Multidimensional analysis of metabolism contributions involved in running track tests

It is difficult to interpret the training induced changes in middle-distance running, since numerous aerobic and anaerobic determinants of the performance are interdependent. Several aerobic and anaerobic tests are available but their results, particularly those from anaerobic tests, may be discordant, not providing univocal interpretation of training. The purpose of this study is to use a multidimensional approach to distinguish aerobic and anaerobic capacities assessed by two running tests on a track: the maximal anaerobic running test (MART) and V(O2max) tests. Eleven runners carried out two maximal tests on a synthetic track before and after a 4-week training period: (i) a maximal test to determine V(O2max), the velocity associated with V(O2max) (vV(O2max)) and the velocity at the lactate threshold (v(LT)), (ii) a maximal anaerobic running test to estimate anaerobic capacity. An all-out test run at v(LT)+50% of the difference between v(LT) and vV(O2max), known to be affected by both aerobic and anaerobic energy production, was used to test this approach. A principal components analysis (PCA) shows that two components (i.e., aerobic and anaerobic) explained 79% of the variation in the physiological variables. The PCA suggests that V(O2max) and MART tests assess the aerobic and the anaerobic capacities, respectively. In contrast, the performance in the all-out test is affected by both aerobic and anaerobic energy production. The PCA shows that v(LT) and DeltaP (difference between the maximal power of the MART and V(O2max)) are clear markers of the long-term endurance and the anaerobic capacity, respectively. This multidimensional approach can be a useful way to disentangle the aerobic and anaerobic components of track tests.     

Interference of antihistamines and anti-allergic drugs with antigen-induced paw edema in boosted and unboosted mice.

The protective effects of two antihistamines and two anti-allergic drugs against anaphylactic paw edema were studied in immunized animals that had or had not received a booster injection of antigen. The injection of 1 or 10 micrograms/paw ovalbumin induced acute paw edema of similar intensity in both groups. The antihistamine meclizine and the mixed anti histamine/anti-5-HT antagonist cyproheptadine reduced the anaphylactic reaction by 55 and 84% respectively, in non-boosted animals and were less effective against edema induced by 1 microgram antigen in boosted animals. The effectiveness of these drugs was also reduced when boosted mice were challenged with 10 micrograms antigen, where meclizine and cyproheptadine inhibited edema by 31 and 59%, respectively. The anti-allergic compounds ketotifen and azelastine, although effective against allergic inflammation in non-boosted mice, had a reduced or no effect in boosted mice. Our results suggest that allergic edema is less sensitive to antihistamine and anti-allergic drugs in boosted mice, which may be accounted for by an increased role of other mediators.     

Ausfallhonorar wegen Nichterscheinens zu einem Exklusiv-Termin

Abstrakt 1. Nimmt ein Patient einen ihm von seinem (Zahn-)Arzt einger?umten Exklusiv-Termin nicht wahr, obwohl er auf dessen Eigenschaft ausdrücklich hingewiesen wurde, so hat er dem (Zahn-)Arzt den Behandlungsausfall abzüglich eines angemessenen Eigenanteils des (Zahn-)Arztes zu ersetzen. 2. Die Ersatzpflicht tritt auch dann ein, wenn der Patient den Termin nicht in der in dem Behandlungsvertrag vorgesehenen Frist absagt. Eine hierfür seitens des (Zahn-)Arztes bestimmte Frist von zwei Tagen vor Behandlungsbeginn stellt sich für den Patienten grunds?tzlich auch nicht als unangemessene Benachteiligung i.S. des § 307 BGB dar. 3. Ein Anspruch des Arztes entf?llt auch bei nur mündlicher Vereinbarung nicht unter dem Gesichtspunkt des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z, denn diese Vorschrift ist teleologisch dahin zu reduzieren, dass nur zahn?rztliche Honoraransprüche aus erfolgten Behandlungen schriftlich vereinbart werden müssen. Soweit es jedoch um einen vertraglichen Anspruch wegen einer Leistungsst?rung geht, vermag das Schriftformerfordernis des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z grunds?tzlich nicht einzugreifen. (Leits?tze des Bearbeiters)     

Role of IL-2 in rat fetal thymocyte development

Early during rat thymus ontogeny, an important proportion of thymocytes expresses IL-2R and contains IL-2 mRNA. To investigate the role of the IL-2-IL-2R complex in rat T cell maturation, we supplied either recombinant rat IL-2 or blocking anti-CD25 mAb to rat fetal thymus organ cultures (FTOC) under several experimental conditions. The IL-2 treatment initially stimulated the growth of thymocytes and, as a result, induced T cell differentiation, but the continuous addition of IL-2 to rat FTOC, as well as the anti-CD25 administration, resulted in cell number decrease and inhibition of thymocyte maturation. These results indicate that immature rat thymocytes bear functional high- affinity IL-2R and that IL-2 promotes T cell differentiation as a consequence of its capacity to stimulate cell proliferation. Modifications in TCR alpha beta repertoire and increased numbers of NKR- P1+ cells, largely NK cells, were also observed in IL-2-treated FTOC. Furthermore, IL-2-responsiveness of different thymocyte subsets changed throughout thymic ontogeny. Immature CD4-CD8-cells responded to IL-2 in two stages, early in thymus development and around birth, in correlation with the maturation of two distinct waves of thymic cell progenitors. Mature CD8+ thymocytes maximally responded to IL-2 around birth, supporting a role for IL-2 in the increased proliferation of mature thymocytes observed in vivo in the perinatal period. Taken together, these findings support a role for IL-2 in rat T cell development.      

Extended structural variation of a pentanucleotide repeat in the GSTP1 gene: characterisation in a normal population and in thyroid and gastric tumours

The promoter region of the human GSTP1 gene contains a polymorphic short tandem repeat (STR) locus consisting of pentanucleotide repeat units (ATAAA). In this work we report the existence of a total of 26 alleles in a Caucasian population. While differences in size (ranging from one to five base pairs) were responsible for the major variation, in five size-defined classes, two alternative sequences were found. Automatic fragment sizing and sequencing analysis revealed that this polymorphism is of a highly complex nature in contrast with previous reports. A genetic population study was carried out on a random sample from Portugal showing no deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Somatic instability studies were also performed on gastric and thyroid tumours using this STR: no instability was detected in thyroid tumour tissues when compared with their normal counterpart but in gastric tumour tissues microsatellite instability (MSI) was detected in 9.6% of the cases and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) also in 9.6% of the cases studied. The results obtained with GSTP1 in gastric cancer were compared with previously reported data on MSI using BAT-26 and several dinucleotide repeat markers.     

Serum concentrations of oestradiol-17beta, progesterone, relaxin and chorionic gonadotrophin during blastocyst implantation in natural pregnancy cycle and in embryo transfer cycle in the rhesus monkey

The present study was undertaken to assess the temporal association between the profiles of serum concentrations of oestradiol-17beta, progesterone, chorionic gonadotrophin (CG) and relaxin in pregnancies established naturally, and after embryo transfer, as well as in failed pregnancies in rhesus monkeys. In naturally mated cycles (group 1) a conception rate of 75% was obtained. In group 1, the mean day of CG detection in serum was 11.5 +/- 1.9 day post-ovulation, and for relaxin, 9.0 +/- 2.5 day post-ovulation. In group 2, embryo transfer to synchronous, non-mated surrogate recipients was performed; seven embryo transfer cycles yielded three pregnancies which were allowed to continue to term and normal infants were delivered. In embryo transfer cycles the mean day of CG detection was 14.8 +/- 1.8 day post- ovulation, and for relaxin, 11.4 +/- 2.6 day post-ovulation. A delay of about 3 days was observed in the appearance in circulation of CG (P < 0.05) and also of relaxin (P < 0.05) between natural mated and embryo transfer conception cycles. Significant differences (P < 0.05 for progesterone and P < 0.03 for oestradiol) were obtained for the areas under the curves for progesterone and oestradiol between days 12 and 16 in conception cycles compared with failed pregnancies. These data provide the first observation of the normal hormonal signals associated with maternal recognition of transferred embryos during the peri- implantation period, and suggest that the use of such an experimental primate embryo transfer model may help to elucidate components of maternal and embryonic signal-response mechanisms during embryo implantation.