L-Carnitine Combined with Leucine Supplementation Does Not Improve the Effectiveness of Progressive Resistance Training in Healthy Aged Women.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of L-carnitine (LC) in combination with leucine supplementation on muscle strength and muscle hypertrophy in aged women participating in a resistance exercise training (RET) program. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-seven out of sixty (38.3% dropout) healthy women aged 60-75 years (mean 67.6 ± 0.7 years) completed the intervention in one of three groups. One of the supplemented groups received 1 g of L-carnitine-L-tartrate in combination with 3 g of L-leucine per day (LC+L group; n = 12), and the second supplemented group received 4 g of L-leucine per day (L group; n = 13). The control group (CON group; n = 12) received no supplementation. INTERVENTION: All three groups completed the same RET protocol involving exercise sessions twice per week for 24 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Before and after the experiment, participants performed isometric and isokinetic muscle strength testing on the Biodex dynamometer. The cross-sectional areas of the major knee extensors and total thigh muscles were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. Fasting serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), myostatin and decorin, and plasma levels of total carnitine (TC) and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) levels were measured. RESULTS: The 24-week RET significantly increased muscle strength and muscle volume, but the group and time interactions were not significant for the muscle variables analyzed. Plasma total carnitine increased only in the LC+L group (p = 0.009). LC supplementation also caused a significant increase in plasma TMAO, which was higher after the intervention in the LC+L group than in the L (p < 0.001), and CON (p = 0.005) groups. The intervention did not change plasma TMAO concentration in the L (p = 0.959) and CON (p = 0.866) groups. After the intervention serum decorin level was higher than before in both supplemented groups combined (p = 0.012), still not significantly different to post intervention CON (p = 0.231). No changes in serum IGF-1 and myostatin concentrations and no links between the changes in blood markers and muscle function or muscle volume were observed. CONCLUSIONS: LC combined with leucine or leucine alone does not appear to improve the effectiveness of RET.

[Radiotherapy of metastases to the brain by the method of high fractionated doses with planned intervals]. / Radioterapia przerzutów do mózgu metoda wysokich dawek frakcyjnych z planowana przerwa.

Results of treatment by irradiation with CO60 of metastases to the brain applying the high fractionated doses with planned interval method in the group of 32 patients, are presented. The treatment has been given in two stages; at the first stage 20 Gy has been given to the total brain in 5 fractions; after three weeks interval the response to treatment has been evaluated, and patients with positive response received second course of irradiation analogous to the first. Patients received as a total 40 Gy in 10 fractions with three weeks interval. The positive response to treatment has been obtained in 25 (78%) cases. Medium survival in the analysed group amounted to 7.5 months, 6 patients survived one year following the treatment (18.7%). Tolerance of the treatment has been good. No serious complications have been observed following the treatment.

[Speech rehabilitation in the early stage of stroke]. / Reedukacja mowy we wczesnym okresie udaru mózgowego.

Re-education of disturbed speech was conducted in 224 patients from 1 to 8 weeks after strike. The diagnostic neuropsychological examination was carried out in each case on the 3rd day of the disease, after 2 weeks and after 8 weeks. It was found that the speech was much better after re-educaton than in patients in a later stage of this disease who had no speech rehabilitation in the early stage of the disease. For demonstrating these differences two groups of patients (30 subjects in each) matched for age, stroke aetiology and type of speech disorders were compared.