[The therapeutic effect of aerobic exercise with resistance training in elderly men with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of aerobic exercise alone and aerobic exercise with resistance training on the quality of life in men over the age of 55 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 54 participants were divided into the following three groups so that there were no significant differences in blood chemistry or physical ability indexes among the three groups:control, aerobic exercise, and aerobic exercise with resistance training. The latter two groups exercised for 24 weeks, while the control group performed no exercise. Blood chemistry levels and measures of physical ability in each group members were examined one day before and one day after the exercise regimens. RESULTS: Compared with those before the study, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein levels as well as vital capacity, reaction time, sit-and-reach ability, and balancing while standing on one leg with closed eyes were significantly improved in the aerobic exercise only group (P < 0.05). All these measures as well as high-density lipoprotein levels and grip, back, and leg strength were significantly improved in the combined aerobic and resistance training group (P < 0.05). By contrast, no significant differences before and after the experiment were found in any measure for the control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although both aerobic exercise and aerobic exercise combined with resistance training for 24 weeks effectively improved the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes, the effect of the combined training was better than that of aerobic exercise alone. These results suggest that resistance training may be safely added to the rehabilitation training regimen of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Role of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate in the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: An enhancer or an inducer?

Epidemiological investigations have revealed that the consumption of green tea, which is a rich source of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is associated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis. A number of in vitro and in vivo studies have also demonstrated that EGCG exerts a significant positive effect on osteogenesis; however, the single effect of EGCG on osteogenic differentiation has been seldom studied. EGCG was hypothesized to function as an enhancer or an inducer. In the present study, the effect of EGCG on the osteogenic differentiation of primary human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs), without other additives, was investigated. Three groups of stem cells were analyzed, which included a negative control group (hBMSCs cultured with culture medium only), an experimental group (cells treated with culture medium containing 2.5, 5 and 10 µM EGCG), and a positive control group (cells cultured with osteogenesis-induced culture medium). After 3, 7, 14 and 21 days, cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the expression of associated osteogenic genes were analyzed. The results revealed that ALP activity and the expression of associated osteogenic genes, with the exception of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), were not affected by EGCG treatment alone. These results indicated that EGCG itself had little effect on the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs; however, EGCG was able to enhance osteogenesis in the presence of osteoinductive agents through the upregulation of BMP2 expression. Additionally, EGCG was shown to promote cell growth, demonstrating its safety as a therapeutic agent. Therefore, the present study indicated that treatment with EGCG was dependent on other osteogenic inducers.

Protocatechuic acid benefits proliferation and phenotypic maintenance of rabbit articular chondrocytes: An in vitro study.

Numerous antioxidants exhibit antiarthritic effects due to their inhibitory effect on inflammatory factors. Certain antioxidants, such as protocatechuic acid (PCA) and its analogs, have been reported to be effective in the treatment of arthritis. However, the effect of PCA on chondro-protection may be alleviated due to the induction of apoptosis, as has been demonstrated in stomatocytes. To clearly determine the effect of PCA on the biological and cellular metabolism of rabbit articular chondrocytes in vitro, examinations of cytotoxicity, proliferation and morphology were performed, in addition to analyses of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis and the expression of cartilage-specific genes. The results revealed that PCA effectively promoted chondrocyte growth, the synthesis of the extracellular matrix and the mRNA expression of aggrecan, collagen II and Sox9, while downregulating the expression of the collagen I gene, a marker of chondrocyte dedifferentiation. In addition, hypertrophy, which may result in chondrocyte ossification, was not detected in the groups. Among the doses (range, 0.05-0.3 mmol/l) of PCA that promoted the proliferation of chondrocytes, a concentration of 0.125 mmol/l produced the optimum performance. The results indicated that PCA, particularly at a dose of 0.125 mmol/l, accelerated the proliferation of rabbit articular chondrocytes in vitro and maintained their phenotype. This study may provide a basis for further research concerning the treatment of cartilage defects.

Clinical significance of kallikrein-related peptidase-4 in oral cancer.

Kallikrein-related-peptidase-4 (KLK4), a serine protease originally discovered in developing tooth with broad target sequence specificity, serves vital functions in dental enamel formation. KLK4 is involved in degradation of extracellular matrix proteins and it is thought that this proteolytic activity could also promote tumor invasion and metastasis. Recent studies have associated KLK4 expression with tumor progression and clinical outcome, particularly in prostate and ovarian cancer. Very little is known in regard KLK4 involvement in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Our objective was to investigate KLK4 expression in OSCC pathogenesis and disease progression. KLK4 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, western blots and zymograms in OSCC lines. Invasion assays using high versus low/undetectable KLK4-expressing OSCC cell lines were performed jointly with KLK4 siRNA inhibition. A large collection of OSCC specimens was evaluated for KLK4 expression and correlation with patients' characteristics and outcomes were determined. Our data indicate that KLK4 is differentially expressed in oral carcinomas. OSCC cell lines with high invasive and metastatic potential have the highest levels of KLK4 expression. KLK4 mRNA and protein expression correlated with enzyme activity detected by zymograms. Inhibition of KLK4 expression results in diminished invasive potential in OSCC cell lines. Consistently, KLK4 expression is stronger in primary tumors that later either recurred or developed metastases, suggesting that its preferential expression in OSCC might contribute to individual tumor biology. Therefore, this study provides supportive evidence in favor of a prognostic value for KLK4 in OSCC and suggests that KLK4 could serve as a potential therapeutic target in patients with oral cancer.