ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Since the 1950s, researchers have studied temperature changes in deep tissues caused by cooling stimuli. However, these changes have not been investigated non-invasively. Moreover, opinions are divided as to whether the temperature in the joints rises or falls. The present study investigated the effects of cooling on various tissues in the body, including muscles. METHODS: Seven healthy subjects (four males and three females) were enrolled (age, 21.5 ± 0.8 years; height, 165.2 ± 10.7 cm; weight, 63.1 ± 12.17 kg). The research was conducted at the Department of Radiology, Okubo Hospital (Akashi, Hyogo, Japan) between March 2015 and December 2020. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on both lower legs in a noncooled resting state. The right lower leg was cooled for 15 minutes using an ice bath, then both legs were examined by MRI (Experiment 1). After two weeks, the left lower leg was cooled, and MRI was performed on both legs (Experiment 2). After the subsequent two weeks, MRI was performed on both legs without cooling (Experiment 3). The target areas were subcutaneous and adipose tissues, muscle, bone, and cartilage. T1 signal intensity changes after cooling were examined for each tissue. Normality was confirmed by the Shapiro-Wilk test in advance, and the effect size (Cohen's d) was calculated as a post-test when a significant difference was found. RESULTS: In Experiments 1 and 2, T1 signal intensities in subcutaneous tissue, lateral inframalleolar fat pad, the extensor digitorum longus, and abductor hallucis muscles were significantly higher in the cooled than in the noncooled leg (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in tissues on the noncooled side. CONCLUSIONS: A 15-minute cold stimulation, such as that used for ankle sprains, reduced temperatures in subcutaneous adipose tissue, muscles, and the lateral inframalleolar fat pad. As the lateral inframalleolar fat pad was effectively cooled, the joint capsule and ligaments immediately below may have also been cooled. It is important to consider the tissue intended for cooling when performing cryotherapy. An ice bath below the lower leg is effective for promoting the recovery of damaged tissue.
ABSTRACT
Hepatoma cells are a candidate cell source for bio-artificial livers. However, they exhibit reduced liver functions compared with primary hepatocytes. In our previous study, genetically engineered mouse hepatoma cells were created by transduction with vectors mediating inducible overexpression of eight liver-enriched transcription factors. Upon the induction of the liver-enriched transcription factors transduced, the cells expressed both phenotypic and genotypic liver functions at high levels. In the present study, we performed three-dimensional culture of these cells using macroporous gelatin beads. When immobilized on the macroporous gelatin beads, these cells exhibited further enhancement in liver functionality, including increased albumin secretion, ammonia removal and cytochrome P450 activity. The levels of these functions were significantly enhanced compared to monolayer culture. The method is simple and scalable, and provides highly functional cells that can be used in basic and applied fields of hepatic research.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound (US)-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is widely-spread analgesic technique for the patients undergoing abdominal surgery and can be provided safely for the patients receiving anticoagulation therapy. We conducted a retrospective comparative trial of analgesic efficacy between the patient who received US-guided TAP block with postoperative continuous iv-fentanyl infusion (group T) and those who received epidural analgesia (group E). METHODS: Twenty three patients who had undergone abdominal aortic replacement were analyzed retrospectively. The number of patients in group T was 12, and those in group E was 11. The postoperative first ambulation day, the postoperative first oral feeding day, the length of hospital stay, the use of rescue analgesic medication, and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were compared between the two groups. P<0.05 was considered significant RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. There were no significant differences in postoperative first ambulation day (P=0.97), the postoperative first oral feeding day (P=0.46), the length of hospital stay (P= 0.32), the number of times of rescue analgesic medication (P=0.55), and the incidence of PONV between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: US-guided TAP block is a useful option as analgesic technique for patients undergoing abdominal aortic replacement
