The effects of kinetic energy on concentric and eccentric isokinetic work.

This investigation examined inertial effects on work output during isokinetic concentric knee extension and eccentric knee flexion. Total work (Wtotal) included work due to kinetic energy (Wkin), with respect to gravity (Wgrav), and against the dynamometer (Wdyn). Eighteen resistance-trained participants (9 males, 9 females) performed maximal voluntary concentric (90, 150, 210, 270 deg/s) and eccentric (-150, -90, -30 deg/s) actions with the dominant leg. Differences between work measurement type (WMT), i.e., gravity-corrected work and Wtotal, were assessed. ANOVA (2 WMT x 2 mode x 2 gender x 4 speed) revealed significant main effects (p < 0. 05) for both factors concentrically but only for WMT eccentrically. It was concluded that the effect of kinetic energy during isokinetic leg extension may elicit differences in measurement where the associated error (Kerr) significantly increases with increasing velocity concentrically and decreases eccentrically. Key pointsTotal isokinetic work is underestimated by standard gravity corrected techniques.Standard gravity corrected work measurements overestimate isometric eccentric total work.The overestimation of isometric eccentric total work increases with greater angular velocity.

Enhanced acetaminophen toxicity by activation of the pregnane X receptor.

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Activation of PXR represents an important mechanism for the induction of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) enzymes that can convert acetaminophen (APAP) to its toxic intermediate metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). Therefore, it was hypothesized that activation of PXR plays a major role in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Pretreatment with the PXR activator, pregnenolone 16alpha-carbonitrile (PCN), markedly enhanced APAP-induced hepatic injury, as revealed by increased serum ALT levels and hepatic centrilobular necrosis, in wild-type but not in PXR-null mice. Further analysis showed that following PCN treatment, PXR-null mice had lower CYP3A11 expression, decreased NAPQI formation, and increased maintenance of hepatic glutathione content compared to wild-type mice. Thus, these results suggest that PXR plays a critical role in APAP-induced hepatic toxicity, probably by inducing CYP3A11 expression and hence increasing bioactivation.