Sports and brain morphology - a voxel-based morphometry study with endurance athletes and martial artists.

Physical exercises and motor skill learning have been shown to induce changes in regional brain morphology, this has been demonstrated for various activities and tasks. Also individuals with special skills show differences in regional brain morphology. This has been indicated for professional musicians, London taxi drivers, as well as for athletes like dancers, golfers and judokas. However little is known about whether sports with different metabolic profiles (aerobic vs. anaerobic) are associated with different patterns of altered brain morphology. In this cross-sectional study we investigated two groups of high-performance athletes, one group performing sports that are thought to be mainly aerobic, and one group performing sports known to have intermittent phases of anaerobic metabolism. Using high-resolution structural imaging and voxel-based morphometry (VBM), we investigated a group of 26 male athletes consisting of 13 martial artists and 13 endurance athletes as well as a group of non-exercising men (n=13). VBM analyses revealed higher gray matter (GM) volumes in the supplementary motor area/dorsal premotor cortex (BA 6) in both athlete groups as compared to the control group. In addition, endurance athletes showed significantly higher GM volume in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), specifically in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, which was not seen in the martial arts group. Our data suggest that high-performance sports are associated with changes in regional brain morphology in areas implicated in motor planning and motor learning. In addition high-level endurance sports seem to affect MTL structures, areas that have previously been shown to be modulated by aerobic exercise.

Preliminary phytochemical and antileishmanial studies of the ethanolic extracts of Pterodon pudescens / Estudos preliminares sobre a fitoquimica e a atividade anti-leishmania de extratos etanólicos de Pterodon pudescens

Pentavalent antimonials are the first choice for the treatment of human leishmaniasis. However in rural areas the traditional plants may be preferred for the treatment of lesions. In recent years a number of papers are published related to the natural products especially plant derivative with infectious diseases. The present work was undertaken to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of Pterodon pubescens which is a native tree widely distributed over the central region of Brazil and used in folk medicine as wine infusions to treat inflammatory disease. The phytochemical screening and the biological essay of ethanolic extract of Pterodon pudescens (PPE) leaves at the concentrations of 150, 300, 450, 600 µg/ml were tested in vitro in Leishmania amazonensis-infected macrophages to support its traditional medicinal use as a leishmaniasis remedy. Phytochemical screening of PPE has shown the presence of catechemical tannins, steroids, triterpenoids and flavonoids. The biological test suggests that PPE were found to control parasite burden of cell cultures in dose-dependent manner. These findings highlight the fact that the apparent potency of Pterodon pudescens compounds, together with their widely distribution over Latin America and Brazil, may represent a promising antileishmanial agent.

Antimoniais pentavalentes são a primeira escolha para o tratamento das leishmanioses humanas. No entanto, no interior brasileiro plantas tradicionais são usadas para o tratamento dessas lesões. De fato, recentes trabalhos tem relatado o potencial terapêutico de produtos naturais, especialmente derivados de plantas. Neste estudo avaliamos a atividade leishmanicida de Pterodon pubescens, uma árvore nativa, distribuída pela região central brasileira e usada em infusões para tratamento de inflamações. Foi realizada a análise fitoquímica e o ensaio in vitro em macrófagos infectados com Leishmania amazonensis em concentrações de 150, 300, 450, 600 µg/ml do extrato etanólico de folhas de Pterodon pudescens (PPE) para comprovar o uso tradicional desta planta como terapia para as leishmanioses. Os testes fitoquímicos indicaram a presença de taninos catequímicos, flavonas, esteroides, triterpenoides, flavonoides e xantonas. Os ensaios biológicos revelaram que o PPE foi capaz de controlar a carga parasitária em macrófagos de maneira dose dependente. Estes resultados corroboram com o potencial terapêutico de compostos de Pterodon pudescens e, junto com sua ampla distribuição no Brasil, podem representar promissor agente leishmanicida.

Allogeneic and autologous transplantation for haematological diseases, solid tumours and immune disorders: current practice in Europe 2009.

The European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation regularly publishes special reports on the current practice of haematopoietic SCT for haematological diseases, solid tumours and immune disorders in Europe. Major changes have occurred since the first report was published. HSCT today includes grafting with allogeneic and autologous stem cells derived from BM, peripheral blood and cord blood. With reduced-intensity conditioning regimens in allogeneic transplantation, the age limit has increased, permitting the inclusion of older patients. New indications have emerged, such as autoimmune disorders and AL amyloidosis for autologous HSCT and solid tumours, myeloproliferative syndromes and specific subgroups of lymphomas for allogeneic transplants. The introduction of alternative therapies, such as imatinib for CML, has challenged well-established indications. An updated report with revised tables and operating definitions is presented.

In vivo evaluation of the potency and bladder-vascular selectivity of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers (-)-cromakalim, ZD6169 and WAY-133537 in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To compare in vivo the potency and bladder-vascular selectivity of ATP-sensitive potassium channel openers (KCOs) (-)-cromakalim, WAY-133537 and ZD6169 and a muscarinic antagonist, tolterodine in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder and arterial pressures were monitored simultaneously, before and after increasing intravenous doses of compounds, in each of two urethane-anaesthetized rat bladder hyperactivity models: spontaneous non-voiding myogenic contractions secondary to partial outlet obstruction and volume-induced neurogenic contractions. RESULTS: (-)-Cromakalim, WAY-133537 and ZD6169 caused a dose-dependent suppression of spontaneous contractions in the obstructed model, with a 50% inhibition of the contraction area under the curve at doses of 0.06, 0.14 and 2.4 micro mol/kg (intravenous), respectively. Corresponding decreases in mean arterial pressure at these effective doses were 24%, 15% and 15%, respectively. The KCO potency rank order was the same and their relative potency highly comparable in the neurogenic model. There was complete inhibition of spontaneous contractions in obstructed rats at doses corresponding to approximately 50% inhibition of the neurogenic contractions. While tolterodine caused a dose-dependent inhibition of contractions in the neurogenic model, it was ineffective at inhibiting non-voiding contractions in obstructed rats. CONCLUSIONS: All KCOs tested caused significant decreases in arterial pressure at doses effective on the bladder in the model of obstructive instability, suggesting a lack of bladder-vascular selectivity. Similar KCO potency in both assays suggests no appreciable changes in KATP channel function as a result of partial outlet obstruction.

Cardiovascular activity of A-74283, a 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A agent, in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

A-74283, (+,-)trans-2-(4-(3a,4,4a,6a,7,7a-hexahydro-4,7-etheno-1 H cyclobut [f] isoindol-1,3-dionyl)-butyl)-9-methoxy-2,2,2a,4,5,9b-hexahydr o-1 H-benz[e]isoindol HC1, was studied in receptor binding assays and in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). In radioligand binding to rat cortex, A-74283 had high affinity (equipotent to 8-OH-DPAT) and high selectivity for 5HT1A receptors compared to 5HT1B sites. In conscious SHR, A-74283 lowered mean arterial pressure (MAP) in a dose-related fashion with a prolonged effect after oral administration of higher doses, but heart rate (HR) was not changed. In anesthetized SHR, i.v. administration of A-74283 decreased MAP and total peripheral resistance, but not cardiac output. Pretreatment of conscious SHR with the selective 5TH1A receptor antagonists spiroxatrine or BMY 7378 reduced the hypotensive effect of A-74283 significantly, but pretreatment with adrenergic antagonists phenoxybenzamine or idazoxan or the 5HT2 receptor blocker ketanserin did not alter the effect of A-74283. Intracisternal administration of A-74283 also decreased MAP; however, A-74283 had no effect on blood pressure in pithed SHR in which blood pressure was supported with vasopressin, in contrast to nitroprusside. These data demonstrate that A-74283 exerts a potent hypotensive effect in SHR via systemic vasodilation originating from a central 5HT1A receptor mechanism. A-74283 may be useful for studying 5HT1A receptors and cardiovascular function.

Iron losses in sweat.

The losses of iron in whole body cell-free sweat were determined in eleven healthy men. A new experimental design was used with a very careful cleaning procedure of the skin and repeated consecutive sampling periods of sweat in a sauna. The purpose was to achieve a steady state of sweat iron losses with minimal influence from iron originating from desquamated cells and iron contaminating the skin. A steady state was reached in the third sauna period (second sweat sampling period). Iron loss was directly related to the volume of sweat lost and amounted to 22.5 micrograms iron/l sweat. The findings indicate that iron is a physiological constituent of sweat and derived not only from contamination. Present results imply that variations in the amount of sweat lost will have only a marginal effect on the variation in total body iron losses.

Low bioavailability of carbonyl iron in man: studies on iron fortification of wheat flour.

The bioavailability in man of commercially available elemental iron powders is unknown despite their extensive use for fortification of flour. Carbonyl iron, which is widely used in Europe, is considered as one of the best reduced iron powders based on studies both in vitro and in animals. In this study, a 55Fe labeled carbonyl iron was prepared by neutron irradiation and used to fortify wheat flour. The native iron of the wheat was extrinsically labeled by 59FeCl3. Doubly labeled wheat rolls were served with different meals. The ratio of absorbed 55Fe/59Fe is a direct measure of the fraction of carbonyl iron that joins the nonheme iron pool and is made potentially available for absorption. This relative bioavailability of carbonyl iron was unexpectedly low and varied from 20 to 5% when the iron fortified wheat rolls were served with different meals. The baking process did not change the relative bioavailability nor the addition of ascorbic acid. The low and variable bioavailability of carbonyl iron in man, makes it necessary to reconsider the rationale of using elemental iron powders for the fortification of foods for human consumption.