Anabolic signaling and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle after dynamic shortening or lengthening exercise

We hypothesized a differential activation of the anabolic signaling proteins protein kinase B (PKB) and p70 S6 kinase (p70(S6K)) and subsequent differential stimulation of human muscle protein synthesis (MPS) after dynamic shortening or lengthening exercise. Eight healthy men [25 +/- 5 yr, BMI 26 +/- 3 kg/m(-2) (means +/- SD)] were studied before and after 12 min of repeated stepping up to knee height, and down again, while carrying 25% of their body weight, i.e., shortening exercise with the "up" leg and lengthening exercise with contralateral "down" leg. Quadriceps biopsies were taken before and 3, 6, and 24 h after exercise. After exercise, over 2 h before the biopsies, the subjects ingested 500 ml of water containing 45 g of essential amino acids and 135 g of sucrose. Rates of muscle protein synthesis were determined via incorporation over time of [1-(13)C]leucine (相似文献   

Temporal Variation in Seed Predation by Insects in a Population of Syagrus romanzoffiana (Arecaceae) in Santa Catarina Island, SC, Brazil

Insect seed predation may vary depending on seed production. The present study considers the hypothesis that the rates of seed predation tend to be smaller in years of higher fruit production. Thus, we monitored the production of fruits and predation of seeds of the palm Syagrus romanzoffiana over 2?years in the Atlantic Forest (Parque Municipal da Lagoa do Peri, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil), between July 2006 and June 2008. Plots of 0.25?m² were fitted under 20 mother plants and fruits were monthly collected for assessment of abundance and seed predation. There was variation in fruit production between the 2?years and among reproductive plants. Predation rates were high and occurred in the predispersal phase by the Curculionidae Revena rubiginosa Boheman, Anchylorhynchus aegrotus Fahraeus, and Anchylorhynchus variabilis Gyllenhal. Seed predation by these species of Anchylorhynchus is first registered in the present study. In average, about 60% of the seeds monthly produced in the population tend to escape insect predation in year of high or low production, becoming available for recruitment. The predation rate was not related to the amount of fruits produced per reproductive plant. Also, different than expected, there was a positive relation between the rates of seed predation and the total of fruits produced monthly on the plots. Thus, no evidence for the satiation of insect seed predators was found in this study with S. romanzoffiana.     

Development of Obliterative Bronchiolitis in a Murine Model of Orthotopic Lung Transplantation

Orthotopic lung transplantation in rats was first reported by Asimacopoulos and colleagues in 1971 ¹. Currently, this method is well accepted and standardized not only for the study of allo-rejection but also between syngeneic strains for examining mechanisms of ischemia-reperfusion injury after lung transplantation. Although the application of the rat and other large animal model ² contributed significantly to the elucidation of these studies, the scope of those investigations is limited by the scarcity of knockout and transgenic rats. Due to no effective therapies for obliterative bronchiolitis, the leading cause of death in lung transplant patients, there has been an intensive search for pre-clinical models that replicate obliterative bronchiolitis. The tracheal allograft model is the most widely used and may reproduce some of the histopathologic features of obliterative bronchiolitis ³. However, the lack of an intact vasculature with no connection to the recipient''s conducting airways, and incomplete pathologic features of obliterative bronchiolitis limit the utility of this model ⁴. Unlike transplantation of other solid organs, vascularized mouse lung transplants have only recently been reported by Okazaki and colleagues for the first time in 2007 ⁵. Applying the basic principles of the rat lung transplant, our lab initiated the obliterative bronchiolitis model using minor histoincompatible antigen murine orthotopic single-left lung transplants which allows the further study of obliterative bronchiolitis immunopathogenesis⁶.     

A different kind of day hospital--for patients with preterminal cancer and chronic disease.

A new day hospital has been set up in Sheffield for patients with preterminal cancer and chronic disease. During the first 26 months 197 patients with cancer and 66 chronically sick patients attended. Of the 2701 attendances by patients with cancer, breast cancer accounted for 38%. One hundred and forty of the patients with cancer died, 83% in the terminal-care unit and 12% at home. Ninety per cent of respondents to a questionnaire thought that the support provided was of great importance to both patient and family; and over two-thirds of the patients were said to have benefited from improved control of symptoms. A similar facility could be developed within existing day hospitals without major revenue consequences, and should produce a genuine improvement in care. This study suggests, however, that it would not shorten the terminal stay in hospital.     

Stereospecificity of amino acid hydroxamate inhibition of aminopeptidases

Hydroxamates of amino acids and aliphatic acids are effective inhibitors of Aeromonas proteolytica amino-peptidase (EC 3.4.11.10) and of both the cytosolic (EC 3.4.11.1) and microsomal (EC 3.4.11.2) aminopeptidases of swine kidney. Cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase and the Aeromonas enzyme were inhibited to a greater extent by D isomers than by the L enantiomorphs, manganese-activated kidney cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase being inhibited 10 times more effectively by D-leucine and D-valine hydroxamic acids than by the L isomers. The D isomers of these two compounds inhibited Aeromonas aminopeptidase to an even greater extent with Ki values of 2 X 10(-9) and 5 X 10(-9), respectively, whereas the corresponding L isomers were bound 150 times less tightly. With the Aeromonas enzyme, a comparison of inhibition by racemic mixtures with that of the corresponding L isomers indicated that in all cases the contribution of the D isomer was predominant. Isocaproic hydroxamic acid inhibited this enzyme equally well as L-leucine hydroxamic acid, indicating that the amino group orientation in the D isomer contributes to the binding efficacy. Swine kidney microsomal aminopeptidase was also inhibited by D isomers of leucine and valine hydroxamic acids but in contrast to the other two enzymes, the inhibition was 10-fold less than that observed for the corresponding L isomers. Cytosolic leucine aminopeptidase with either 6 g atoms of zinc per mol or 12 g atoms of zinc per mol was inhibited only slightly by any of the hydroxamic acid compounds; evidently enzyme-bound manganese (or magnesium) is specific for hydroxamate binding to this aminopeptidase.     

Fish passage design for sustainable hydropower in the temperate Southern Hemisphere: an evidence review

The development of hydropower and other infrastructure that disrupts river connectivity poses a serious threat to highly endemic and genetically distinct freshwater fish species in temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Such locations have been neglected in previous reviews on fish passage. Fishways have long been constructed to mitigate the impacts of riverine barriers on fish, yet they have often failed for all but the largest, strongest swimming taxa. This is a particular problem in the temperate south, which is home to native species that are non-recreational and generally small-bodied with weak swimming abilities (e.g. Galaxiidae) relative to typical target species for fishway design (e.g. Salmonidae). Using the Eco Evidence method for rapid evidence synthesis, we undertook an assessment of evidence for effective fishway design focusing on species representative of the temperate south, including eel and lamprey. Systematic literature searches resulted in 630 publications. Through a rigorous screening process these were reduced to 46 publications containing 76 evidence items across 19 hypotheses relating to design criteria for upstream and downstream passage. We found an overwhelming lack of evidence for effective fishway design in the temperate south. Particular deficiencies were found with regard to the design of effective facilities for downstream passage. The attraction and entrance of upstream migrating fish into fishways is also relatively under-researched. Given the urgent need for effective fishways in the temperate south, these results justify an approach to fishway design based on a combination of empirical data and expert knowledge. In the meantime, significant resources should be assigned to improve the evidence base through high quality research. The particular deficiencies identified here could guide that research agenda.