Effects of endurance exercise on serum inflammatory cytokine level and kidney structure in a rat diabetes model.

Diabete mellitus (DM) is becoming a global health problem. Whilst many studies have previously focused on the therapeutic effects of exercise on diabetes, insufficient data exist on its effectiveness on disease prevention. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of endurance exercises on kidney injury and on the expression of metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1. Type 2 diabetic rat model was created followng 8 weeks of feeding on high fat diet, followed by injection with streptozotocin (STZ; 30 mg/kg). A total of three different intensity endurance exercises, including low-intensity exercise (8 m/min and 0˚ slope), moderate-intensity exercise (15 m/min and 5˚ slope) and high-intensity exercise (20 m/min and 10˚ slope), were arranged during this process. Oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) and oral sucrose tolerance tests (OSTT) were performed in all rats 1 week after STZ injection. Serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were measured using ELISA. After OGTT, all rats were sacrificed and kidney samples were removed for hematoxylin and eosin staining and western blot analyzes. Urea and ureatinine levels, representative of renal function, were estimated by using automatic biochemical analyzer. Rats in the DM group showed severe impaired glucose tolerance, which was alleviated in the moderate-intensity exercise (ME) and the high-intensity exercise (HE) groups. Inflammatory cytokines were also significantly reduced rats in the ME group compared with those in the DM group. No difference in renal function, MMP-9/TIMP-1 and TGF-ß1 expression was observed. In addition, rats in the DM group exhibited glomerular enlargement with structural renal abnormalities, whilst those in the ME and HE groups showed improved symptoms. To conclude, no increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and renal fibrotic proteins could be observed in the present rat model of type-2 DM, but evident structural abnormalities can be observed in the kidneys. Medium-intensity endurance exercise can reduce serum inflammatory cytokine levels and prevent aberrant changes in renal structures.

Degenerate Near-Planar 3D Reconstruction from Two Overlapped Images for Road Defects Detection.

This paper presents a technique to reconstruct a three-dimensional (3D) road surface from two overlapped images for road defects detection using a downward-facing camera. Since some road defects, such as potholes, are characterized by 3D geometry, the proposed technique reconstructs road surfaces from the overlapped images prior to defect detection. The uniqueness of the proposed technique lies in the use of near-planar characteristics of road surfaces` in the 3D reconstruction process, which solves the degenerate road surface reconstruction problem. The reconstructed road surfaces thus result from the richer information. Therefore, the proposed technique detects road surface defects based on the accuracy-enhanced 3D reconstruction. Parametric studies were first performed in a simulated environment to analyze the 3D reconstruction error affected by different variables and show that the reconstruction errors caused by the camera's image noise, orientation, and vertical movement are so small that they do not affect the road defects detection. Detailed accuracy analysis then shows that the mean and standard deviation of the errors are less than 0 . 6 mm and 1 mm through real road surface images. Finally, on-road tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique in identifying road defects while having over 94% in precision, accuracy, and recall rate.

[The ultrastructure change of cardiomyocyte in Athlete's Heart].

OBJECTIVE: This study is to see the pathologic change of cardiac myocyte in Athlete's Heart, and explore the mechanism of the pathologic change. METHODS: Fifteen male SD rats were separated randomly into control group (without any exercise), aerobic exercise group (Ae group, swimming for 75 min every day), and overloading exercise group (Oe group, swimming for 180 min with a loading of 5 percent of body weight every day). After 5 days per week for 12 weeks, swimming stopped, the rat hearts were prepared to specimens and examined under Transmission Electron Microscope. RESULTS: The Ae group, the number and volume of mitochondria increased, and the membrane of mitochondria remained entire. Few of dense bodies were found in cytoplasm. The nucleus envelopes of expansion nucleus appear as dentition. These changes were considered as the adaptation to exercises. At the same time, some pathologic changes of the cardiac myocytes similar to senescence also appeared, such as mitochondria expanse, the crista disorder or disappearance, unclear mitochondria membrane, many dense bodies in cytoplasm, nucleus disfiguration and chromatin collection at edge. CONCLUSION: After exercise training, some pathologic changes of cardiac myocyte also occur with physiological changes. With the raise of exercise intension, the pathologic changes become more obvious, even appearance of cardiac myocyte death.

[The ultrastructure change of heart capillary in athlete's heart.].

OBJECTIVE: To see the change of capillary of heart in Athlete's Heart, so that to discover the mechanism of pathologic change. METHOD: 18 male SD rats were separated randomly into control group (without any exercise), aerobic exercise group (swimming for 75 min every day), and overload group (swimming for 180 min with 5% weight of its body every day). After 5 days per week, 12 weeks, exercise training stopped and heart of rats were observed under Transmission Electron Microscope. RESULTS: In aerobic exercise group, the capillary cavities in heart expand, the walls of capillary become thick; the number of mitochondrion increases; endothelium cells become active in growth. However, after overload exercise, the walls of capillary cockle and protuberances appear. The mitochondrion swell and the cristae become disorder. Most of endosomes expand and their number increases. The karyons become abnormity in shape and uniformity in electronic density, besides the nuclear envelope cockle. The basilar membranes become thick and unclear. CONCLUSION: After exercise training, both physical and pathologic changes in heart capillary are found. In suitable exercises group, the capillaries change physically; the pathologic changes are becoming visible after overload exercise however.