Combined Effects of Exercise and Phytoanabolic Extracts in Castrated Male and Female Mice

Dry extracts from the Eurasian plants, Ajuga turkestanica, Eurycoma longifolia, and Urtica dioica have been used as anabolic supplements, despite the limited scientific data on these effects. To assess their actions on early sarcopenia signs, male and female castrated mice were supplemented with lyophilized extracts of the three plants, isolated or in association (named TLU), and submitted to resistance exercise. Ovariectomy (OVX) led to body weight increase and non-high-density cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol elevation, which had been restored by exercise plus U. dioica extract, or by exercise and TLU, respectively. Orchiectomy (ORX) caused skeletal muscle weight loss, accompanied by increased adiposity, being the latter parameter reduced by exercise plus E. longifolia or U. dioica extracts. General physical activity was improved by exercise plus herbal extracts in either OVX or ORX animals. Exercise combined with TLU improved resistance to fatigue in OVX animals, though A. turkestanica enhanced the grip strength in ORX mice. E. longifolia or TLU also reduced the ladder climbing time in ORX mice. Resistance exercise plus herbal extracts partly altered gastrocnemius fiber size frequencies in OVX or ORX mice. We provide novel data that tested ergogenic extracts, when combined with resistance exercise, improved early sarcopenia alterations in castrated male and female mice.     

Dopaminergic sensitivity and cocaine abuse: response to apomorphine

Ten male patients with chronic cocaine abuse received a single dose of the dopamine agonist apomorphine. Self-ratings of cocaine craving, depression, and anxiety decreased in response to apomorphine. Neuroendocrine response was consistent with central dopaminergic stimulation. Patients in the "craving" phase of the cocaine abuse cycle differed in behavioral but not neuroendocrine response to apomorphine from patients in the "crash" phase. Decrease in cocaine craving correlated with decrease in plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA). Total cocaine consumption correlated negatively with baseline prolactin and pHVA levels and inversely with peak change in prolactin following apomorphine. Patients had blunted neuroendocrine response to apomorphine in comparison to historical normal controls. Implications for the "dopamine" hypothesis of cocaine abuse are discussed.     

Cardiac evaluation in children with suspected heart disease. Preliminary results in 2000 patients

Two thousand consecutive children have been evaluated for suspected heart disease in a 27-month period. The main reasons for referral were: murmur (70%), precordial pain (9.5%), suspicion of arrhythmia (8.5%) and breathless (5%). Five hundred and six (25%) cases did not complete the investigation and the results were not computed. A final diagnosis was obtained based on the reason for referral and the main conclusions were: 1) a high incidence of normality was found: murmur (83%), pain (98%), arrhythmia (97%) and breathless (94%); 2) heart disease is unlikely when other referral reasons were analyzed; 3) 14% of the children were considered abnormal and the necessity of therapeutic procedures was 0.8%. A pediatric cardiology outpatient clinic in a public setting seems to be justifiable in the region, due to the high current demand.     

Congenital intramedullary tumor with neonatal manifestations

The authors report on a 45-day-old boy with a congenital intramedullary tumor with clinical manifestations since birth. Neurologic examination disclosed severe bilateral lower-limb hypotonia and diplegia, with exacerbated deep tendon reflexes and clonus associated with severe pain at manipulation. Further evaluation of this patient included screening for infections, computed tomographic scan, myelography, and somatosensory evoked potentials. The definite diagnosis was a solid holocord astrocytoma. This report discusses a rare disorder in the neonatal period and makes other medical practitioners aware of this diagnosis. Previously published literature is also reviewed.     

Assessment of physical activity and sleep by actigraphy: examination of gender differences

Research evidence suggests that actigraphy is a very important instrument in documenting sleep/wake patterns of people with a variety of sleep disorders or motor dysfunctions. The present actigraphic investigation examined physical activity and sleep profiles as a function of gender in volunteers monitored in their natural environment. Irrespective of age, women exhibited better sleep quality than did men. This was demonstrated by higher sleep efficiency index and lower frequency of transitions between sleep and wakefulness. Additionally, women slept more than men and had shorter sleep onset latency. However, no significant gender effect on daytime activity level and circadian activity amplitude was observed.     

The use of genetic instability as a clinical tool for cancer diagnosis

Human tumors exhibit two fundamentally important characteristics, extensive genetic alteration and clonality. Although it is still unclear to what extent tumors have an elevated mutational burden as compared with normal tissue, their clonality results in their ready detection. Thus, assaying tissues for clonal alterations at frequently mutated microsatellite loci represents a viable approach to cancer diagnosis. The most remarkable extension of this concept is that not only can cancer cells be detected in biological samples, but tumor DNA can also be directly detected in the serum or plasma of patients with some forms of cancer. This recent finding is currently being explored but may represent an important contribution to future diagnostic strategies.     

Pulmonary haemorrhage causing rapid death after Bothrops jararacussu snakebite: a case report.

A 36-year old woman was bitten on the left ankle by a Bothrops jararacussu, and died 45 min after the bite. At necropsy, there were local signs of envenoming with haemorrhage, thrombosis and necrosis of the subcutaneous and muscular tissue. Multiple fibrin and platelet thrombi were found in the microcirculation of the heart and lungs, suggesting the occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Pulmonary haemorrhage probably secondary to the action of haemorrhagins, consumption coagulopathy and disseminated intravascular coagulation was the immediate cause of death. Intravenous inoculation of the venom could have occurred in the present case, which would explain the rapid onset of coagulation disorders, haemorrhage and death.     

An assessment of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent in sepsis.

Tissue lesion mechanisms provoked by sepsis include the infectious process, inflammation, and cellular energy deficit. We chose to test fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) because of its possible anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions. Wistar rats were used and divided into three experimental groups: a control group (n=10), in which a capsule was introduced into the peritoneum of the animals; a septic group (n=10), in which a capsule containing non-sterile fecal matter was introduced together with Escherichia coli (1.5 x 10(9)CFU); and a septic group treated with FBP 500 mg/kg (n=10). The blood cell tests revealed that levels of leukocytes increased significantly in the septic group when compared to both the septic group treated with FBP and the control group. The blood cultures were 100% positive in both the septic group and the septic group treated with bisphosphorylated sugar. The antibiogram only revealed an inhibitory halo in the case of the antibiotic ampicillin, there was no such indication for FBP. The anti-inflammatory power of FBP remained at 60% for 5 h in the rats that received the carrageenan injection. What is more, the sugar reduced the levels of ionic calcium in relation to the control group. This data proves the validity of using FBP in the treatment of sepsis, possibly due to its anti-inflammatory rather than antimicrobial action.