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In order to examine fatigue of the knee flexor and extensor muscles and to investigate the characteristics of muscular fatigue in different sports, a Cybex machine was used to measure muscle fatigue and recovery during isokinetic knee flexion and extension. Eighteen baseball players, 12 soccer players and 13 marathon runners were studied. Each subject was tested in the sitting position and made to perform 50 consecutive right knee bends and stretches at maximum strength. This was done 3 times with an interval of 10 min between each series. The peak torque to body weight ratio and the fatigue rate were determined in each case. In all subjects, the peak torque to body weight ratio was higher for extensors than flexors. Over the 3 trials, the fatigue rate of extensors showed little change, while that of flexors had a tendency to increase. In each subject, knee extensors showed a high fatigue rate but a quick recovery, while knee flexors showed a low fatigue rate but a slow recovery. As the marathon runners had the smallest fatigue rates for both flexors and extensors, we concluded that marathon runners had more stamina than baseball players and soccer players.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the postsynaptic effects of aminoglycosides on contractions evoked by acetylcholine (ACh), KCl, electrical field stimulation (EFS) and Na(+)- and Ca(2+)-free Ringer solution with 0.2 mM Na2 EDTA (NaFCaFR) in the isolated frog rectus abdominis. Neomycin inhibited contraction elicited by ACh, NaFCaFR, and EFS at the higher frequencies (8 and 10 Hz) but not those elicited by KCl and EFS at the lower frequencies (2, 3 and 5 Hz). D-tubocurarine inhibited ACh-induced contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, drug reduced EFS-evoked contractions to a limited extent. Lower concentrations (10(-5), 5 x 10(-5), 10(-4), 2 x 10(-4) and 3 x 10(-4) M) but not higher concentrations (4 x 10(-4) and 5 x 10(-4) M) of methoxyverapamil exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibitory action on NaFCaFR-induced contractions. Similar inhibitions of the same type of contraction were displayed by aminoglycosides (neomycin, streptomycin, netilmycin, gentamycin and amikacin). These results suggest that in addition to their antagonistic action on nicotinic receptors in the frog rectus abdominis, aminoglycosides may exert stabilizing effects on some functional components contributing to contractions at the membrane.

The purpose of this study was to verify the differences in women's anxiety in old age, the expected long-term care provision, and the expected final location for terminal care for the women themselves and for their parents. In addition, we examined factors that related to their anxiety and needs. The subjects were 1,000 women of the Seikatsu Club customer cooperative association in Chiba; 539 responded to our survey. The subjects were more anxious for their parents than for themselves. They more strongly expected long-term care for their parents to be provided by their family than they expected the same for themselves. Although no differences were observed in the expected location for terminal care, most subjects expected their home to be the terminal location. Analysis by the multiple logistic regression model indicated that the following factors were significantly related to the anxiety in old age: age odds ratio [OR = 1.81], employment [OR = 2.25] for women, and planning to live with parents [OR = 2.42], housing conditions [OR = 0.56] for parents. The following factors were significantly related to the expected long-term care provision: age [OR = 2.22] for women, and age [OR = 2.15], living with parents [OR = 3.58], and employment [OR = 2.33] for parents. Age [OR = 2.14] for women, and planning to live with parents [OR = 2.09] for parents were significantly related to the expected final location of terminal care. This survey showed that women expected long-term care for their parents to be provided by their family, while many expected public long-term care services for themselves. This is the biggest difference in women's outlook on long-term care for their parents and for themselves. Multivariate analysis suggested that women aged 40 years or over, who will need long-term care in the future, tended to expect public home care services for themselves. It is virtually certain that the demand for public home care services will increase in the future.

We investigated the presence of osteocyte apoptosis in the necrotic trabeculae of the femoral head of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) using the in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and transmission electron microscopy. The occurrence of osteonecrosis and ossification disturbance was significantly higher in SHR compared with Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, and Wistar (WT) rats used as control animals (P < 0.01). A high population of TUNEL positive osteocytes was detected mainly in 10- and 15-week-old SHRs. Sectioned examination of the femoral head of SHRs and WKY rats by electron microscopy revealed apoptotic cell appearances such as aggregation of chromatin particles and lipid formation. In contrast, a positive reaction was significantly lower in osteocytes in the femoral heads of WT rats (P < 0.01). Our results indicate that apoptosis forms an important component of the global pathologic process affecting the femoral head of SHR, which leads to osteonecrosis in this region.

Annexin was purified from rat liver mitochondria to an apparent homogeneity with a molecular weight of 35 kDa as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified mitochondrial annexin (AXmito) was identified as annexin I by an immunoblot analysis using anti-annexin I antibody. The inhibitory effect of AXmito I on porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 activity was as potent as that of bovine lung annexin I. The presence of annexin I in mitochondria was confirmed by an electron-microscopic study. AXmito I was shown to be phosphorylated by intrinsic protein tyrosine kinases on its tyrosine residues. This annexin was also phosphorylated by protein kinase C.

The Thoratec (Vectra) polyurethane vascular access graft (TPVA) is among the most recent additions to the list of materials used to construct prosthetic grafts for vascular access during hemodialysis. We give the TPVA very high marks, and recognize the utility of such a graft for use in hemodialysis. However, the strong elasticity of this graft can lead to unexpected complications after suturing. We devised a new surgical method using a TPVA-ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) composite graft, substituting the anastomosis section of the TPVA with a portion of ePTFE graft material, and have been able to overcome most of the TPVA's potential problems. We herein describe the technique.

A sharp rise in the number of patients with infectious gastroenteritis was observed in the 25th week of year 1996 in the Takahashi-Ashin district by researchers with the Infectious Disease Surveillance Program for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases in the Okayama Prefecture. This sharp rise occurred coincidentally with an outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC O157) infection in Niimi City of the Takahashi-Ashin district. However, this phenomenon of coincidental outbreaks was not observed during the outbreak of EHEC O157 infection in Oku Cho. By reviewing outpatients' charts in a sentinel hospital in Niimi City for the Infectious Disease Surveillance Program, it was noted that patients with acute gastrointestinal infection visiting the hospital during the increased incidence of infectious gastroenteritis may have been included as misclassified cases of EHEC O157 infection. On the other hand, the exponential probability plotting of symptomatic patients with EHEC O157 infection in Niimi City revealed a breaking point which suggested a dual exposure to contaminated food or an overlap with other acute gastrointestinal infections. The latter possibility was discounted, because stool culture-positive patients with EHEC O157 infection also exhibited a similar breaking point, and furthermore, the coincidental increase in infectious gastroenteritis in the same area was attributable to the EHEC O157 infection. The present study demonstrates the association between the sharp rise in gastroenteritis and the outbreak of EHEC O157 in the Takahashi-Ashin district. A careful analysis of the cases of infectious gastroenteritis by the Infectious Disease Surveillance Program would have predicted the outbreak of EHEC O157.

A study was conducted to analyze the distribution and diameter of muscle fiber types in samples of the medial paravertebral lumbar muscle, i.e., multifidus muscle, obtained from 76 patients who underwent surgery for disc herniation. The samples were compared with 41 control samples of corresponding muscle tissue taken from 41 young healthy subjects who had died a sudden death. Histochemical analysis of fibers associated with myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) revealed the presence of Type I fibers (slow-twitch fibers) and of Type IIA and IIB fibers (fast-twitch fibers) in both the experimental and control samples. The respective percentage of muscle fibers was calculated and their diameters were measured. Type I fibers predominated in both groups and were significantly larger in diameter than Type IIA and IIB fibers. Both fast-twitch fiber types were distributed in almost equal proportions in the healthy women. In the healthy men, Type IIA fibers prevailed. In the healthy females, the percentage of Type I fibers was found to be slightly higher than in the males, but the diameter of all fiber types was respectively smaller. In the females who had undergone surgery, Type I fibers were significantly larger in diameter than those of the healthy subjects. On the other hand, the diameters of all muscle fiber types were significantly larger, and the percentage of both fast-twitch fibers were Idwer in the samples from men who underwent surgery, as compared to the healthy tissue samples. The morphometric changes in the multifidus muscle at the level of the protruded disc observed by the histochemical method for demonstration of myofibrillar ATPase could not be related to the compressed nerve root in the majority of cases in our study.

The rat model is ideal for investigating various reactions to small intestinal transplantation (SIT). The conventional surgical model (hand-suture method), however, requires microsurgical techniques and remains difficult for beginners to perform at a high success rate. We have employed the SIT model using the cuff method, by which the vessels are anastomosed without sutures. All of the fellows who used the hand-suture models needed over 8 +/- 5.8 months until they achieved a 70% success rate. In contrast, the fellows employing the cuff method mastered SIT models after 6 weeks' practice. The cuff technique is a simplified and quickly mastered alternative to the hand-suture method that may be desirable for researchers who wish to apply the method to SIT experiments and whose primary purpose is not microsurgery.

We have developed a reliable internally controlled RT-nested PCR method for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA using in vitro synthesized Renilla luciferase (Rluc) RNA as an internal control. Using this method, the 5'-noncoding region of HCV RNA (144 nucleotides) and Rluc RNA (276 nucleotides) were efficiently amplified in a single tube, and the sensitivity and specificity of this method were comparable to standard RT-nested PCR. This method was successfully performed on RNA specimens obtained from in vitro HCV-infected human hepatocyte PH5CH8 cells, which support HCV replication. In addition, we demonstrated that this method was useful for the evaluation of antiviral reagents by confirming the anti-HCV activity of bovine lactoferrin, which we previously found to be a new inhibitor of HCV infection. Therefore, this method may be useful for the studies of not only HCV but also of other viruses.

The accessory ascending cervical artery (Murakami et al., 1996), which arises from the subclavian artery and ascends between the scalenus anterior and medius muscles, was studied in 87 Japanese adult cadavers (174 sides), with special attention being given to its origin, distribution, and relationship to other arteries at the cervical or scalenus region. In 154 sides (88.5%), the accessory ascending cervical artery was found to originate from the subclavian artery behind the scalenus anterior muscle, and to branch out to the scalenus anterior and medius muscles as well as those entering the 5th and 6th intervertebral foramens along the 6th and 7th cervical nerves. This artery arose independently in 105 sides. The accessory ascending cervical artery issued off or formed a common trunk with the transverse cervical artery and/or costocervical trunk in 49 sides. In cases lacking the accessory ascending cervical artery, it was usually compensated for by the costocervial trunk and/or transverse cervical artery (18 sides). Common trunk formation with the vertebral, internal thoracic, or suprascapular arteries was not observed. The authors suggest that the accessory ascending cervical artery, the transverse cervical artery, and the costocervical trunk should be grouped into one arterial system, a system that may be a remnant of the precostal longitudinal anastomoses of intersegmental arteries of the dorsal aorta behind the scalenus anterior muscle.

A 54-year-old woman presented a massive hematochezia 7 days after sigmoidectomy. Repeated colonoscopy and angiography failed to locate the site of bleeding and Hartman's operation was performed. Rebleeding from the rectum on the day of operation occurred and pulsate arterial bleeding with minimal surrounding ulcer 1 cm above the pectinate line was observed. Screlotherapy with ethanol and electro coagulation was successfully performed to achieve permanent hemostasis. The importance of detailed rectal examination and an awareness of this clinical entity in life-threatening lower intestinal bleeding is discussed.

We examined the effects of FK506 and its non-immunosuppressive derivative, GPI1046, on H2O2-induced reduction of cell viability and apoptotic cell death in Neuro 2A cells. Our results suggest that the protective properties of GPI1046 against H2O2-induced reduction of cell viability are equipotent with those of FK506 and may be mediated by increased intracellular concentrations of glutathione (GSH). In addition, both FK506 and GPI1046 prevented apoptotic cell death in Neuro 2A cells, although the antiapoptotic effect of FK506 was somewhat stronger than that of GPI1046. These findings suggest that non-immunosuppressive immunophilin ligands such as GPI1046 might be potentially useful in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases without serious side effects such as immune deficiency.

Fifty-one children (median age: 4.5 years; 4 months-16 years) diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma were treated in our center between 1980-1999. The primary sites were head and neck in 31.4%, the genito-urinary system in 21.6%, and extremities in 9.8% of the patients. The histopathologic subtypes were embryonal in 80.4%, alveolar in 9.8%, and undifferentiated in 9.8%. The majority of the patients were considered group III (47%) and group IV (25.5%) according the criteria of the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS). Primary total tumour resection was performed in only 27.5% of the patients. The patients were treated with assigned regimens of IRS II and IRS III protocols. Radiotherapy was applied to 92.1% of the patients. Thirty-four patients (66.7%) were lost to follow up, and of the remaining 17 patients, 7 patients (41.2%) died, relapse occurred in 9 patients (52.9%) and 10 patients (58.8%) are alive. The percentage of cases lost to follow up during the first 10 years and the following 9 years of the study were 77.4% and 50%, respectively. In compliance with cancer treatment remains a major problem in developing countries.

We analyzed 150 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from 1990 to 1996 (i) to evaluate the frequency of drug resistance, (ii) to elucidate factors influencing the response to chemotherapy, and (iii) to attempt to improve the therapeutic approach. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis strains were not found. By univariate analysis, there were 8 factors associated with an increased sputum conversion time: male gender, prior treatment, complications, progressive chest radiographic findings, a high Ziehl-Neelsen stain score, lymphocytopenia, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and hypoproteinemia. Complications, prior treatment, a high Ziehl-Neelsen stain score, and a high ESR were independent predictive factors in a Cox proportional hazard model. Recursive partitioning and amalgamation (RPA) defined 3 subgroups that responded to treatment. In order to reduce the time to sputum conversion, poor responders according to the RPA should be treated with a 4-drug regimen containing pyrazinamide.

We developed a sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum DNA from mosquitoes collected in the field. Plasmodium falciparum was detected from 15.2% of 1-parous mosquitoes, Anopheles farauti, in the Solomon Islands through use of the PCR method. A novel mathematical model was developed to estimate the sporozoite rate based on the malaria-positive rate of 1-parous mosquitoes. Using this model, the sporozoite rate of Anopheles farauti in the Solomon Islands was calculated to be 0.09%. This method enables estimation of the sporozoite rate based on a relatively small number (100-200) of mosquitoes compared with the number needed for the ELISA method.

Cellulose acetate polymer (CAP) solution is a new liquid embolic material, and it has been used clinically for the thrombosis of cerebral aneurysms. The purpose of the study was to test a method of aneurysm treatment. In an experimental model, retrievable interlocking detachable coils (IDCs) were used to create an intraaneurysmal frame or prop and then CAP was injected into 20 experimentally induced canine cervical aneurysms. Intraaneurysmal thrombosis was induced 1 week after aneurysm creation. Complete thrombosis was attempted in 12 aneurysms, and partial thrombosis was attempted in 4. Four other aneurysms served as controls. Follow-up angiography was performed for up to 8 weeks, and with the exception of 4 aneurysms, which were kept for a 2-year long-term follow-up study, the aneurysms were then harvested for histological examination. Thrombosis was successfully achieved in all cases except for 2 enlarged aneurysms that were initially partially thrombosed. No thromboembolism to distal vessels was observed. No compaction or shift of the CAP-IDC complex occurred even after 2 years. Histologically, CAP and IDCs conformed to the massive thrombotic complex without any fragmentation. By creating a frame or prop with retrievable microcoils, we were able to inject the CAP implies a comparison safely and precisely than has been previously reported. Our findings suggest that this method will be useful for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms.

The applications of ultraviolet (UV) light (336 nm) on the upper oesophageal strips of frog elicited relaxant responses in the presence of NaNO2 (50 microM). The tissues were mounted under the tension 0.5 g in an organ bath containing Ringer solution, maintained at 25 degrees C and gassed with 100% O2. The responses were recorded on a kymograph via an isotonic lever. Antimegaloblastic agents, including hydroxocobalamin (1, 10, and 100 microM), cyanocobalamin (1, 10, 25, and 100 microM), and folic acid (1, 10, 50, 100, and 200 microM), significantly attenuated the relaxation response to UV light. Folinic acid (1, 10, 25, and 100 microM), however, enhanced the relaxation. Pyrogallol (50 microM), hydroquinone (50 microM), and diethyldithiocarbamic acid (8 mM) were found ineffective for attenuation, though FeSO4 (200, 400, and 500 microM) and hemoglobin (50 microM), respectively, exerted significant inhibition. L-arginine methylester (500 microM) did not impair UV-induced relaxation. Based on these results, we concluded that a mechanism involving undefined action(s) of antimegaloblastic drugs may cause alterations in the UV light-induced relaxation of the tissue used.

Although the rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) improves both exercise capacity and quality of life, a standard protocol for COPD patients has not been established. To clarify whether physiologic and quality-of-life improvements can be achieved by an inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program 5 days per week for 3 weeks, 18 patients with COPD were enrolled in a rehabilitation program. The physical exercise training regimen consisted of respiratory muscle stretch gymnastics and cycle ergometer exercise training. Pulmonary function tests, an incremental ergometer exercise test, a 6-min walking test, and a quality of life assessment by the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire were administered before and after the program. The peak VO2, an indicator of maximal exercise capacity, did not increase, although the 6-min walking distance, an indicator of functional exercise capacity, increased significantly after rehabilitation. There was a significant improvement in the quality of life in terms of dyspnea, fatigue, and emotional state. These findings suggest that even a 3-week program may be beneficial for COPD patients. Increases in functional exercise capacity, even without an increase in maximal exercise capacity, are helpful for reducing dyspnea and improving quality of life parameters in patients with COPD.

1. Die Azetonkorperausscheidung im Harn von hungernden Hundinnen wird in vielen Fallen am 2. Tage nach der Karenz vermindert, obwohl sie im Laufe der Hungertage innerhalb ziemlich weiter Grenzen schwankt. 2. Bei hungernden Hundinnen wird die Azetonkorperausschei dung im Harn durch Zufuhr von Cholsaure vermebrt. 3. Durch Hunger wird der Gehalt an Azeton im Blut nicht beeinfluβt, wohl aber wird der an Azetessigsaure etwas vermehrt. 4. Durch Zufuhr von Cholsaure wird der Gebalt an Azeton sowie Azetessigsaure im Blut von hungernden Hundinnen vermehrt.