Muscle damage indicated by maximal voluntary contraction strength changes from immediately to 1 day after eccentric exercise of the knee extensors

The present study examined if the magnitude of changes in indirect muscle damage markers could be predicted by maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque changes from immediately to 1 day after eccentric exercise. Twenty-eight young men performed 100 maximal isokinetic (60°/s) eccentric contractions of the knee extensors. MVIC torque, potentiated doublet torque, voluntary activation (VA) during MVIC, shear modulus of rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis and lateralis, and muscle soreness of these muscles were measured before, immediately after, and 1–3 days post-exercise. Based on the recovery rate of the MVIC torque from immediately to 1-day post-exercise, the participants were placed to a recovery group that showed an increase in the MVIC torque (11.3–79.9%, n = 15) or a no-recovery group that showed no recovery (−71.9 to 0%, n = 13). No significant difference in MVIC torque decrease immediately post-exercise was found between the recovery (−33 ± 12%) and no-recovery (−32 ± 9%) groups. At 1–3 days, changes in MVIC torque (−40 to −26% vs. −22 to −12%), potentiated doublet torque (−37 to −22% vs. −20 to −9%), and proximal RF shear modulus (29–34% vs. 8–15%) were greater (p \u3c 0.05) for the no-recovery than recovery group. No significant group differences were found for muscle soreness. The recovery rate of MVIC torque was correlated (p \u3c 0.05) with the change in MVIC torque from baseline to 2 (r = 0.624) or 3 days post-exercise (r = 0.526), or peak change in potentiated doublet torque at 1–3 days post-exercise from baseline (r = 0.691), but not correlated with the changes in other dependent variables. These results suggest that the recovery rate of MVIC torque predicts changes in neuromuscular function but not muscle soreness and stiffness following eccentric exercise of the knee extensors

The diagnostic role of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in immunocompromised patients with pulmonary diseases

Fifty-six bronchoscopies were carried out for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases in 50 immunocompromised patients with various underlying diseases. In 30 of these patients, bronchoscopy provided useful findings. The diagnostic sensitivities (positive/procedures) for transbronchial lung biopsy bronchoalveolar lavage, aspiration of intra-bronchial sputum and brushing were 55.1%, 29.4%, 8.3% and 0%, respectively. Overall diagnostic sensitivity was higher for non-infectious diseases than for infectious ones. Also, there was a tendency for the diagnostic sensitivity to be higher in cases whose pulmonary infiltrates were extensive. In two samples of lavage fluid positive for the isolation of cytomegalovirus, the virus was not significant etiologically. Complications from bronchoscopy occurred in nine patients, but were not serious. However, no prolonged patient survival was noted with the use of diagnostic bronchoscopy. We consider that bronchoscopy is a safe method for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases in immunocompromised patients, but that further studies are required in order to confirm the clinical significance of this procedure

Relation of leg phase angle from bioelectrical impedance analysis with voluntary and evoked contractile properties of the plantar flexors

Introduction: Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can noninvasively and quickly assess electrical properties of the body, such as the phase angle. Phase angle is regarded as the quantity and/or quality of skeletal muscle and is associated with exercise performance, such as jump height and walking speed. Although the phase angle derived from BIA is assumed to be a useful way to assess muscle function, the relationship between the phase angle and neuromuscular properties has not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of phase angle with voluntary and evoked contractile properties in 60 adults (age, 21–83 years; 30 females and 30 males).Methods: The phase angle of the right leg at 50 kHz was evaluated using BIA. The twitch contractile properties (peak twitch torque [PTtwitch], rate of twitch torque development [RTDtwitch], and time-to-PTtwitch [TPTtwitch]) of the plantar flexors were measured using tibial nerve electrical stimulation. Maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) were performed to measure the maximal muscle strength and explosive muscle strength, from which the peak MVIC torque (PTMVIC) and rate of torque development (RTD) over a time interval of 0–200 ms were assessed, respectively. The root mean square (RMS) values of electromyographic (EMG) activity during the PTMVIC and RTD measurements (EMG-RMSMVIC and EMG-RMSRTD, respectively) were calculated. The RTD and EMG-RMSRTD were normalized using PTMVIC and EMG-RMSMVIC, respectively.Results and discussion: Phase angle significantly correlated with twitch contractile properties (|r| ≥ 0.444, p < 0.001), PTMVIC (r = 0.532, p < 0.001), and RTD (r = 0.514, p < 0.001), but not with normalized RTD (r = 0.242, p = 0.065) or normalized EMG-RMSRTD (r = −0.055, p = 0.676). When comparing measurement variables between the low- and high-phase angle groups while controlling for sex and age effects, the high-phase angle group showed greater PTtwitch, RTDtwitch, PTMVIC, and RTD (p < 0.001) and shorter TPTtwitch (p < 0.001) but not normalized RTD (p = 0.184) or normalized EMG-RMSRTD (p = 0.317). These results suggest that the leg phase angle can be an indicator of voluntary and evoked muscle contractile properties but not the neuromuscular activity of the plantar flexors, irrespective of sex and age

Plasma Thrombopoietin Levels are Unlikely to Account for the Platelet-sparing Effect of Paclitaxel in Lung Cancer Patients

Purpose: The present study was designed to determine whether the combination of carboplatin (CBDCA) with paclitaxel (PTX) spared CBDCA-induced thrombocytopenia by increased plasma thrombopoietin (TPO) levels. Methods: Patients with non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer were consecutively assigned to CBDCA with PTX regimen (CBDCA/PTX) and CBDCA with irinotecan (CPT-11) regimen (CBDCA/CPT-11), respectively. Results: Ten patients were entered into either CBDCA/PTX (n=5) or CBDCA/CPT-11 (n=5). CBDCA/PTX showed a lesser reduction of platelet counts than CBDCA/CPT-11 (p<0.05), although more severe neutropenia was observed in CBDCA/PTX (p<0.01). The plasma TPO levels were inversely correlated with circulating platelet counts in CBDCA/PTX and CBDCA/CPT-11. However, the increased rate of plasma TPO levels in CBDCA/PTX was not significantly different from that in CBDCA/CPT-11. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the increased plasma TPO levels in CBDCA/PTX result secondarily from thrombocytopenia, and that circulating TPO is probably not involved in the platelet-sparing effect of PTX

The Spectral Composition of Incident Solar and Sky Radiation, and Reflected and Transmitted PAR in Fied Populations of Rice Plants

書誌情報のみBibliographic data Onl

The Distribution of the Injured Stems in the Rice-field Attacked by Rice Stem Borer, Chilo simplex Butler : In the case of the period of the first generation of the insect

書誌情報のみBibliographic data Onl

The Distribution of the Injured Ears in the Rice Field Attacked by Rice Stem Maggot, Chlorops orizae Matsumura, and Estimation of Optimum Size of Field-Plot

書誌情報のみBibliographic data Onl

On the Relationship between Leaf Area Index and Population Growth of Rice Plants

書誌情報のみBibliographic data Onl

The Relationship between the Root Growth Analysis and the Growth Analysis in Lolium multiflorum Lam

前報では, 地下部生理活性の指標の一つとして, 根のα-NA酸化力を定量し, かつ, 乾物生産の分配率をも考慮した形で, 個体の生長を解析するという考え方を提起し, Root Growth Analysisと呼んだ. この中で, Root Activity/RwをURA (Unit Root Activity), Rw/PwをRWR (Root Weight Ratio), (1/Root activlty)・(dPw/dt)をRAR (Root assimilation Rate)と定義した. (ここで, Root activity とは, α-NA酸化量・hr-1・個体-1のことである.) 今回は, これらの各要素と, 生長解析法の要素であるLAR, NARとの相関関係を調べ, かつ, 栽培上の施肥技術との関係についても, 若干の検討を加えた. (UFA)^^^-と(LAR)^^^-(Fig. 1)との間には, 正の相関関係が認められ, (URA)^^^-と(NAR)^^^-との間にも同様の関係が認められた. 根の生理活性(URA)は, 地上部の光合成器官の生長と密接な関係があることが考察された. (RWR)^^^-と(LAR)^^^-(Fig. 2), (RWR)^^^-と(NAR)^^^-(Fig. 3)の関係は, 培地NO3-N 50ppm区では正の相関関係が, 培地10ppm区では, 負の相関関係が認められた. 培地養分条件の違いによる, この相関関係の違いは, 作物栽培上の施肥量, 施肥時期などの問題とも関係があるものと考えられる. しかし, Root Growth Analysis と Growth Analysisとの関連性, それに, 栽培技術との関係を明確にするためには, 未だ資料が不足しており, 今後, 種々の材料, 多くの培地条件での実験によって検討を加えていきたい