[Quality of life of athletes with disability and some aspects of equal possibilities]. / Neigaliuju sportininku gyvenimo kokybe ir kai kurie lygiu galimybiu aspektai.

The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees have decided that in 2012, the Olympic and Parolympic Games in London will take place at the same time. For this reason, the aim of our study was to determine whether athletes with disability in Lithuania have the same possibilities for sports - and thus for integration into the unified Lithuanian sports system - as those without disability. An anonymous inquiry of athletes with and without disability was performed in 2006. We analyzed 235 questionnaires filled in by the participants of the study; 159 subjects were with and 76 without disability. The Lithuanian Paralympic Committee approved the questionnaires and gave an agreement for the study. The inquiry was performed in Lithuanian sports clubs for the persons with disability and in the Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education. The obtained findings about the respondents' personality and environmental factors indicated that the indices of self-awareness in all athletes without disability were significantly higher than in athletes with disability (P<0.05). More than one-half (56.6%) of the respondents without disability indicated that their life was meaningful, whereas the respective percentage of athletes with disability was only 33.8% (P<0.05). As many as 59% of the respondents without disability were satisfied with their quality of life, compared to 36.2% of the respondents with disability. More than one-half (56.6%) of athletes without disability indicated that sports played an important role in their lives, whereas the respective percentage of athletes with disability was significantly lower - 33.2%. Only one-half (51.6%) of the participants with disability of the study had a permanent instructor (coach). The absolute majority of the respondents (irrespectively of the presence or absence of disability) indicated that sports helped them realize their potential. According to our findings, the majority of the respondents without disability (74.6%) and the absolute majority of respondents with disability (92.5%) indicated that sports of the persons with disability is not sufficiently propagated in mass media. Age and sex did not have any influence on the factors studied. Insufficient information about sports of the persons with disability and significantly lower indices in personality, physical and social environmental factors among athletes with disability are the main obstacles in the creation of an independent social sports system for the persons with disability and integration of these athletes into the general Lithuanian sports system in the aspect of equal possibilities.

Anaphylaxis of small arteries: putative role of nitric oxide and prostanoids.

This study investigated possible implication of nitric oxide and prostanoids in anaphylactic reaction in small mesenteric and coronary arteries. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Isolated arteries from guinea pigs, sensitized with 0.5 mL of horse serum or sham-sensitized, were challenged with 1% of horse serum in vitro. Contractile responses of arteries (normalized diameter, 350-450 microm) were recorded by a small blood vessel wire myograph. For inhibition of the release of NO or prostanoids, vessels were pretreated with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (30 microM) or indomethacin (10 microM), respectively. RESULTS. Antigen challenge was followed by contraction of both coronary and mesenteric vessels. Two patterns of contraction were observed: 1) peak contraction - an immediate transient contraction of relatively high amplitude; this was the most common pattern; 2) biphasic: the initial peak contraction was followed by a slow growing contraction with low amplitude. Biphasic pattern was observed in 60% of the mesenteric vessels and 40% of the coronary vessels. Inhibition of NO synthase significantly increased the peak contraction in the coronary vessels and the second-phase contraction in the mesenteric vessels. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase caused a decrease in the peak and second-phase contraction of both the coronary and mesenteric vessels. CONCLUSIONS. Despite anaphylactic contraction, nitric oxide seems to be released from the endothelium following antigen challenge in the small coronary and mesenteric arteries. This may contribute to the development of hypotension during anaphylaxis. Prostanoids are playing a different role - the contracting products of cyclooxygenase pathway are important for the development of anaphylactic contraction of the small isolated arteries.

Inotropic and lusitropic effects of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton extract on the rabbit myocardium.

BACKGROUND: Common perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton) is a plant cultivated in many countries around the world. Although its immunomodulating and antioxidative properties are well known, there is a lack of data about the cardiotropic activity of the plant. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of Perilla frutescens extract on the myocardial contractility in vitro and as a food supplement in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rabbits of the experimental group were fed with a supplement of 100 mg/kg of Perilla frutescens extract for 14 days. Rabbits of control group were fed with ordinary food. The maximal mechanical activity of isolated myocardial preparations, obtained from the rabbits of both groups, was tested during the perfusion with Ringer's solution containing 5 microM of adrenaline and 4.5 mM of CaCl2. For the assessment of the direct influence of Perilla frutescens extract on the myocardial contractility in vitro isolated heart preparations were perfused with 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/ml of Perilla frutescens extract. RESULTS: The maximum force of isometric contraction, maximum velocity of force development, and maximum velocity of relaxation were higher among the atrial and ventricular preparations from the experimental group, as compared with the control group. Perfusion of the myocardial preparations with different concentrations of Perilla frutescens extract revealed slight dose-dependent increase in the parameters of contraction and relaxation. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of Perilla frutescens extract as a food supplement leads to an increase in the contractility of the rabbit myocardium. Perilla frutescens extract in vitro had a dose-dependent positive inotropic and lusitropic effect on the rabbit myocardium.

[Effect of hypodynamic stress on the adrenaline-induced contraction of the smooth muscles of the thoracic aorta]. / Hipodinaminio streso itaka krutines aortos lygiuju raumenu adrenalino sukeltam susitraukimui.

UNLABELLED: Aim of the study was to investigate the influence of hypodynamic stress on the contractile responses of the smooth muscles to adrenaline. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hypodynamic stress was induced by fixation of Chinchilla rabbits (n=8) in the metal hutches for 48 days (B. M. Fiodorov method). Rabbits in the control group (n=8) were kept in ordinary conditions of vivarium for the same period of time. Isolated preparations of the thoracic aorta were obtained from both groups of the rabbits. The contractile responses of the thoracic aorta preparations to 10(-7)mol/l and 10(-6)mol/l of adrenaline were registered in vitro by micromechanographic device under isometric conditions. RESULTS: The contractile responses of the thoracic aorta preparations under the influence of adrenaline at concentration 10(-7)mol/l were not significantly higher (p>0.05) and at concentration 10(-6)mol/l they were significantly higher (p=0.021) in rabbits after hypodynamic stress than in control ones. CONCLUSION: Long-term hypodynamic stress in rabbits leads to the significantly increased adrenaline-induced contraction of the smooth muscles of the thoracic aorta.