In this study, we investigated the effect of acute exercise on the mitochondrial structure of hepatocytes surrounding the terminal hepatic venule (zone III) in the rat liver acinus. Male SD rats were assigned to a resting group (n=8) and to running groups ran on a motor-driven treadmill for 100 min (n = 8) or did continued running beyond 100 min until exhaustion (n = 5) . Plasma guanase activity was increased with duration time of exercise. The arterial ketone body rate (AKBR) increased during the 100 min of running, but the AKBR significantly diminished with exhaustive running as compared with that for 100 min of running. Although there was no change in the mitochondrial structure of hepatocytes in the perportal area (zone I) during exhaustion, remarkable swelling was observed in that in zone III.
These results suggest that acute running affects mitochondrial structures in zone III, and that this might be a hypoxia zone during exercise.

It is generally accepted that exercise induces a decrease in splanchnic circulation, because of the increase of blood in working skeletal muscle. On the other hand, ingestion of a meal increases blood flow in splanchnic circulation. However, it remains to be clarified whether splanchnic circulation decreases due to exercise after ingestion of a meal. The present study examined the effect of different intensities of cycling exercise after ingestion of a carbohydrate-drink on portal venous blood flow, blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma catecholamine concentrations. Six volunteers ingested 200 ml of martodextrine solution (12%) [M (200) ] before 20 min exercise sessions of 30% maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and 60% VO₂max. Before and after the exercise sessions, portal venous blood flow was measured by a combined ultrasonic system of an electronic sector scanner and pulsed Doppler flowmeter. Portal venous blood flow in the exercise at 30% VO₂max increased due to the M (200) ingestion. However, a decrease in portal blood flow resulting from exercise at 60% VO₂max was observed in spite of a M (200) ingestion compared with portal blood flow after both rest and the exercise at 30% VO₂max. Immediately after exercise, an increase in blood glucose and serum insulin level was shown for 30% VO₂max with M (200), but not 60% VO₂max. In addition, plasma epinephrine concentration after taking M (200) did not increase as a result of either exercise intensity.
These results suggest that the response of portal venous blood flow caused by carbohydratedrink ingestion immediately before exercise is influenced by exercise intensity, and it corresponds to the changes in blood glucose, serum insulin and plasma epinephrine. We concluded that ingestion of food, rather than exercise, has a regulatory action in splanchnic circulation in low intensity exercise.

Background: The purpose of this study were to investigate the survival rate of patients with cervical cancer who were treated at our institution and to analyse its prognostic factors.Methods: One hundred twenty-two patients who underwent treatment for primary cervical cancer at Kochi Municipal Hospital between January 1996 and August 2003 (7 years 8 months) were retrospectively reviewed. There were 59 patients (48.4%) with stage 0 disease. Sixty-three patients (51.6%) had stage I-IV cervical cancer. The mean age was 56.7±15.6 years, and the median follow-up period was 31 months.Results: The overall 5-year suvival rate was 96.4% and 77.1% in stage I and II, respectively. The overall 3-year survival rate was 56.3% in stage III, and the 30-month survival rate was 0% in stage IV. Among the risk factors of histologic cell type, clinical parametrial involvement, clinical vaginal involvement and pelvic lymph node metastasis, clinical parametrial involvement had the lowest p value (p=0.0717) in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.;;Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that among the risk factors of histologic cell type, clinical parametrial involvement, clinical vaginal involvement and pelvic lymph mode metastasts, the lowest p value (p=0.0717) was for clinical parametrial involvement.Conclusion: Although there was no statistical significance comparing the prognostic factors in multivariate analysis, it was presumed that clinical parametrial involvement was the most influential factor among those which were analyzed in this study on the prognosis of patients with stage I-IV cervical cancer.
Clinical ; Diagnostic Neoplasm Staging ; Cervical Cancer ; lower case pea ; Roman Numeral IV

 In Horokanai town, Hokkaido, the policy of full subsidies for voluntary vaccinations against influenza, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), varicella, mumps, pneumococcal for children and human papillomavirus (HPV) was introduced between 2008 and 2010. A campaign for community education about vaccination was initiated.
 Vaccination coverage improved after the subsidy as follows : influenza vaccination increased from 57.4% to 60.1%, Hib from 2.9% to 52.2%, varicella from 0% to 30.0%, mumps from 2.8% to 38.2%, pneumococcal for children from 1.3% to 50.6%, and HPV from 0% to 81.3%.

PURPOSE: The pathological mechanism of lumbar spinal stenosis is reduced blood flow in nerve roots and degeneration of nerve roots. Exercise and prostaglandin E1 is used for patients with peripheral arterial disease to increase capillary flow around the main artery and improve symptoms; however, the ankle-brachial index (ABI), an estimation of blood flow in the main artery in the leg, does not change after treatment. Lumbar spinal nerve roots contain somatosensory, somatomotor, and unmyelinated autonomic nerves. Improved blood flow by medication with prostaglandin E1 and decompression surgery in these spinal nerve roots may improve the function of nerve fibers innervating muscle, capillary, and main vessels in the lower leg, resulting in an increased ABI. The purpose of the study was to examine whether these treatments can improve ABI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seven patients who received conservative treatment such as exercise and medication (n=56) or surgical treatment (n=51) were included. Low back pain and leg pain scores, walking distance, and ABI were measured before treatment and after 3 months of conservative treatment alone or surgical treatment followed by conservative treatment. RESULTS: Low back pain, leg pain, and walking distance significantly improved after both treatments (p<0.05). ABI significantly increased in each group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first investigation of changes in ABI after treatment in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Improvement of the spinal nerve roots by medication and decompression surgery may improve the supply of blood flow to the lower leg in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alprostadil/therapeutic use ; *Ankle Brachial Index ; Decompression, Surgical/methods ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain/drug therapy/physiopathology/surgery/*therapy ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain/surgery ; Spinal Nerve Roots/physiopathology ; Spinal Stenosis/physiopathology/*surgery/*therapy ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of conservative and surgical treatments for nocturnal leg cramps in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Nocturnal leg cramps is frequently observed in patients with peripheral neuropathy. However, there have been few reports on the relationship between nocturnal leg cramps and LSS, and it remains unknown whether conservative or surgical intervention has an impact on leg cramps in patients with LSS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 130 LSS patients with low back and leg pain. Conservative treatment such as exercise, medication, and epidural block was used in 66 patients and surgical treatment such as decompression or decompression and fusion was performed in 64 patients. Pain scores and frequency of nocturnal leg cramps were evaluated based on self-reported questionnaires completed before and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The severity of low back and leg pain was higher and the incidence of nocturnal leg cramps was significantly higher before treatment in the surgically treated group compared with the conservatively treated group. Pain scores improved in both groups after the intervention. The incidence of nocturnal leg cramps was significantly improved by surgical treatment (p=0.027), but not by conservative treatment (p=0.122). CONCLUSION: The findings of this prospective study indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with LSS and severity of symptoms. Pain symptoms were improved by conservative or surgical treatment, but only surgery improved nocturnal leg cramps in patients with LSS. Thus, these results indicate that the prevalence of nocturnal leg cramps is associated with spinal nerve compression by LSS.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Humans ; Leg/*pathology ; Low Back Pain/epidemiology/etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain/*epidemiology/*etiology ; Prospective Studies ; Questionnaires ; Spinal Stenosis/*complications/*physiopathology/surgery