Acute caffeine intake increases performance in the 15-s Wingate test during the menstrual cycle.

Aims: In male athletes, caffeine is considered an ergogenic aid to increase anaerobic performance during the Wingate anaerobic test (WANT). However, information about the effect of caffeine on WANT performance in female athletes is contradictory. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the ergogenicity of caffeine is present during all the phases of the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of caffeine intake on WANT performance during 3 phases of the menstrual cycle. Methods: Thirteen well-trained eumenorrhoeic triathletes participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over experimental trial. On 2 different days in each phase, and in randomized order, participants ingested caffeine (3 mg kg−1 ) or a placebo (cellulose). The menstrual cycle phases were individually characterized as follows: (i) early follicular; (ii) preovulatory; and (iii) midluteal. In each trial, participants performed a 15-s adapted version of the WANT. Results: In comparison to the placebo, caffeine increased peak power during the WANT in the early follicular (8.6 ± 0.8 vs 8.9 ± 0.9 W/kg, P = .04; effect size [d] = 0.45), preovulatory (8.6 ± 0.9 vs 8.9 ± 0.9 W/kg, P = .04; d = 0.23) and mid-luteal phases (8.6 ± 0.8 vs 8.9 ± 0.9 W/kg, P < .01; d = 0.52). Conclusion: The ergogenic effect of caffeine on WANT peak cycling power was of a similar magnitude in the follicular, preovulatory, and mid-luteal phases. These results suggest that caffeine increases performance in the 15-s Wingate test in women athletes and it might be considered an ergogenic aid to increase anaerobic performance in eumenorrhoeic women during their menstrual cycle.post-print486 K

Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species

To enrich spatio-temporal information on the distribution of alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, a collective effort by 173 marine scientists was made to provide unpublished records and make them open access to the scientific community. Through this effort, we collected and harmonized a dataset of 12,649 records. It includes 247 taxa, of which 217 are Animalia, 25 Plantae and 5 Chromista, from 23 countries surrounding the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Chordata was the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Annelida. In terms of species records, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Saurida lessepsianus, Pterois miles, Upeneus moluccensis, Charybdis (Archias) longicollis, and Caulerpa cylindracea were the most numerous. The temporal distribution of the records ranges from 1973 to 2022, with 44% of the records in 2020–2021. Lethrinus borbonicus is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while Pomatoschistus quagga, Caulerpa cylindracea, Grateloupia turuturu, and Misophria pallida are first records for the Black Sea; Kapraunia schneideri is recorded for the second time in the Mediterranean and for the first time in Israel; Prionospio depauperata and Pseudonereis anomala are reported for the first time from the Sea of Marmara. Many first country records are also included, namely: Amathia verticillata (Montenegro), Ampithoe valida (Italy), Antithamnion amphigeneum (Greece), Clavelina oblonga (Tunisia and Slovenia), Dendostrea cf. folium (Syria), Epinephelus fasciatus (Tunisia), Ganonema farinosum (Montenegro), Macrorhynchia philippina (Tunisia), Marenzelleria neglecta (Romania), Paratapes textilis (Tunisia), and Botrylloides diegensis (Tunisia)

Regulation of peripheral blood flow in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: clinical implication for symptomatic relief and pain management

Background. During the chronic stage of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), impaired microcirculation is related to increased vasoconstriction, tissue hypoxia, and metabolic tissue acidosis in the affected limb. Several mechanisms may be responsible for the ischemia and pain in chronic cold CPRS. Discussion. The diminished blood flow may be caused by either sympathetic dysfunction, hypersensitivity to circulating catecholamines, or endothelial dysfunction. The pain may be of neuropathic, inflammatory, nociceptive, or functional nature, or of mixed origin. Summary. The origin of the pain should be the basis of the symptomatic therapy. Since the difference in temperature between both hands fluctuates over time in cold CRPS, when in doubt, the clinician should prioritize the patient's report of a persistent cold extremity over clinical tests that show no difference. Future research should focus on developing easily applied methods for clinical use to differentiate between central and peripheral blood flow regulation disorders in individual patients

ARCHIVES OF PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between oligopolymorphism in the 25th codon of leptin gene and obesity. Eighty-seven obese women and 75 healthy women were constituted obese and control groups. Body fat percent, fat mass and lean body mass were determined by bioimpedance meter and leptin levels were determined. The presence of 25th codon oligopolymorphism in the leptin gene was done by PCR-RFLP technique. Mean leptin levels were 38.5 +/- 22.0 ng/ml, and 147.9 +/- 44.8 ng/ml in the control and obese groups, respectively. The correlations of serum leptin level to body fat percentage and fat mass in the control group were significant. The correlations in the obese group were not significant. This data implies that the difference of leptin levels between control and obese groups are more likely to be associated with alterations in the leptin gene other than 25th codon or alterations in the leptin receptor gene

Curcumin increases vasodilatory effect of cilostazol in diabetic rat aorta

128-132Increased generation of oxidants and (or) reduced endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms are associated with the etiology of diabetic vascular complications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether curcumin supplementation increases the vasodilatory effect of cilostazol in streptozotocin induced diabetic rat aorta. Cumulative addition of cilostazol caused concentration-dependent relaxations of thoracic aorta rings. The sensitivity and the maximal response to cilostazol were significantly higher in control than those in diabetic animals. Treatment with curcumin in control rats increased the sensitivity to cilostazol. Further, in aortic rings from diabetic rats treated with curcumin, the responses to cilostazol were significantly increased in comparison to the response in aorta from untreated diabetic rats. It can be conclude, that curcumin increases the cilostazol-induced vasodilation in diabetic rat aorta