SAFETY ASPECTS OF KARATE AS PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY

The present study reviewed karate injuries sustained during regular training, as well as competition, to examine the safety aspects of karate as physical education and an extracurricular activity. Karate injuries during regular exercise are usually minor, most commonly contusions, bruises, superficial scratches, sprains, and/or strains. The head/neck, and/or extremities were the most commonly injured regions. If karate is included as one of the activities in the school physical education curriculum, three hours or less per week training to practice basic techniques, prearranged-sparring, and kata, without free-sparring, is recommended. If free-sparring is allowed as practice in physical education classes and/or as an extracurricular activity, teachers or instructors should stress the importance of controlling the techniques and using noncontact forms of karate.  Article visualizations

Inhibitory Effect of Flavonoids on the Efflux of N-Acetyl 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Intracellularly Formed in Caco-2 Cells

N-acetyl 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-AcASA) that was intracellularly formed from 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) at 200 μM was discharged 5.3, 7.1, and 8.1-fold higher into the apical site than into the basolateral site during 1, 2, and 4-hour incubations, respectively, in Caco-2 cells grown in Transwells. The addition of flavonols (100 μM) such as fisetin and quercetin with 5-ASA remarkably decreased the apically directed efflux of 5-AcASA. When 5-ASA (200 μM) was added to Caco-2 cells grown in tissue culture dishes, the formation of 5-AcASA decreased, and, in addition, the formed 5-AcASA was found to be accumulated within the cells in the presence of such flavonols. Thus, the decrease in 5-AcASA efflux by such flavonols was attributed not only to the inhibition of N-acetyl-conjugation of 5-ASA but to the predominant cellular accumulation of 5-AcASA. Various flavonoids also had both of the effects with potencies that depend on their specific structures. The essential structure of flavonoids was an absence of a hydroxyl substitution at the C5 position on the A-ring of flavone structure for the inhibitory effect on the N-acetyl-conjugation of 5-ASA, and a presence of hydroxyl substitutions at the C3′ or C4′ position on the B-ring of flavone structure for the promoting effect on the cellular accumulation of 5-AcASA. Both the decrease in 5-AcASA apical efflux and the increase in 5-AcASA cellular accumulation were also caused by MK571 and indomethacin, inhibitors of MRPs, but not by quinidine, cyclosporin A, P-glycoprotein inhibitors, and mitoxantrone, a BCRP substrate. These results suggest that certain flavonoids suppress the apical efflux of 5-AcASA possibly by inhibiting MRPs pumps located on apical membranes in Caco-2 cells

Unilateral transient high myopization after pediatric strabismus surgery: Observation by anterior segment optical coherence tomography

[Purpose] To describe an unusual case of unilateral transient high myopization after pediatric strabismus surgery. [Observations] A 6-year-old girl with intermittent exotropia had undergone strabismus surgery and experienced a transient decrease in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, from 20/20 to 20/33) with high myopization (from +0.25 D to −9.00 D). Slit-lamp microscopy showed anterior chamber inflammation and a narrow angle only in the affected eye. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) revealed ciliary body detachment, a narrow angle, a shallow anterior chamber, and an anteroposterior elongation of the crystalline lens in the affected eye. Her symptoms of blurry vision and high myopization improved 8 weeks postoperatively. AS-OCT revealed the resolution of the ciliary body detachment, an open angle, and a deep anterior chamber, with normalization of the anteroposterior length of the crystalline lens. Her BCVA recovered to 20/20 with spherical equivalence of 0 D. [Conclusions and Importance] We reported on an extremely rare case of unilateral transient high myopization following strabismus surgery, which was resolved without additional surgery. This myopization was probably caused due to ciliary body inflammation

HEALTH ASPECTS OF KARATE AS PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY

The present study examined energy expenditure, metabolic equivalent (MET) intensities of karate exercises for health promotion, and bone properties of karate practitioners to examine the health aspects of karate as physical education and an extracurricular activity. The mean energy expenditure following a 70-minute karate practice was 563 kcal for men and 268 kcal for women. The calculated mean MET intensities resulting from the 70-minute karate practice were 7.9 METs for men and 5.2 METs for women. The mean MET intensities of all exercises for men and women were above 3 METs which is defined as “active physical activity” in the “Physical Activity Reference for Health Promotion 2013” in Japan. Practicing karate, especially sparring techniques, may help to enhance bone mineral density. It appears that longer duration, higher frequency, and earlier start of physical training positively influenced skeletal status.  Article visualizations

PO-245 Exercise at the lactate threshold (LT) and above the LT increases phosphorylation of AMPK and Akt in rat skeletal muscle

  Objective A single bout of exercise can enhance glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. It is well established that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation is required for stimulation of glucose uptake by exercise. After the initial phosphorylation of glucose by hexokinase, glucose is further utilized to mitochondrial oxidation during exercise. The direct or functional interaction between hexokinase and Akt may act to integrate glucose metabolism in working muscle. Hence, AMPK and Akt activation would be cooperatively regulated exercise-induced activation of glucose metabolism. Although exercise at the lactate threshold (LT) and above the LT sharply increase glucose uptake via increasing AMPK activity, whether LT exercise can also increase Akt activity is still unknown. Therefore, we examined the AMPK and Akt activity immediately after several intensities of exercise. Methods Male wistar rats (250-270 g) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Resting control (sedentary, n=16), Low-intensity exercise (LIE: 10 m/min for 30 min, n=8), LT intensity exercise 1 (LTE1: 17.5 m/min for 30 min, n=8), LT intensity exercise 2 (LTE2: 22.5 m/min for 30 min, n=8), and High-intensity exercise (HE: 27.5 m/min for 30 min, n=8). Immediately after each treadmill exercise, plantaris and soleus muscles were dissected. Results LIE exercise did not changed AMPK phosphorylation site (Thr172), indicator of AMPK activity, and Akt phosphorylation site (Ser473, Thr308), indicator of Akt activity, in these muscles compared with resting control. At and above LTE1 exercise increased the phosphorylation of AMPK in these tissues. At and above LTE2 exercise increased the phosphorylation of Akt in these tissues. Therefore, increasing AMPK and Akt activity immediately after LT exercise possibly involved with regulating glucose metabolism. Conclusions Phosphorylation of AMPK and Akt is increased immediately after at and above LT exercise in rat soleus and plantaris muscle. &nbsp

Obstructive azoospermia as an unusual complication associated with herniorrhaphy of an omphalocele: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Iatrogenic damage to the seminal tract is one of the causes of obstructive azoospermia, which can be an indication for reconstruction surgery. We present a case of obstructive azoospermia as an unusual complication after neonatal herniorrhaphy of an omphalocele.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 30-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia. He had undergone herniorrhaphy of an omphalocele immediately after birth. Reconstruction surgery of both seminal tracts was performed to pursue the possibility of naturally achieved pregnancy. Intra-operative findings demonstrated that both vasa deferentia were interrupted at the internal inguinal rings, although the abdominal end of the right vas leading to the seminal vesicle was found in the abdominal cavity. The discharge from the stump of the testicular end had no sperm, although the right epididymal tubules were dilated with motile sperm. Therefore, we performed right-sided vasovasostomy in the internal inguinal ring and ipsilateral epididymovasostomy simultaneously.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing obstructive azoospermia as an unusual complication of herniorrhaphy of an omphalocele. It is important to pay attention to the existence of seminal tracts in such surgery as well as in inguinal herniorrhaphy.</p

Inhibitory Effect of Flavonoids on the Efflux of N-Acetyl 5-Aminosalicylic Acid Intracellularly Formed in Caco-2 Cells

Recommended by Mostafa Z. Badr N-acetyl 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-AcASA) that was intracellularly formed from 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) at 200 μM was discharged 5.3, 7.1, and 8.1-fold higher into the apical site than into the basolateral site during 1, 2, and 4-hour incubations, respectively, in Caco-2 cells grown in Transwells. The addition of flavonols (100 μM) such as fisetin and quercetin with 5-ASA remarkably decreased the apically directed efflux of 5-AcASA. When 5-ASA (200 μM) was added to Caco-2 cells grown in tissue culture dishes, the formation of 5-AcASA decreased, and, in addition, the formed 5-AcASA was found to be accumulated within the cells in the presence of such flavonols. Thus, the decrease in 5-AcASA efflux by such flavonols was attributed not only to the inhibition of N-acetyl-conjugation of 5-ASA but to the predominant cellular accumulation of 5-AcASA. Various flavonoids also had both of the effects with potencies that depend on their specific structures. The essential structure of flavonoids was an absence of a hydroxyl substitution at the C5 position on the A-ring of flavone structure for the inhibitory effect on the N-acetylconjugation of 5-ASA, and a presence of hydroxyl substitutions at the C3 or C4 position on the B-ring of flavone structure for the promoting effect on the cellular accumulation of 5-AcASA. Both the decrease in 5-AcASA apical efflux and the increase in 5-AcASA cellular accumulation were also caused by MK571 and indomethacin, inhibitors of MRPs, but not by quinidine, cyclosporin A, P-glycoprotein inhibitors, and mitoxantrone, a BCRP substrate. These results suggest that certain flavonoids suppress the apical efflux of 5-AcASA possibly by inhibiting MRPs pumps located on apical membranes in Caco-2 cells

Delayed Follow-up Visits and Thyrotropin Among Patients With Levothyroxine During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Context: The indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice have received great attention, but evidence regarding thyroid disease management is lacking. Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between delayed follow-up visits during the pandemic and their serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels among patients being treated with levothyroxine. Methods: This study included 25 361 patients who made a follow-up visit as scheduled (n = 9063) or a delayed follow-up visit ( 4.5 mIU/L, aRR [95% CI] = 1.72 [1.60-1.85]; and TSH > 10 mIU/L, aRR [95% CI] = 2.38 [2.16-2.62]). Conclusion: A delayed follow-up visit during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with less well-controlled TSH among patients with levothyroxine