ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to determine if 5 weeks of resistance training for the shoulder and hip flexor muscles produces improvements in vertical jumping (VJ) performance. Twenty-eight men were assessed on tests of shoulder power, leg extensor muscle function, and VJ performance using jumps performed from a standing position, a 3-stride run-up, and double- and single-leg takeoffs. A shoulder and hip flexor training group (n = 14) improved significantly more than a nontraining control group (n = 12) in shoulder power and 2 VJ performance tests, but not in the tests of leg extensor muscle function. It was concluded that the arm swing and free-leg drive significantly influence VJ performance and, therefore, VJ tests are not valid for assessment of leg extensor muscle function.
Subject(s)
Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Physical Education and Training/methods , Sports Medicine/instrumentation , Sports/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Functional Laterality , Hip/physiology , Humans , Leg/physiology , Male , Motor Skills/physiology , Movement/physiology , Shoulder/physiologyABSTRACT
The expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase (ecNOS) was assessed in two independent in vitro models: asynchronously differentially proliferating cultures and wounded endothelial cell monolayers. Northern blot analysis of RNA isolated from preconfluent, confluent, and postconfluent cells revealed a fourfold rise in ET-1 mRNA transcripts, whereas levels of ecNOS mRNA transcripts were reduced twofold in proliferating cells. Nuclear run-off analysis demonstrated that increased steady-state ET-1 mRNA content in proliferating cells was mediated, in part, by increased gene transcription. In contrast, ecNOS transcription rates in proliferating cells were not decreased compared with quiescent nonproliferating cells, indicating that mRNA destabilization mediated the decreased ecNOS mRNA levels in proliferating endothelium. Concordant changes in protein expression were documented for both ET-1 and ecNOS. In injured endothelial cell monolayers, in situ cRNA hybridization demonstrated increased mRNA transcript levels for ET-1 in growth fronts of injured endothelial monolayers. These data are taken to indicate that expression of ET-1 and ecNOS is reciprocally regulated in two different models of endothelial cell proliferation.
Subject(s)
Endothelins/metabolism , Endothelium, Vascular/enzymology , Nitric Oxide Synthase/metabolism , Animals , Base Sequence , Blotting, Western , Cattle , Cell Division , Cell Separation , Cells, Cultured , Culture Media, Conditioned , Endothelins/genetics , Endothelium, Vascular/cytology , Flow Cytometry , Humans , In Situ Hybridization , Molecular Probes/genetics , Molecular Sequence Data , RNA, Messenger/metabolismABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to prospectively determine if healing of esophagitis as assessed by endoscopy results in improved esophageal motility. Thirty-one patients with erosive esophagitis who were randomized to receive either omeprazole 20 mg once daily or placebo completed the double-blind study. All patients underwent endoscopy and esophageal motility before treatment and at four weeks after treatment. Twenty-two healthy volunteers underwent esophageal manometry and served as normal controls. Manometric tracings were coded, randomized, and analyzed blindly. Compared to normal controls, patients with esophagitis had significantly lower LESP, decreased amplitude of peristaltic contractions, and increased occurrence of abnormal contractions. Omeprazole was superior to placebo in healing of esophagitis. However, healing of esophagitis was not associated with any improvement in esophageal motility. The manometric data suggest that the motility disturbance seen in esophagitis is not secondary to the esophagitis but rather a primary phenomenon. The lack of improvement of esophageal motility with healing may explain the high recurrence of esophagitis in clinical trials following discontinuation of omeprazole.
Subject(s)
Esophagitis/pathology , Esophagus/physiopathology , Double-Blind Method , Esophagitis/drug therapy , Esophagitis/physiopathology , Esophagoscopy , Female , Humans , Male , Manometry , Middle Aged , Omeprazole/therapeutic use , Peristalsis/physiology , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Recurrence of hepatitis is a well-documented complication of hepatitis B liver disease, post-transplantation. It is well established also that the earliest hepatocellular change is the appearance of hepatitis B viral (HBV) markers and that the disease is rapidly progressive. In this article on 17 liver transplants in 16 HBV positive patients with long-term follow-ups (100-1234 days), the distinctive pathologic features of this disease are emphasized: the extreme viral load, the steatosis, and/or fibrosis. An attempt to quantitate the magnitude of the viral burden was made and the result was a staggering figure. In one patient, an estimated 10(18) HBV core particles were present in the liver. One of two patterns of progression were noted. In four patients in addition to the massive nuclear hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and cytoplasmic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity, superimposed hepatitic changes led to diffuse hepatic fibrosis (fibroviral hepatitis B); and in another six patients, extraordinary hepatocellular viral marker positivity and steatosis were the hallmarks (steatoviral hepatitis B). Steatosis is not usually considered a feature of HBV liver pathology. These results suggest that more than one type of posttransfusion recurrent hepatitis B liver disease exists pathologically.
