Muscle damage protective effect by two maximal isometric contractions on maximal eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors of the contralateral arm.

Muscle damage after 30 maximal eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors (30MVEC) is reduced when the same exercise is performed by the opposite arm, and when two maximal voluntary isometric contractions at a long muscle length (2MVIC) are performed prior to 30MVEC by the same arm. This study investigated the hypothesis that 2MVIC would attenuate muscle damage after 30MVEC performed by the opposite arm. Untrained young (20-25 years) men were placed into 1 of 4 experimental groups that performed 2MVIC at 1 (1d), 2 (2d), 4 (4d), or 7 days (7d) before 30MVEC by the opposite arm, or one control group that performed 30MVEC only (n = 13/group). Changes in indirect muscle damage markers after 30MVEC were compared among the groups by mixed-design two-way ANOVA. Maximal voluntary concentric contraction torque, range of motion, plasma creatine kinase activity, and muscle soreness did not change significantly after 2MVIC. Changes in these variables after 30MVEC were smaller (P < .05) for 1d (eg, peak soreness: 45 ± 21 mm) and 2d groups (46 ± 20 mm) than control group (66 ± 18 mm), without significant differences between 1d and 2d groups. No significant differences in the changes were found among 4d, 7d, and control groups, except for soreness showing smaller (P < .05) increases for 4d group (54 ± 19 mm) than 7d (62 ± 17 mm) and control groups. These results supported the hypothesis and showed that muscle damage induced by 30MVEC was reduced by 2MVIC performed 1-2 days prior to 30MVIC by the contralateral arm.

DDX3 modulates cell adhesion and motility and cancer cell metastasis via Rac1-mediated signaling pathway.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3 is a versatile protein involved in multiple steps of gene expression and various cellular signaling pathways. DDX3 mutations have been implicated in the wingless (Wnt) type of medulloblastoma. We show here that small interfering RNA-mediated DDX3 knockdown in various cell lines increased cell-cell adhesion but decreased cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Moreover, DDX3 depletion suppressed cell motility and impaired directional migration in the wound-healing assay. Accordingly, DDX3-depleted cells exhibited reduced invasive capacities in vitro as well as reduced metastatic potential in mice. We also examined the mechanism underlying DDX3-regulated cell migration. DDX3 knockdown reduced the levels of both Rac1 and ß-catenin proteins, and consequentially downregulated the expression of several ß-catenin target genes. Moreover, we demonstrated that DDX3-regulated Rac1 mRNA translation, possibly through an interaction with its 5'-untranslated region, and affected ß-catenin protein stability in an Rac1-dependent manner. Taken together, our results indicate the DDX3-Rac1-ß-catenin regulatory axis in modulating the expression of Wnt/ß-catenin target genes. Therefore, this report provides a mechanistic context for the role of DDX3 in Wnt-type tumors.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in a morbidly obese patient with renal transplant: a case report.

Renal transplant is the only curative treatment for end-stage renal disease. As diabetes and obesity are the major causes of graft failure and post-transplant complication, it is important to manage obesity in patients with renal transplant. Herein, we report a case of a morbidly obese renal-transplant patient with poorly controlled diabetes who received bariatric surgery. A 34-year-old obese Taiwanese man with type 2 diabetes had end-stage renal disease that had progressed since 2008, when he had commenced hemodialysis (January 2008) and had a renal transplant (July 2008). Because of persistent obesity and poorly controlled diabetes, he received LRYGB at Chiayi Christian hospital on 18 August 2010. In the month that followed, he lost 10 kg. His serum creatinine decreased to 1.11 mg/dL (1.4 mg/dL, preoperative) and his hemoglobin A1c decreased to 8.5% (10.4%, preoperative). These results indicate that, in obese renal transplant patients, LRYGB may be employed to treat obesity, control diabetes and stabilize or improve the renal function.

C-reactive protein and risk factors for peripheral vascular disease in subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: To compare the importance of different inflammatory markers and traditional risk factors in predicting peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 30 Type 2 diabetic patients with PVD defined by ankle-brachial index (ABI) < 0.9, and 60 Type 2 diabetic patients without PVD (ABI > 1.0). Overnight blood was drawn and sent for study. RESULTS: Longer diabetic duration (15 +/- 8 vs. 10 +/- 7 years, P = 0.007), higher serum creatinine level (0.11 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.09 +/- 0.03 mmol/l, P = 0.001), higher total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio (5.2 +/- 1.6 vs. 4.3 +/- 1.1, P = 0.004) and increased hypertension status (70% vs. 52%, P = 0.014) and cerebral infarction (CI) history (23% vs. 3%, P = 0.009) were noted in Type 2 diabetes with PVD. Those with PVD also showed significantly higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (median 0.282 vs. 0.102 mg/dl, P < 0.001) and interleukin (IL)-6 (10.6 +/- 1.81 vs 1.6 +/- 4.6 pg/ml, P = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that higher serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), longer diabetic duration, and use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) were independently associated with PVD in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetic patients with PVD had longer diabetic duration, higher serum creatinine levels, higher TC/HDL-C ratio, higher hypertension and CI history and higher CRP and IL-6 levels. Only serum CRP level, diabetic duration, and use of ACEI were independently associated with PVD in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects with peripheral artery disease.

We strived to characterize the endothelial function status in type 2 diabetic patients with peripheral artery disease which was detected by ankle-brachial index by utilizing high frequency ultrasounds. Predictors of endothelial dysfunction were investigated. We chose 23 type 2 diabetic patients had ankle-brachial index <0.97 (0.15-0.95; mean=0.74+/-0.20), 31 diabetic patients had ankle-brachial index >/=1.0 and 28 non-diabetic subjects for study. Older age, a longer duration of diabetes, higher systolic blood pressure, higher prevalence of history of hypertension were observed in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Type 2 diabetic patients showed impaired flow-mediated dilatation than non-diabetic and it showed more impaired in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Nitroglyerin-induced dilatation showed a trend of impairment in patients with peripheral vascular disease but did not reach statistical significance. Age (r=-0.259, P=0.019), baseline brachial artery diameter (r=-0.321, P=0.003), ankle-brachial index (r=0.259, P=0.002) and hypertension history (P=0.01) were significantly associated with flow-mediated dilatation. However, after adjusting for age, only baseline diameter and ankle-brachial index were independent predictors of flow-mediated dilatation. In conclusion, we demonstrated flow-mediated dilatation was impaired in type 2 diabetic patients and it was further impaired in patients with peripheral vascular disease. Nitroglycerin-induced dilatation showed a trend of impairment but did not reach statistical significance.

Contractile responses and calcium mobilization induced by muscarinic agonists in the rat urinary bladder: effects of age.

In the current study, the contractile responses to muscarinic stimulation of urinary bladder strips from young rats and aged rats were compared. 1. The EC50 values of the two groups in response to bethanechol were similar. 2. The magnitude and the velocity of tension generation was significantly lower in strips from the aged group. 3. The magnitude as well as the velocity of tension generation in response to high K+ solution of the two models were similar. 4. The time to peak [Ca2+]i in response to bethanechol was prolonged in strips from the aged group as compared with the young group. 5. 45Ca2+ influx in response to bethanechol was significantly reduced in the aged group as compared with the young group. It is concluded that the reduced contractile response to muscarinic stimulation of isolated urinary bladder strips from aged rats is mediated at least in part by a decreased rate of Ca2+ entry.