Aim
  The study aimed to develop an appropriate in vivo rat model of muscle strain to investigate whether electroacupuncture is useful for improving muscle strain.
Methods
  An in vivo muscle strain model was developed with Wistar rats by the eccentric contraction (EC) evoked by pulling their hind limb with a stainless-steel wire that was connected to a weight; the EC was given under anesthesia during tetanic contraction in their gastrocnemius evoking by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. Development of muscle strain was evaluated by comparing the muscle tension induced by the twitch of the gastrocnemius, pain thresholds measured using the Randall-Selitto test, and the serum creatine kinase (CK) activity between the following three experimental groups : EC×1 group, EC was temporarily evoked to their hind limb only once (n=10); EC×5 group, EC was temporarily evoked to their hind limb five times consecutively (n=6); and control group, EC was not evoked to their hind limb (n=6). After confirming the absence of a significant difference in the parameters between the two EC conditions, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) was evaluated using the model of one-time EC (EA group n=10). At 12 hours after EC, EA was carried out at a frequency of 50 Hz and an intensity of 0.5 mA for 15 min; this stimulation was given for six consecutive days.
Results
  Muscle tension, pain thresholds, and the CK activity showed no remarkable changes in the control group during the experimental period. A significant decrease in the muscle tension was observed after EC in the EC×1 and EC×5 groups, and the decrease sustained until 48 and 24 hours after EC, respectively. Pain thresholds in the EC×1 and EC×5 groups were significantly lower than those in the control group at each of the time periods studied after EC, and were sustained at least until 120 hours after EC. The CK activity increased in the EC×1 and the EC×5 groups at 30 minutes after EC. Recovery in muscle tension after EC was faster in the EA group than in the EC×1 group. Pain thresholds also showed faster recovery in the EA group than in the EC×1 group, indicating statistically significant differences at 72, 96, and 120 hours after EC.
Discussion
  The in vivo rat model, which was developed in the present study, was considered to be an appropriate model of muscle strain because it clearly showed a decrease in the muscle tension and pain thresholds, and an elevation in the CK activity. EA was considered to be capable of accelerating the recovery of muscle strain as it was found to improve muscle tension and pain thresholds in the model.

[Objective]Daily repetitive exercise is known to be necessary for players in sports. In this study, to further explore the potential functions of acupuncture, we studied whether electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation has efficacy for repetitive exercise-induced oxidative stress.
[Methods]Six healthy male volunteers participated in both the non-treatment control group and the EA group in a crossover design. EA stimulation was applied to both the medial vastus muscles at 2 Hz and optimum intensity for each subject during ten min just before each exercise period. The subject performed ergometer exercise for 20 min with 75%of maximal oxygen uptake each day. This exercise period was performed once a day for three consecutive days. Blood lactate level (BLL) and plasma lipid peroxide (LP) concentration were measured as the markers for metabolism and oxidative stress, respectively. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the individual level of fatigue due to exercise.
[Results]During and just after the exercise period, each value of BLL in the EA group was lower than the same points in the control group. Whereas LP concentrations before the exercise period on the first day in the control group was higher than the values in the same points on the second and third days. LP concentrations before the exercise period in the EA group were almost the same levels for three days. Furthermore, after the exercise period for the three consecutive days, LP concentrations and VAS in the EA group were lower than each value of the same points in the control group, and especially, the alteration of VAS showed a significant difference.
[Conclusion]The increased tendency of LP concentrations before the exercise period for three days in the control group indicated that repetitive exercise induced the accumulation of excess lipid peroxide. It might be suggested that EA stimulation suppressed subjective fatigue by an enhanced energy metabolic rate and decreased production of lipid peroxide. Hence the evidence strongly supported that EA stimulation might be useful for sports conditioning.

Effects of 38°C 30-minute bathing on hemostatic function and autonomic nervous function were studied in 15 48-to-72-year-old patients with cerebral infarction. Blood samples were collected three times: immediately before the bathing, at the end of 30 minutes of bathing, and 30 minutes after the bathing. Hematocrit values and fibrinogen concentrations decreased during bathing and returned to the pre-bathing levels 30 minutes after bathing. This indicates that bathing caused hemodilution due to the fluid shift. During bathing, noradrenaline decreased at a rate significantly higher than that of hemodilution while the sympathetic nervous function, which was evaluated by spectral analysis of sequential variation in arterial blood pressure, was not suppressed. The autonomic nervous system seemed to be inactive in these patients. Coagulation time (PT and APTT) and platelet factor (β-TG and PF4) showed few changes. In the fibrinolytic system, however, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen levels increased and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) levels decreased after 30 minutes of bathing. This suggests that fibrinolytic activity was enhanced by 38°C bathing for 30 minutes. Thus, subthermal bathing with comfort may be useful in preventing cerebral infarction.

Because adenine is effective for managing cases of radiation-induced and drug-induced leukopenia, it may be effective in cases of antipsychotic-induced leukopenia and neutropenia. Here, we report our experience with patients with leukopenia and neutropenia caused by an antipsychotic overdose or discontinuation of lithium carbonate, in whom adenine administration ameliorated the white blood cell and neutrophil counts. The progress of patients suggests that adenine is effective in cases of leukopenia and neutropenia associated with lithium carbonate discontinuation and an antipsychotic overdose.
Adenine* ; Antipsychotic Agents* ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Leukopenia* ; Lithium Carbonate* ; Lithium* ; Neutropenia* ; Neutrophils

No abstract available.
Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Keloid* ; Thorax*

Animals ; Desmin ; analysis ; genetics ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Kidney Glomerulus ; chemistry ; Nephrosis ; metabolism ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; analysis ; genetics ; Nestin ; Podocytes ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Vimentin ; analysis ; genetics

Background: Extensive calcification of the mitral annulus (MAC) represents a problem for mitral surgery due to a technical difficulty for implanting prosthetic valves, because the calcium does not allow placing direct sutures through the annulus and para-prosthetic leakage or cardiac rupture may result. We describe our experience with mitral valve surgery with or without decalcification of the annulus. Methods: Since 2005, we performed mitral valve operations in 1,327 patients and among them, severe mitral annular calcification was present in 25 (1.9%). Results: The mean age was 75±9 years and there were 6 men and 19 women, with hemodialysis in 4. Mitral valve replacement (MVR) was performed in all patients. A concomitant operation was aortic valve replacement in 19 and coronary artery bypass grafting in 4 patients. The MAC was resected in 14 (Group-R) and was excluded in 11 (Group-E). In-hospital mortality was four patients in Group-R. The cause of death was congestive heart failure in two, cerebellar infarction in one, and respiratory failure in one. Postoperative morbidity included one patient with reexploration and one with prolonged respiratory failure The aortic cross clamp time was a mean of 180±44 min (range 108∼266 min) in Group-R and 139±32 min (range 61∼186 min) in Group-E (p=0.009). The size of the prosthetic mitral valve was 24.3±1.0 mm in Group-R and 24.6±0.8 mm in Group-E (p=0.618). The postoperative echocardiography showed no abnormal mean pressure gradient of mitral valve prosthesis nor para-valvular leak in any patients in either group. Conclusions: The mitral valve replacement without annular decalcification in a severely calcified mitral annulus is a safe and an effective approach in an elderly patient.

Objective : Carvedilol is a non-selective β blocker with an α blocking activity. Since this drug is highly fat-soluble, it can pass through the blood-brain barrier, and thus may induce depression and lower QOL. In the present study, physicians and pharmacists collaborated to evaluate the antihypertension effect of carvedilol and post-administration changes in QOL. Furthermore, the relationship between QOL and antihypertension effect was analyzed.
Design : Self-controlled study.
Patients and Methods : Subjects were outpatients with hypertension above the age of 70 years who visited one of 42 medical institutions in Japan between April 1995 and March 1996. A total of 243 patients were registered, and 10-20 mg of carvedilol was administered once a day for six months. Pharmacists assessed the QOL of these patients by asking 82 questions on three separate occasions : before administration and one and six months after administration. The antihypertensive effect of this drug was investigated in patients in whom all three QOL questionnaires were collected. The main test items were antihypertensive effect, changes in QOL (subjective QOL with a special emphasis on patient psychology), and the relationship between antihypertensive effect and QOL. The antihypertensive effect of this drug was statistically analyzed by a paired t-test, and changes in QOL were statistically analyzed using generalized estimating equations.
Results : All three QOL questionnaires were collected from a total of 146 patients. Their pre-administration systolic blood pressure was 159.6±1.4 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure 94.0±0.9 mmHg, and their blood pressure decreased significantly one month after the start of administration. This antihypertensive effect of carvedilol persisted, and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of these patients six months after the start of administration was 141.1±1.2 and 85.2±0.7 mmHg, respectively (significant decreases when compared to pre-administration levels ; both p<0.05).
Subjective QOL improved significantly after carvedilol administration. And, changes were not seen in sexual function. Changes in the five categories of subjective QOL were as follows : psychological stability, disease-induced inconvenience, and independence improved significantly after carvedilol administration, but changes were not seen in gratification or vitality. However, improvements in subjective QOL did not correlate with improvements in blood pressure.
Conclusions : The results of the present study showed that carvedilol improved QOL without negatively affecting sexual function. Subjective QOL reflects the psychological well-being of patients. In the present study, psychological stability, disease-induced inconvenience, and independence improved significantly, but changes were not seen in gratification or vitality. Since β blockers can suppress the central nervous system, they can reduce psychological stability, gratification and vitality. Even though carvedilol is highly fat-soluble, the results of non-clinical studies have shown that it does not suppress the central nervous system as much as propranolol. The results of the present study showed that carvedilol does not strongly suppress the central nervous system of humans. Moreover, significant changes in QOL were not seen between one and six months after the start of administration of carvedilol, suggesting that it is possible to estimate the QOL of patients on antihypertensive therapy after six months of administration by assessing their QOL one month after administration.