Normal isometric strength of rotatorcuff muscles in adults.

OBJECTIVES: The most prevalent disorders of the shoulder are related to the muscles of rotator cuff. In order to develop a mechanical method for the evaluation of the rotator cuff muscles, we created a database of isometric force generation by the rotator cuff muscles in normal adult population. We hypothesised the existence of variations according to age, gender and dominancy of limb. METHODS: A total of 400 healthy adult volunteers were tested, classified into groups of 50 men and women for each decade of life. Maximal isometric force was measured at standardised positions for supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis muscles in both shoulders in every person. Torque of the force was calculated and normalised to lean body mass. The profiles of mean torque-time curves for each age and gender group were compared. RESULTS: Our data showed that men gradually gained maximal strength in the fifth decade, and showed decreased strength in the sixth. In women the maximal strength was gained in the fourth decade with gradual decline to the sixth decade of life. The dominant arm was stronger in most of the tested groups. The torque profiles of the rotator cuff muscles in men at all ages were significantly higher than that in women. CONCLUSIONS: We found previously unrecognised variations of rotator cuff muscles' isometric strength according to age, gender and dominancy in a normal population. The presented data may serve as a basis for the future studies for identification of the abnormal patterns of muscle isometric strength in patients with pathology of the rotator cuff muscles. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:214-19.

Interaction of dexanabinol (HU-211), a novel NMDA receptor antagonist, with the dopaminergic system.

The interaction of 7-hydroxy-delta6-tetrahydrocannabinol 1,1-dimethylheptyl (Dexanabinol: HU-211), a novel NMDA receptor antagonist, with the dopaminergic system was examined using in vitro and in vivo systems. HU-211 (50 or 100 microM) inhibited the binding of [3H]R(+)-8-chloro-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-5-phenyl-1H-3-benzazepi n-7-ol hydrochloride ([3H]SCH-23390), a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, by 29.7 +/- 1.8% and 52.7 +/- 6.3%, respectively. HU-211 10 microM, like the dopamine D1 receptor agonist R(+)-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1H)-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol hydrochloride (SKF-38393), enhanced the conversion of [3H]adenine to cyclic AMP (cAMP) (51.8 +/- 29.7% and 35.6 +/- 21.5% over control, respectively). The HU-211-induced increase was not inhibited by SCH-23390. HU-211 together with the dopamine D1 receptor agonist caused a synergistic elevation (314.7 +/- 14.3%). HU-211 reduced the catalepsy induced by dopamine receptor antagonists. At 10 mg/kg, HU-211 significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the catalepsy time induced by D1, D2 and non-selective dopamine receptor antagonists. Overall, the results of the present study demonstrate that HU-211 interacts with the dopaminergic system and enhances activity at the dopamine D1 receptor level. This activity may have implications in diseases involving the dopaminergic system, such as Parkinson's disease.

Instrumentation for plant health and growth in space.

The present-day plant growth facilities ("greenhouses") for space should be equipped with monitors and controllers of ambient parameters within the chamber because spacecraft environmental variations can be unfavorable to plants. Moreover, little is known about the effects of spaceflight on the greenhouse and rooting media. Lack of information about spaceflight effects on plants necessitates supplying space greenhouses with automatic, non-invasive monitors of, e.g., gas exchange rate, water and nutrient ion uptake, plant mass, temperature and water content of leaves. However, introduction of an environmental or plant sensor into the monitoring system may be reasonable only if it is justified by quantitative evaluation of the influence of a measured parameter on productivity, efficacy of illumination, or some other index of greenhouse efficiency. The multivariate adaptive optimization in terrestrial phytotrons appears to be one of the best methods to assess environmental impacts on crops. Two modifications of greenhouses with the three-dimensional adaptive optimization of crop photosynthetic characteristics include: (1) irradiation, air temperature and carbon dioxide using a modified simplex algorithm; and (2) using irradiation, air temperature, and humidity with sensitivity algorithms with varying frequency of test exposures that have been experimentally developed. As a result, during some stages of plant ontogensis, the photosynthetic productivity of wheat, tomatoes, and Chinese cabbage in these systems was found to increase by a factor of 2-3.

Neuroprotective activity of HU-211, a novel NMDA antagonist, in global ischemia in gerbils.

HU-211, a nonpsychotropic cannabinoid and a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, was tested in a global ischemia model in the Mongolian gerbil. Male Mongolian gerbils underwent a 10-min bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. HU-211, administered i.v. at 4 mg/kg, 30 min postischemia, induced statistically significant neuroprotection of the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus. A dose-response study demonstrated an inverted U curve in which the 4 mg/kg dose induced the best neuroprotection in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus (p < 0.05 ANOVA followed by Duncan's post-hoc test). The therapeutic window was then investigated, and in another study, HU-211 4 mg/kg were administered i.v. at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min postinsult. A statistically significant neuroprotection was detected at 30 and 60 min administration postinsult.

Platelet adhesion in hyperlipidemic and hypertensive patients.

Platelet adhesion was studied in whole blood using a simple stagnation flow method in patients at high risk for the development of atherosclerosis. Fourteen patients with hypercholesterolemia, 26 with hypertriglyceridemia and 25 normolipidemic hypertensive subjects were compared with 75 normal (normotensive and normolipidemic) subjects. Increased platelet adhesion was found in hypercholesterolemic (but not hypertriglyceridemic) patients only when native blood with no anticoagulants was used. In hypertensive patients, platelet adhesion was significantly elevated, but remarkably reduced by beta-blocker drugs. Propranolol and atenolol significantly reduced platelet adhesion, but this effect was found to take a longer time than that required for significant blood pressure reduction.

Platelet adhesion determination in whole blood using a simple stagnation flow method.

A simple stagnation flow method for the determination of platelet adhesivity has been developed. The sensitivity of the method to its main operational parameters was tested, resulting in recommended standard flow conditions. The method was shown to be dependent on the surface properties of the test slide, on which platelets are deposited, thus proving its suitability to elucidate variations in the surface interaction of the platelets. Normal values were established for males and females.