Modulation of dendritic cells by endurance training.

A periodized endurance training is able to adapt physical and psychological needs and increase exercise performance. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in regulation of the immune response. In the present study, we trained Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats for five weeks using a progressive endurance protocol with the aim of measuring the effect on myeloid DC differentiation and maturation. Rats were divided into a non-exercise group (NEG) and an exercise group (EG). Bone marrow cells were isolated from these rats after training and cultured in the presence of granulocyte/monocyte-colony stimulatory factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-4, and the resultant immature DCs were triggered with lipopolysaccharide to mature. DCs were collected and the main characteristics of DCs were assessed. The recovery rate and the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules for DC collected from EG was markedly greater than NEG. The function of DCs from EG to trigger a mixed leukocyte reaction and IL-12 production was higher than NEG. There was no liver and renal toxicity observed in all rats. Changes in food/water consumption and body weight increase between the groups were normal for the conditions. This study demonstrated that periodized endurance training is able to modulate DC development and shift them towards a more mature state.

Effect of a periodized exercise training and active recovery program on antitumor activity and development of dendritic cells.

AIM: Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that promote antitumor immunity in vivo when pulsed with tumor antigen. No studies have indicated that exercise training affects DC function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 5-week periodized exercise training and active recovery program on the development of DCs, and to test their effect on the antitumor immunity of mononuclear cells (MNC) from blood and spleen against human leukemic U937 and murine lymphoma Yac-1 cells, respectively. METHODS: Male Fisher 344 rats were divided into 2 groups: exercise and non-exercise group. The training protocol consisted of running on a motor-driven treadmill 6 days a week for consecutive 5 weeks, during which the running time, treadmill speed, and incline gradient were increased weekly. Active recovery parameters were set at 30% of the intensity of the previous day. RESULTS: DC numbers increased significantly (P<0.05) in the exercise group compared to controls, but there were no significant changes in the expression of surface antigens CD80 and CD86. In exercise group MNC-conditioned medium (CM) prepared with 50 microg/mL phytohemagglutinin (PHA) significantly inhibited proliferation of U937 cells, and splenocyte-CM with PHA at 20 and 40 microg/mL significantly inhibited proliferation of YAC-1 cells greater than control group. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-week periodized exercise training with active recovery promotes the number of DCs and enhances the activity of DCs against tumor cells.

Cerebral and umbilical vascular resistance response to vibroacoustic stimulation in growth-restricted fetuses.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that after vibroacoustic stimulation the ratio between cerebral vascular and umbilical vascular resistance in the growth-restricted fetus is different from that in the normal fetus. METHODS: The pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery and that of the umbilical artery (UA) were measured by pulsed Doppler velocimetry in 30 normal and 14 growth-restricted fetuses before and after vibroacoustic stimulation. The ratios of cerebral PI to UA PI and the changes in PI after vibroacoustic stimulation were calculated. Comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or signed-rank test. The statistical power of the study was 80%. RESULTS: Mean (+/- standard deviation) cerebral PI values before vibroacoustic stimulation (1.50 +/- 0.29) in normals and 1.29 +/- 0.26 in the fetal growth restriction [FGR] group) and UA PI values (1.00 +/- 0.18 in normals and 1.15 +/- 0.24 in the FGR group) were significantly different between groups (P < .04) and significantly decreased after vibroacoustic stimulation (P < .05). Although the cerebral to UA PI ratios (1.50 +/- 0.38 in normals and 1.13 +/- 0.33 in the FGR group) were significantly different between groups (P < .008), the values remained the same after vibroacoustic stimulation (P = .39 and .80, respectively). In all fetuses the fetal heart rate accelerated after vibroacoustic stimulation. CONCLUSION: Cerebral vascular resistance was lower and umbilical vascular resistance higher in the growth-restricted fetuses than in normals. The vascular resistance response after vibroacoustic stimulation in the growth-restricted fetus was not significantly different from the response of the normal fetus, suggesting preservation of regulation of resistance.

Ureteropelvic fungal bezoar causing oliguric renal failure in a premature infant.

Systemic candidiasis with renal involvement is a relatively rare infectious process in young infants. The mortality rate in the cases reported to date has been lower after aggressive surgical and medical management. This report concerns a three-month-old, prematurely born infant with a fatal systemic candidiasis and acute renal failure. Renal pelvic fungal balls caused ureteropelvic junction obstruction in this patient. Renal ultrasonography demonstrated bilateral obstructive uropathy. Treatment consisted of surgical removal of the bezoar, together with open placement of nephrostomy tubes, parenteral amphotericin B therapy and peritoneal dialysis. This case emphasizes the need for a highly suspicion of renal obstruction by fungal balls in any high risk infant with systemic candidiasis and renal dysfunction.

Heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutation in a patient with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes.

A 16-year-old female presented with clinical, morphologic and molecular features of mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Her early development was normal. Starting from the age of 14 years, she experienced recurrent episodes of headaches, with vomiting, seizures, transient right hemiparesis and decreased visual acuity. Computed tomographic brain scans revealed calcification in the bilateral basal ganglia. Biopsied specimens from her left biceps brachii and rectus femoris muscles revealed ragged-red fibers and strong succinate dehydrogenase-reactive blood vessels. Electron microscopy revealed paracrystalline inclusions in muscle mitochondria. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from blood, hair follicles and muscle specimens showed an A to G point mutation at nucleotide position 3,243 in the transfer RNA(Leu(UUR)). The proportion of mutant mtDNA in the patient's blood was 43%, in hair follicles 62% and in muscle 82%. The patient was followed up for 4 years and had progressive mental deterioration and died of an episode of status epilepticus. This patient and 5 other MELAS patients reported in Taiwan are compared.

[Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt in the treatment of schizencephaly with infantile spasm: report of one case].

Schizencephaly is a rare congenital cerebral malformation, which usually produces static neurological symptoms. Occasionally, mass effect on the schizencephalic cavity may cause progressive neurological deficit. Surgical intervention is, therefore, needed to relieve the increased intracranial pressure. This article presents a 7-month-old girl who had suffered from right hemiparesis since birth, and head nodding of four weeks' duration. A brain CT revealed a cleft, along the left Sylvian fissure, which communicated with the lateral ventricle. The septum pellucidum was absent. Midline structures had shifted to the right hemisphere. The CT finding was consistent with a diagnosis of schizencephaly with mass effect. The infant received a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt operation. At postoperative follow-up which has continued for eight months, no further head nodding, an improvement of hemiparesis and psychomotor development were noted.

Jejunal atresia with "apple peel" deformity: report of one case.

A case of jejunal atresia with "apple peel" deformity is presented. A 27-year-old woman, gravida 3, para 2, suffered from premature labor pain and vaginal bleeding at 32 weeks of gestation. Prenatal ultrasound examination revealed presence of three areas of cystic dilatation in the fetal abdomen and marked polyhydramnios, indicating a high bowel obstruction. A female baby was delivered by Cesarean section with Apgar scores of 7 and 8 at one and five minutes, respectively. Physical examination showed abdominal distention. Nasogastric tube aspiration got more than 50 ml of blood-tinged fluid. Roentgenography demonstrated a high jejunal obstruction as well as a normally rotated colon. Laparotomy disclosed proximal jejunal atresia with typical "apple peel" appearance of the distal small bowel. An end-to-end anastomosis was performed smoothly after resection of both the proximal and distal small bowels. A reduction tapering antimesenteric jejunoplasty was also done. Partial parenteral nutrition had been administered for 10 days followed by enteric feeding. The postoperative course was uneventful. Her chromosomal analysis revealed a normal karyotype of 46,XX.