A 15-week vitamin D supplementation and indoor cycling intervention reduces exercising heart rate, with no effect on glycaemic control in healthy adults: A pilot investigation

Significant positive correlations are often observed between vitamin D concentrations and physical activity levels. Whilst this may be due to individuals who are physically active spending time outdoors (i.e. increased opportunity for vitamin D synthesis), there is growing evidence to suggest a more complex relationship between vitamin D status, physical fitness and health outcomes. To explore this further thirty-nine healthy adults were randomly allocated to 15 weeks of exercise training (Ex), no training (NoEx), 2000 IU/day vitamin D (VitD) and/or placebo (Pla) supplementation (giving four possible allocations: NoEx+VitD; NoEx+Pla; Ex+VitD; Ex+Pla). Vitamin D status, glycaemic control and exercise responses were measured pre- and post-intervention. A series of 2 x 2 ANOVAs failed to find any effect of supplementation or exercise on any of the measures except heart rate during low intensity exercise, and vitamin D status. Heart rate was significantly reduced (6%, p < 0.05) in the Ex+VitD group. Vitamin D status was significantly raised (28%, p < 0,05) in the supplementation groups (NoEx+VitD and Ex+VitD) at a time of year (August-November) when a seasonal decline was observed in the placebo groups (33%, p < 0.05). These findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation (2000 IU/day) may have an enhancing role alongside exercise in inducing cardiorespiratory adaptations to exercise training. Further investigations are required to confirm these findings and identify the mechanisms involved

Case Report: Atypical presentation of non-functional gonadotropinoma [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Gonadotropinoma is the most common non-functional pituitary adenoma comprising 10%–30% of all pituitary adenomas. They are benign slow-growing tumours originating from adenohypophysis and rarely become malignant. Its presentation can be atypical, such as visual disturbance, and most patients presenting to an ophthalmologist for visual correction are eventually found to have a field defect. Here, we report a case of a 59-year-old patient who presented with a left-sided visual disturbance, which progressed over the years due to a left temporal hemianopia. The patient was referred to us by an ophthalmologist and was diagnosed with a giant non-functional gonadotropinoma. The patient was surgically treated. Postoperative follow-up magnetic resonance imaging after 3 months showed near complete resection of the tumour

Case Report: Atypical presentation of non-functional gonadotropinoma [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Gonadotropinoma is the most common non-functional pituitary adenoma comprising 10%–30% of all pituitary adenomas. They are benign slow-growing tumours originating from adenohypophysis and rarely become malignant. Its presentation can be atypical, such as visual disturbance, and most patients presenting to an ophthalmologist for visual correction are eventually found to have a field defect. Here, we report a case of a 59-year-old patient who presented with a left-sided visual disturbance, which progressed over the years due to a left temporal hemianopia. The patient was referred to us by an ophthalmologist and was diagnosed with a giant non-functional gonadotropinoma. The patient was surgically treated. Postoperative follow-up magnetic resonance imaging after 3 months showed near complete resection of the tumour

A Serpin shapes the extracellular environment to prevent influenza A virus maturation

Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) act in concert to provide a tight barrier against viruses. Recent studies have shed light on the contribution of individual ISG effectors to the antiviral state, but most have examined those acting on early, intracellular stages of the viral life cycle. Here, we applied an image-based screen to identify ISGs inhibiting late stages of influenza A virus (IAV) infection. We unraveled a directly antiviral function for the gene SERPINE1, encoding plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1). By targeting extracellular airway proteases, PAI-1 inhibits IAV glycoprotein cleavage, thereby reducing infectivity of progeny viruses. This was biologically relevant for IAV restriction in vivo. Further, partial PAI-1 deficiency, attributable to a polymorphism in human SERPINE1, conferred increased susceptibility to IAV in vitro. Together, our findings reveal that manipulating the extracellular environment to inhibit the last step in a virus life cycle is an important mechanism of the antiviral response