Prolonged swimming promotes cellular oxidative stress and p66Shc phosphorylation, but does not induce oxidative stress in mitochondria in the rat heart.

Exercise-induced changes in p66Shc-dependent signaling pathway are still not fully understood. The p66Shc protein is one of the key players in cell signaling, particularly in response to oxidative stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prolonged swimming on the phosphorylation of p66Shc as well as the induction of mitochondrial and cellular oxidative stress in rat hearts. Male Wistar rats were divided into a sedentary control group and an exercise group. The exercised rats swam for 3 hours and were burdened with an additional 3% of their body weight. After the cessation of exercise, their hearts were removed immediately for experiments. The exercise protocol caused increased levels of the following oxidative stress parameters in cardiac cells: DNA damage, protein carbonyls, and lipid dienes. There was also increased phosphorylation of p66Shc without any alterations in Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinases. Changes in the ferritin L levels and the L to H subunit ratio were also observed in the exercised hearts compared with the control hearts. Despite increased phosphorylation of p66Shc, no significant increase was observed in either mitochondrial H2O2 release or mitochondrial oxidative stress markers. Regardless of the changes in phosphorylation of p66Shc, the antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl2), and pro-apoptotic (Bax) protein levels were not affected by prolonged swimming. Further studies are required to investigate whether p66Shc phosphorylation is beneficial or detrimental to cardiac cells after exercise cessation.

Changes in skeletal muscle iron metabolism outpace amyotrophic lateral sclerosis onset in transgenic rats bearing the G93A hmSOD1 gene mutation.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, iron and the adaptor protein "p66Shc" have been shown to play an important role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in rats. We hypothesized that changes in muscle p66Shc activity and iron metabolism would appear before visible symptoms of the disease occurred. METHODS: In the present study, we used transgenic rats bearing the G93A hmSOD1 gene mutation and their non-transgenic littermates to test this hypothesis. We examined muscle p66Shc phosphorylation and iron metabolism in relation to oxidative stress in animals at three disease stages: asymptomatic (ALS I), disease onset (ALS II), and end-stage disease (ALS III). RESULTS: Significant changes in iron metabolism and markers of lipid and protein oxidation were detected in ALS I animals, which manifested as decreased levels of ferritin H and ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) and increased levels of ferritin L levels. Muscles of ALS I rats possessed increased levels of p66Shc phosphorylated at Ser(36) compared with muscles of control rats. During disease progression, level of ferritin H significantly increased and was accompanied by iron accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that multiple mechanisms may underlie iron accumulation in muscles of ALS transgenic rats, which include changes in blood hepcidin and muscle Fpn1 and increased level of muscle ferritin H. These data suggest that impaired iron metabolism is not a result of changes in motor activity.

Content and redistribution of vitamin E in tissues of Wistar rats under oxidative stress induced by hydrazine.

Hydrazine toxicity is associated with generation of several kinds of free radicals and oxidative stress in cell. Experiments in vivo have demonstrated that oxidative stress could either diminish or increase concentration of vitamin E in some tissues. Thus in the present study we performed experiments to determine whether hydrazine-induced oxidative stress would change the tissue levels of the vitamin. Seven days of hydrazine intoxication led to accumulation of different amounts of vitamin E: 215% in the liver, 118% in the heart, 135% in the spleen, and 100% in the muscle over control value. There were no changes in the level of the vitamin in kidney and pancreas, despite its significant depletion in the serum. In tissue that accumulated vitamin E after hydrazine treatment, an increased of oxidative stress measured by the concentration of lipid-soluble fluorophore was observed. Significant increases of 107%, 46%, 72%, and 58% over control values were observed in the liver, heart, spleen, and muscle, respectively. Rats treated with hydrazine and pharmacological doses of alpha-tocopherol accumulated higher concentrations of vitamin E in all studied tissues compared with the alpha-tocopherol-only treated rats. However, in tissues with elevated levels of fluorophore as liver, heart, spleen, and muscle, the accumulation of vitamin E was 5.03, 4.5, 4.03, and 4.6 times higher than in alpha-tocopherol-treated rats, respectively. Vitamin E concentration was much higher than in kidney and pancreas, where the accumulation was only 2.31 and 2.6 times higher. On the other hand, 3 days of hydrazine treatment did not change either the level of lipid-soluble fluorophore or the level of vitamin E in the liver mitochondria, microsomes, and homogenate. In skeletal muscle vitamin E caused decreased lipofuscin accumulation, and in pancreas vitamin E increased lipofuscin accumulation. Our data indicate that hydrazine is able to modify significantly vitamin E status in different rat tissues.

[The role of cytokines in aseptic loosening of total hip prosthesis]. / Rola cytokin w aseptycznym obluzowaniu endoprotezy stawu biodrowego.

The aim of this study was estimation of the secretory activity of macrophages isolated from granulomatotic tissue in aseptic total hip prosthesis loosening (particularly in regard to IL-6, TNF-alpha and OSM secretion). A considerable increase of IL-6 and TNF-alpha (proosteolytic cytokines) content was noted. At the same time a prominent decrease in OSM (an osteoprotective cytokine) was noted. The obtained results seem to suggest that the changed immunobiology of macrophages consisting of increase osteolytic activity and decreased osteoprotective abilities could be responsible for the loosening of hip prosthesis.

[Limb-sparing surgical treatment in osteosarcoma]. / Chirurgiczne leczenie oszczedzajace w przypadku miesaka kosciopochodnego.

From 1998 we performed limb-sparing surgery in 6 patients with osteosarcoma. No evidence of disease or local recurrence was noted in any of the patients after a mean follow-up period of 13 months. Age at the time of operation ranged from 8 to 14 years. Wide resection margins were achieved in all patients. The results of functional evaluation according to Enneking were excellent in 5 cases and poor in one. Bony defects created by limb-sparing procedures may be reconstructed by many methods. In growing children, limb-sparing surgery needs special consideration to avoid later limb-length discrepancy and expandable prostheses have been used to anticipate this problem.

[Nonoperative treatment of acute, grade III acromioclavicular dislocation in judo competing athletes]. / Nieoperacyjne leczenie ostrych zwichniec III stopnia stawu barkowo-obojczykowego u zawodników wyczynowo uprawiajacych judo.

Complete acromioclavicular separation is frequent injury during practice of judo. Fourteen athletes aged 17-33 (mean 23) were treated non-operatively. All patients received cryotherapy and Velpeau bandage for two weeks, intensive rehabilitation of the shoulder followed. The patients were reviewed after mean 4.5 years (range 3-7 years). A 100-point scale designed specifically for this study, inclusive of pain, function, strength, range of motion and return to preinjury level of sports activity was used for clinical assessment. Follow-up radiographs were compared to those taken immediately after injury but no correlation with clinical results has been found. Eight results were rated excellent (90-100 points), 5 results good (80-89 points) and one result was fair (70-79 points). Short period of immobilization and early rehabilitation seems to be efficient management in highly active individuals.

10 years observation and rehabilitation of stroke disability. Longitudinal study.

In the I State Home for Incurables in Lodz (Poland) 195 hemiplegia cases were observed over ten years. 140 women and 55 men. This comprised 8.2% and 17.8% of all ill females and males respectively. Causes of the lesion were vascular 187, trauma 4, neoplasm 4. Hemiparesis was in females most frequent between 60 and 80 years, in males between 50 and 80 years. Communication was absent or difficult in 126 cases (in 22 the cause was aphasia, in 104 dementia). Incontinence was noted in 77 cases, inability to walk (on admission) in 129. During the ten years under survey 135 died, 15 were discharged home, 26 females and 18 males were rehabilitated. Very good improvement in motor activity was obtained in 14 females (3 without kinesitherapy) and 7 males, indicating adequate walking and independence in activities of daily living after prolonged bedfastness. (average 2.5 years in males and 2.7 years in females). Altogether 88 patients improved from the locomotor angle. In cases with dementia, incontinence and severe aphasia prognosis in rehabilitation was found to be poor.