Repeated cessation and resumption of resistance training attenuates increases in arterial stiffness.

Although high-intensity resistance training (RT) increases arterial stiffness, removing weightlifting stimuli returns arterial stiffness to baseline levels within relatively short periods during 4-8 weeks. This study investigates the effects of repeated RT cessation and resumption on arterial stiffness. Eighteen young healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a group that performed continuous RT (CRT, n=9) and a group that performed periodic RT (PRT, n=9). Both groups performed RT at 75% of one repetition maximum for 3 days per week. The CRT group continuously trained for 16 weeks, whereas the PRT group performed 3 cycles of 4 weeks training, with 2 weeks detraining intervals between cycles. The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in the CRT group significantly increased (P<0.05) at 4, 6, 10, 12, 16 and 20 weeks from baseline, whereas in the PRT group it significantly increased (P<0.05) after 4, 10 and 16 weeks from baseline, and was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the CRT group after 6, 10, 12, 16 and 20 weeks. Muscle mass and strength in the both groups significantly increased after 16 weeks from baseline and persisted for 20 weeks (P<0.05). These results suggest that PRT, including short-term repeated cessation and resumption, attenuates increases in arterial stiffness.

An optical spectrum of the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst at a redshift of z = 6.295.

The prompt gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) should be detectable out to distances of z > 10 (ref. 1), and should therefore provide an excellent probe of the evolution of cosmic star formation, reionization of the intergalactic medium, and the metal enrichment history of the Universe. Hitherto, the highest measured redshift for a GRB has been z = 4.50 (ref. 5). Here we report the optical spectrum of the afterglow of GRB 050904 obtained 3.4 days after the burst; the spectrum shows a clear continuum at the long-wavelength end of the spectrum with a sharp cut-off at around 9,000 A due to Lyman alpha absorption at z approximately 6.3 (with a damping wing). A system of absorption lines of heavy elements at z = 6.295 +/- 0.002 was also detected, yielding the precise measurement of the redshift. The Si ii fine-structure lines suggest a dense, metal-enriched environment around the progenitor of the GRB.

[The case report of minimal access CABG for triple-vessel disease].

A 55-year-old male patient underwent CABG for triple-vessel disease using the minimal access approach. The procedure was performed through a limited (10 cm) left para-sternal thoracotomy using extracorporeal circulation established with a usual aortic cannula, and pulmonary arterial and right atrial drainage. The myocardium was protected by antegrade administration of cold cardioplegic solution while the aorta was being cross-clampled. The saphenous vein graft was connected sequentially to the 4 PD and OM branches, and the left internal thoracic artery was grafted to the LAD. The postoperative course was uneventful and coronary angiography showed that all three grafts were patent. The patient was discharged one week postoperatively.

[Arrhythmias newly provoked by exercise training in patients who underwent cardiac surgery].

We investigated the incidence and the varieties of arrhythmia during exercise training in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Subjects were 1293 patients who underwent cardiac surgery and enrolled our cardiac rehabilitation program. According to the charts and cardiac rehabilitation records, we evaluated the incidence and the varieties of arrhythmia provoked by exercise training in patients after cardiac surgery retrospectively. The arrhythmias related to the exercise training were provoked in 12 times, and the incidence was only 0.09% (12/13646). Atrial fibrillation was the most common arrhythmia, and the incidence was 41.6% (5/12) in these patients. Moreover, these arrhythmias occurred within 2 weeks after surgery. Although most patients recovered to the sinus rhythm spontaneously, 3 patients needed medical treatment or cardioversion. We concluded that the arrhythmia provoked by exercise training in patients after cardiac surgery were rare, non-fatal, and common in the early recovery phase after surgery. However, the supervised exercise training was required in those patients, particularly in early recovery phase of cardiac surgery.

Influence of continuous or intermittent blood flow restriction on muscle activation during low-intensity multiple sets of resistance exercise.

Low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) has been shown to induce a prominent increase in muscle activation in response to muscle fatigue. However, the magnitude of muscle fatigue between continuous (Con-BFR) and intermittent BFR (Int-BFR, BFR only during exercise) is currently unknown. We examined the effect of Con-BFR or Int-BFR on muscle activation during exercise. Unilateral arm curl exercise (20% of one-repetition maximum, four sets, 30 sec rest period between sets) was performed without (CON) or with Con-BFR or Int-BFR. During BFR conditions, the cuff was inflated to 160 mmHg on the proximal region of testing arm. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from the biceps brachii muscle, and integrated EMG (iEMG) was analyzed. During the exercise, iEMG increased progressively in Con-BFR and Int-BFR and both conditions were greater (p < 0.05) than CON at the 3rd and 4th set. However, there were no differences (p > 0.05) in iEMG between Con-BFR and Int-BFR during exercise (∼2.45 and ∼2.40 times, respectively). Thus, the magnitude of increase in muscle activation may be similar between Con-BFR and Int-BFR when BFR exercise was performed at a high level of cuff pressure intensity.

Genetic strain-dependent protein metabolism and muscle hypertrophy under chronic isometric training in rat gastrocnemius muscle.

Genetic strain-dependent reactivity to mechanical stimuli in rat skeletal muscle has not been examined. This study aimed to examine whether genetic strain-dependency is associated with reactivity in protein metabolism and the resultant muscle hypertrophy after isometric resistance training (RT). The right triceps of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Wistar rats underwent 12 sessions of RT. After RT, a transition from the IIb to the IIx myosin heavy-chain isoform was observed in both strains. In SD rats, the lateral gastrocnemius muscle (LG) mass of the trained legs (TRN) was significantly higher than that of the control legs (CON) (7.8 %, P<0.05). Meanwhile, in Wistar rats, the LG mass was unchanged. In SD rats, the levels of 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6k) and forkhead box 3a (FOXO3a) phosphorylation in the TRN were significantly greater than those of the CON (2.2- and 1.9-fold, respectively; P<0.05). The expression of muscle ring finger-1 (MuRF1) and muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx/atrogin-1) in the TRN were significantly lower than those of the CON (0.6- and 0.7-fold, respectively; P<0.05). However, in Wistar rats, there was no significant difference. These results suggest a genetic strain difference in protein metabolism. This phenomenon may be useful for studying individual differences in response to RT.

Retrospective analysis of an efficient peripheral blood stem cell collection and the relation between infused cell dose and clinical outcome in patients with malignant lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

INTRODUCTION: Etoposide (VP16) is a drug used not only for the treatment of lymphoma but also for the collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). We analysed the efficacy and adverse effects of collecting PBSCs and the relation between the infused cell dose and the clinical outcome in lymphoid malignancies. METHOD: Investigating 30 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, one patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma, and five patients with multiple myeloma, we compared the effects of several doses of etoposide with those of CHOP or CHOP-like treatments or salvage treatments. We also analysed the relation between the amount of CD34(+) cells collected (above or below 5.0 × 10(6) /kg/day) and prognosis of these patients. RESULTS: We found the collected cell count to be highest in patients treated with 500 mg/m(2) of VP16 and lowest in those not treated with VP16 (P = 0.0073). A CD34(+) cell count above 100/µL on the collection day indicates that the target amount of CD34(+) cells (4.0 × 10(6) /kg) can be readily obtained and was reached most rapidly by the patients who had received 500 mg/m(2) of VP16 (P = 0.01). The longer duration of neutropenia in those patients (P = 0.000006) resulted in longer antibiotic treatment (P = 0.0052). Both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were better for the patients who yielded more than 5.0 × 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg/day (P = 0.087 for PFS and P < 0.033 for OS). CONCLUSION: We show here that 3 days of VP16 at 500 mg/m(2) was useful for the collection of PBSCs and that patients who yielded more than 5.0 × 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg/day survived longer than those who yielded less.