Muscle energetics in short-term training during hypoxia in elite combination skiers

Four well-trained combination skiers were studied through pre- and post-training for the effects of short-term intermittent training during hypoxia on muscle energetics during submaximal exercise as measured by Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance and maximal aerobic power ( O_2max). The hypoxia and training in the cold was conducted in a hypobaric chamber and comprised 60-min aerobic exercise (at an intensity equivalent to the blood lactate threshold), using a cycle ergometer or a treadmill twice a day for 4, consecutive days at 5°C, in conditions equivalent to an altitude of 2000 m (593 mm Hg). No change in O_2max was observed over the training period, while in the muscle energetics during submaximal exercise, the values of phosphocreatine/(phosphocreatine + inorganic phosphate) and intracellular pH were found to be significantly increased by training during hypoxia. During recovery, the time constant of phosphocreatine was found to have been significantly reduced [pre, 27.9 (SD 6.7) s; post, 22.5 (SD 4.7) s, P < 0.01]. The observed inhibition of phosphocreatine as well as that of intracellular pH changes after training during hypoxia and quicker recovery of phosphocreatine in submaximal exercise tests, may indicate improved oxidative capacity (i.e. a high adenosine 5-triphosphate formation rate) despite the short-term hypoxia training. Present address: Department Life Sciences, Univ. of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku 153, Japan     

Parkinsonism induced by atypical neuroleptics in a patient with severe iron deficiency.

Although still controversial, iron deficiency has been indicated as one of the risk factors for developing neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs), including akathisia, dystonia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Here we report our experience of iron supplementation and alternating neuroleptics for treating Parkinsonism in a schizophrenic female patient having severe iron deficient anemia.     

Utility of a simplified ultrasonography scoring system among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter cohort study

We aimed to evaluate the utility of a simplified ultrasonography (US) scoring system, which is desired in daily clinical practice, among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).A total of 289 Japanese patients with RA who were started on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, abatacept, tocilizumab, or Janus kinase inhibitors between June 2013 and April 2019 at one of the 15 participating rheumatology centers were reviewed. We performed US assessment of articular synovia over 22 joints among bilateral wrist and finger joints, and the 22-joint (22j)-GS and 22-joint (22j)-PD scores were evaluated as an indicator of US activity using the sum of the GS and PD scores, respectively.The top 6 most affected joints included the bilateral wrist and second/third metacarpophalangeal joints. Therefore, 6-joint (6j)-GS and -PD scores were defined as the sum of the GS and PD scores from the 6 synovial sites over the aforementioned 6 joints, respectively. Although the 22j- or 6j-US scores were significantly correlated with DAS28-ESR or -CRP scores, the correlations were weak. Conversely, 6j-US scores were significantly and strongly correlated with 22j-US scores not only at baseline but also after therapy initiation.Using a multicenter cohort data, our results indicated that a simplified US scoring system could be adequately tolerated during any disease course among patients with RA receiving biological/targeted synthetic DMARDs.     

A case of systemic lupus erythematosus that manifested in the course of schizophrenia

A case of schizophrenia is presented in which SLE was diagnosed after 14-year duration. Antibodies to single and double-stranded DNAs, but not to histone. were detected. This case suggests that similar immunological abnormalities as SLE are associated with the pathogenesis of a group of schizophrenia and that class-switch of anti-dsDNA antibodies are important in the pathogenesis of SLE.     

Long-term follow-up of adalimumab monotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis in Japanese patients: a report of six cases

We present six cases of patients with Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blocking agent, adalimumab as monotherapy for 220?weeks. All six patients were women, and the median age was 54.0?±?7.07?years old. The median duration of the disease was 7.43?±?11.1?years, and the median disease activity score (DAS28-CRP) was 5.35?±?0.69. Three of six patients were able to continue to receive this treatment for 220?weeks successfully, and the DAS28-CRP decreased to 1.89?±?0.75. Two patients withdrew because of lack of efficacy, and one patient withdrew because of adverse events (non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Adalimumab resulted in a sustained clinical response in RA patients during 220-week follow-up.     

Synchronization of masseter activity patterns between the right and left sides during chewing in healthy young males

Masseter activity patterns during chewing, which were quantitatively assessed using T₅₀ values, were compared between the right and left sides of healthy young males. Surface electromyograms were recorded from both masseters, and each participant was asked to chew four different agar samples at his own pace across two separate sessions. The four agar samples, each possessing differing textural properties, consisted of two normal and two distinctive agar varieties. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated for each pair of T₅₀ values to evaluate the degree of synchronization of activity patterns between both masseters. A three-way analysis of variance revealed significant main effects of the ‘participant’ and ‘experimental session’ factors, but not of the ‘test food’. The number of significant coefficients increased stepwise by increasing the number of chews per sequence. These results suggest the importance of the initial stages of chewing sequences in facilitating the synchronization of bilateral masseter activity patterns.     

High serum matrix metalloproteinase 3 is characteristic of patients with paraneoplastic remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema syndrome

Recently, it was reported that remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema (RS3PE) syndrome could be complicated with solid tumors. In a retrospective, multicenter study between October, 2003 and September, 2010, we investigated the characteristics of patients with paraneoplastic RS3PE syndrome who fulfilled following criteria: (1) bilateral pitting edema of hands or feet or both, (2) sudden onset of polyarthritis, and (3) age >50?years, (4) seronegativity for rheumatoid factor (RF). A total of 33 cases fulfilled the above criteria. Eight patients (seven men and one woman) developed cancer within 2?years of RS3PE syndrome onset. There was no significant difference between the neoplastic and nonneoplastic groups in the proportions of patients with fever, symmetrical polyarthritis, pitting edema, and good response to corticosteroids. Serum matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) level (median 437.3?ng/ml) in the paraneoplastic RS3PE patients was significantly higher than that in patients without neoplasia (median 114.7?ng/ml) (p?相似文献   

Genetic testing has the potential to impact hearing preservation following cochlear implantation

Abstract

Background: Recent advances in less-invasive surgery and electrode design allow for a high degree of hearing preservation (HP) after cochlear implantation (CI), although residual hearing still deteriorates in some patients. To date, the factors predictive of preserving residual hearing remain a controversial topic.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive factors, including the etiology of hearing loss (HL) as a patient-related factor, influencing residual HP after CI.

Methods: Forty-four patients (50 ears, 41 families) with residual acoustic hearing who underwent CI were included. Auditory thresholds before and at 6 months after initial activation were measured. Genetic testing was performed to identify the responsible genes for HL.

Results: We identified the cause of HL in 21 families (51.2%). HP was marginally correlated with age at implantation, while it was independent of pre-operative low-frequency hearing thresholds, cochlear duct length, and electrode length. We found that patients who had pathogenic variants in the CDH23, MYO7A, or MYO15A gene showed statistically better HP scores compared with patients with HL due to other causes (p?=?.002).

Conclusions: Identification of the etiology of HL using genetic testing is likely to facilitate the prediction of HP after implant surgery.     

Muscle metabolism during exercise using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in adolescents

Very little has been reported on muscle energetics during exercise in adolescents. This is attributable to the difficulty of subjecting children to muscle biopsy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of muscle metabolism during exercisein vivo in adolescents by comparing firstly, with adults and secondly, the differences resulting from physical activity using phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹PNMR) spectroscopy. The subjects were boys aged 12 to 15 years, comprising 21 trained boys and 23 control boys, and 6 adults controls. The ratio of phosphocreatine (PCr):(PCr + P_i), where P_i is inorganic phosphate intracellular pH at exhaustion and the time constant of PCr during recovery were measured in all the subjects using³¹PNMR. Both groups of children showed higher values of PCr:(PCr + P_i) and intracellular pH at exhaustion than did the adult control group (P < 0.01 orP < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found between the trained boys and the control boys with respect to PCr:(PCr + P_i) and intracellular pH at exhaustion. On the other hand, we found the same values for PCr time constant in all groups. This result suggested no differences of the muscle oxidative capacity between children and adults. We concluded that the adolescents, aged 12 to 15 years in both the trained and control groups, had less glycolytic ability during exercise than the adults.