitoneal adipocytes (CS/CE = 1.2 and SS/SE = 1.3). Litter size reduction had little impact on females at the age of 120 days, but the light physical activity seemed insufficient to counteract all the effects of lactational overfeeding. On the other hand, pups from exercised mothers had a decrease in their biometric and glycemic indexes, demonstrating the transgenerational action of regular, although light, exercise

EFFECT OF Mn-SUBSTITUTION ON MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF Co-Si-B AND Co-Fe-Si-B AMORPHOUS ALLOYS

The addition of Mn to Co base Si-B amorphous alloys which have higher crystallization point (Tx) than the Curie point (Tc) has been investigated, aiming an enhancement of magnetic induction. It is found that the addition of the small amount of Mn, 0<Mn<3 at %, enhances the magnetic induction. The Tx is increased with the Mn content whereas the Tc is decreased. Thus, we have an improved amorphous alloy having a wide (TX-Tc) with a large magnetic induction

Auricular Acupuncture at the “Shenmen” and “Point Zero” Points Induced Parasympathetic Activation

Purpose. Since auricular acupuncture is a diagnostic and treatment system based on normalizing the body’s dysfunction, auricular acupuncture has been applied for pain relief, relaxation, and so on. These techniques would modulate the autonomic nerve system, thereby inducing the above-mentioned effects. The aim was to see the effect of auricular acupuncture applied to the “Shenmen” and “Point Zero” points on the postoperative heart rate variability (HRV). Methods. Twenty-six patients who underwent hemicolectomy under general anesthesia were randomized into the control or the acupuncture group. After the operation and before emergence, the acupuncture group received auricular acupuncture. An electrocardiographic unit was placed for recording the autonomic nervous activities. Results. The low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) ratio of HRV increased () in the control, but the ratio in the acupuncture did not change. There were significant differences between the ratios of the two groups at 3 : 00, 4 : 00, and 5 : 00. HF of the acupuncture group tended to be higher. HFs of the acupuncture group were significantly higher than those of the control group at 3 : 00, 4 : 00, and 5 : 00. Conclusion. Auricular acupuncture kept the LF/HF ratio at lower levels and HF at higher levels during postoperative period in the patients who had undergone hemicolectomy

Preoperative Predictors of Ambulation Ability at Different Time Points after Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with Osteoarthritis

The aims of this study were to identify the preoperative factors influencing ambulation ability at different postoperative time points after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and to examine the cutoff values of predictive preoperative factors by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Forty-eight women with unilateral THA were measured for hip extensor, hip abductor, and knee extensor muscle strength in both legs; hip pain (visual analog scale, VAS); and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test pre- and postoperatively. Multiple regression analysis indicated that preoperative knee extensor strength (β=-0.379,R2=0.409) at 3 weeks, hip abductor strength (β=-0.572,R2=0.570) at 4 months, and age (β=0.758,R2= 0.561) at 7 months were strongly associated with postoperative ambulation, measured using the TUG test. Optimal preoperative cutoff values for ambulation ability were 0.56 Nm/kg for knee extensor strength, 0.24 Nm/kg for hip abductor strength, and 73 years of age. Our results suggest that preoperative factors predicting ambulation ability vary by postoperative time point. Preoperative knee extensor strength, hip abductor strength, and age were useful predictors of ambulation ability at the early, middle, and late time points, respectively, after THA

Gadd45β expression in chondrosarcoma: A pilot study for diagnostic and biological implications in histological grading

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the diagnosis of chondrosarcoma, especially the distinction between enchondroma and low-grade chondrosarcoma or low-grade chondrosarcoma and high-grade chondrosarcoma, is pathologically difficult, differential diagnosis is very important because the treatment strategies for these diseases are completely different. The grading system is crucial in predicting biologic behavior and prognosis, however, exact pathological grading is difficult using only routine examinations because the criteria of the grading system are not necessarily definitive. Growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein 45β (GADD45β) is an essential molecule for chondrocytes during terminal differentiation. In the present study, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of GADD45β in enchondroma, and chondrosarcoma of histological grades I, II, and III, to clarify the diagnostic significance of GADD45β in pathological grading of chondrosarcoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty samples (enchondroma = 6, chondrosarcoma grade I = 7, grade II = 6, grade III = 1) were used for immunohistochemical analysis to investigate the expression of GADD45β. Quantitative analysis was performed to compare the number of GADD45β positive cells and pathological grading.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over 70% of the cells in enchondromas expressed GADD45β. On the other hand, the expression of GADD45β decreased significantly according to the histological grade of chondrosarcoma (grade I: 45%; grade II: 13.8%; and grade III: 3.8%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The association of GADD45β expression and pathological grading of chondrosarcoma in the present study suggests that the immunohistochemical study of GADD45β may be a specific diagnostic parameter for chondrosarcoma cell differentiation.</p

S-Nitrosoglutathione reduces oxidative injury and promotes mechanisms of neurorepair following traumatic brain injury in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces primary and secondary damage in both the endothelium and the brain parenchyma, collectively termed the neurovascular unit. While neurons die quickly by necrosis, a vicious cycle of secondary injury in endothelial cells exacerbates the initial injury in the neurovascular unit following TBI. In activated endothelial cells, excessive superoxide reacts with nitric oxide (NO) to form peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite has been implicated in blood brain barrier (BBB) leakage, altered metabolic function, and neurobehavioral impairment. S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), a nitrosylation-based signaling molecule, was reported not only to reduce brain levels of peroxynitrite and oxidative metabolites but also to improve neurological function in TBI, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Therefore, we investigated whether GSNO promotes the neurorepair process by reducing the levels of peroxynitrite and the degree of oxidative injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>TBI was induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) in adult male rats. GSNO or 3-Morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1) (50 μg/kg body weight) was administered orally two hours following CCI. The same dose was repeated daily until endpoints. GSNO-treated (GSNO group) or SIN-1-treated (SIN-1 group) injured animals were compared with vehicle-treated injured animals (TBI group) and vehicle-treated sham-operated animals (Sham group) in terms of peroxynitrite, NO, glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, blood brain barrier (BBB) leakage, edema, inflammation, tissue structure, axon/myelin integrity, and neurotrophic factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SIN-1 treatment of TBI increased whereas GSNO treatment decreased peroxynitrite, lipid peroxides/aldehydes, BBB leakage, inflammation and edema in a short-term treatment (4-48 hours). GSNO also reduced brain infarctions and enhanced the levels of NO and GSH. In a long-term treatment (14 days), GSNO protected axonal integrity, maintained myelin levels, promoted synaptic plasticity, and enhanced the expression of neurotrophic factors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings indicate the participation of peroxynitrite in the pathobiology of TBI. GSNO treatment of TBI not only reduces peroxynitrite but also protects the integrity of the neurovascular unit, indicating that GSNO blunts the deleterious effects of peroxynitrite. A long-term treatment of TBI with the same low dose of GSNO promotes synaptic plasticity and enhances the expression of neurotrophic factors. These results support that GSNO reduces the levels of oxidative metabolites, protects the neurovascular unit, and promotes neurorepair mechanisms in TBI.</p

A Case of C5 Vertebral Chordoma in a 73-Year-Old Patient with More Than 8 Years of Follow-Up after Total Piecemeal Spondylectomy

Chordoma arising from the cervical spine is rare and the traditional long-term prognosis is typically poor. Total en bloc spondylectomy with a wide margin is generally accepted to be the most appropriate management for thoracic and lumbar malignant tumors. However, this method is still challenging for the cervical spine because of the proximity of the tumor to the vertebral arteries and neural elements. Here, we report a 73-year-old man with a C5 vertebral chordoma treated with total piecemeal spondylectomy. Histological examination revealed pathognomonic physaliphorous cells with mucus-filled cytoplasm in the tumor, and the ratio of Ki-67-positive cells within the tumor was high (19.0%), showing active proliferation rate. Local recurrences were found at 9 months, 4 years and 2 months, and 6 years after the initial surgery. All the recurrences were encapsulated and isolated and treated with an additional en bloc resection successfully at each stage. Eight years after the initial total piecemeal spondylectomy, the patient maintained his intact neurological status without local recurrence or metastasis. The prognosis of cervical chordoma depends on the patient’s age, surgical procedures, and histological features. In this report, we present that piecemeal spondylectomy is an alternative management for aged patients with cervical chordoma, even for those with high MIB-1 index