We examined the effect of running training on regional cardiac myosin isozyme composition in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley strain rats (4 weeks old) were used, and divided into two groups: sedentary control (C) and trained (T) groups. The T group was trained by treadmill running (40 m/min, 1h/day, 5 days/week, for 12 weeks) . At 16 weeks old, their hearts were excised. The left ventricle was separated into the subendocardium (Endo) and subepicardium (Epi) by dissecting the ventricle at the mid-wall. The ventricular myosin isozymes were examined by electrophoresis on pyrophosphate gel under non-dissociating conditions. The results showed the following: 1) The relative heart weight of the T group was significantly higher than the C group. 2) Left ventricular myosin isozyme composition showed a region-specific distribution in the C rats, and the proportion of V3 myosin or β-myosin heavy chain in the Endo was significantly higher than that of the Epi. However, the training had no effect on the cardiac myosin isozyme in either portion. 3) The activity of citrate synthase did not show transmural gradient in the ventricle of C animals. Training had no effect on the activities of either portion. 4) The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) showed transmural gradient in the ventricle of C rats. Training-induced changes in the activity of LDH were found in both portions, therefore, training abolished the transmural gradient in the activity of LDH, suggesting a corresponding redistribution of the myocardial work load.
These results indicate that running training might induce the redistribution of the myocardial work load, whereas the stimulation apparently has no effect on the regional distribution of cardiac myosin isozyme composition.

In this study, we investigated the effects of prolonged voluntary running training on bone mass in the tiba of growing male SD rats. At 5 weeks old, the rats were divided into 4 groups : group 15 VE (n=7) exercised voluntarily on a running wheel for 10 weeks from 5- to 15-weeks old ; group 35 VE (n=7) exercised voluntarily on a running wheel for 30 weeks from 5- to 35-weeks old ; in groups 15SC (n=6) and 35 SC (n=5), rats were housed individually in normal plastic cages for the same periods as groups 15 VE and 35 VE, respectively. At the end of each experimental period, the right tibia from each rat was used for bone- mass analysis using peripheral quantitative cumputed tomography (pQCT) . The evaluated portions were the proximal methaphysis and the diaphysis, with total, cortical, and trabecular data from these portions being obtained as volumetric bone mineral content (vBMC) and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) . The results indicated that 1) although voluntary running distance tended to decline during the later period (1635 wk old) in 35 VE rats, some mean values obtained for bone mass parameters using pQCT were significant greater in 35 VE than in 35SC ; 2) the mean values from those parameters in 15 VE were not significantly different from those in 15 SC. These results suggest that the continuation of voluntary exercise may be important for bone- mass enhancement in rat tibia.

The purpose of this study was to assess the status of nutrients intake in male Japanese collegiate athletes. Each 20 of baseball (B), soccer (S), volley ball (V), and long distance (L) athletes participated in this study. The B, S, and V athletes lived by themselves, whereas the L athletes lived in an athletes dormitory with provided meal. The nutritional status was assessed for 2 days. Mean energy intakes in the B, S, V, and L groups were 43.6, 53.7, 47.0, and 55.0 kcal/kg body weight, respectively. Mean protein intakes were 1.2, 1.6, 1.3 and 2.4 g/kg, respectively. In B athletes, skipping of breakfast was recognized frequently. Most of micronutrients intakes in the B, S, and V groups were less than the recommended dietary allowances for athletes. We suggest that a provided meal system is a better system for collegiate athletes and more nutritional education is necessary for Japanese male collegiate athletes, in particular, those living by themselves.

A main symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is fatigue which continues for more than 6 months and does not improve with rest, leading to a marked decrease in quality of life. Other problems include fever, sleep disorder, and headache. Etiologically, a preceding viral infection, immunological disorder, and changes in the central nervous system, especially in hippocampus have been reported. However, the precise pathogenesis of CFS has not been elucidated, and neither diagnostic markers nor effective treatments have yet to be discovered. Here, we report a case of CFS, successfully treated with Kampo medicines.
The patient was a 16-year-old high school student, who had received medical therapy for one year under the diagnosis of CFS. His chief complaint was a continuing fever and strong malaise after influenza infection. At his visit to our outpatient clinic, we confirmed that his symptoms met the criteria for CFS. A combination treatment with Kampo medicine (sanoshashinto) and duloxetine improved his malaise and fatigue in 4 weeks, but fever and anorexia remained. The addition of hochuekkito to the combination dramatically ameliorated his symptoms. This case suggests that Kampo medicines would contribute to the effective treatment of CFS, which is refractory to Western medicines.

Maximal oxygen uptake (Vo₂max) and lactate threshold were measured during an incremental bicycle ergometer test in 40 healthy middle-aged and older runners between 43 and 79 years of age. Although the 10-km run time slowed with increasing age, there were no significant differences in recent training habits or relative amount of body fat between four age groups. However, our cross-sectional data revealed an annual decrement of -0.74 ml/kg/ min/yr, which was significantly greater than that reported in previous studies. Vo₂max values for the runners were greater than those for sedentary men of similar ages by about 50% in each age group. Significant correlations were found between the age at the onset of running training and Vo₂max (r=-0.600, p<0.05) . Vo₂@LT declined significantly but less rapidly with age (r=0.686, p<0.05) than Vo₂max. Both the mean maximal heart rate (HRmax) and HR@LT also declined with age. No significant differences in HRmax were observed between the runners and sedentary men of the respective age groups. Significant correlations were also found between the estimated HRmax and directly measured HRmax (r=0.600) . Neither systolic blood pressure nor diastolic blood pressure during submaximal-maximal exercise were found to increase with age. We suggest that maintenance of a higher lactate threshold in older runners when expressed as a percentage of Vo₂max is attributable to a greater age-dependent decline in Vo₂max with a smaller change in Vo₂@LT.

Introduction : We examined the characteristics of paralytic scoliosis using plain radiography.Subjects and methods : We recruited fourteen patients aged ≥ 15 years old with no history of bone surgery at the time of their final observation. Participants included those who had cerebral palsy or those who had a history of encephalitis and underwent spinal frontal plain radiography in the supine position at different time points. We evaluated gross motor function, position and direction of the curve, Cobb angle, rate of variability, and degree of progression at 5-year intervals. We measured the percentage of migration using hip frontal plain radiography to assess hip dislocation.Results : The final Cobb angles were 82.0°, 118.4°, and 92.3°for the thoracic, thoracolumbar (TL), and lumbar curvatures, respectively. TL curvatures showed the greatest progression, although this was not statistically significant. The progression was greatest in the 10-15-year age group (12.5°annually). The final Cobb angles in the hip dislocation, subluxation, and no dislocation groups were 102.8°, 108.8°, and 87.5°, respectively；the difference was not statistically significant. No relationship was observed between the location or progression of curvature and the state of the hip location.Discussion : Paralytic scoliosis progressed most rapidly in 10-15-year-old patients, especially in those with TL lesions. We did not detect any relationships between hip dislocation and Cobb angle, but these parameters progressed at different rates in different patients.