bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prophylactic tolperisone for post‐exercise muscle soreness causes reduced isometric force—adouble‐blind randomized crossover control study
Authors: Bajaj Prem , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Madeleine Pascal , Svensson Peter 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThe role of tolperisone hydrochloride, a centrally acting muscle relaxant in relieving painful muscle spasm is recently being discussed. The present study hypothesizes that the prophylactic use of tolperisone hydrochloride may effectively relieve post‐exercise muscle soreness, based on the spasm theory of exercise pain. Twenty male volunteers, aged 25.2±0.82 years (mean±SEM) participated in 10 sessions in which they received oral treatment with placebo or the centrally acting muscle relaxant tolperisone hydrochloride (150 mg) three times daily for 8 days, in randomized crossover double‐blind design. Time course assessments were made for pressure pain threshold, Likert's pain score (0–5), pain areas, range of abduction, isometric force, and electromyography (EMG) root mean square (RMS) during maximum voluntary isometric force on day 1 and 6, immediately after an eccentric exercise of first dorsal interosseous muscle, and 24 and 48 h after the exercise. Treatment with placebo or tolperisone hydrochloride was initiated immediately after the assessments on the first day baseline assessments. On the sixth day baseline investigations were repeated and then the subjects performed six bouts of standardized intense eccentric exercise of first dorsal interosseous muscle for provocation of post‐exercise muscle soreness (PEMS). Perceived intensity of warmth, tiredness, soreness and pain during the exercise bouts were recorded on a 10 cm visual analogue pain scale. VAS scores and pressure pain thresholds did not differ between tolperisone and placebo treatment. All VAS scores increased during the exercise bouts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 as compared to bout 1. Increased pain scores and pain areas were reported immediately after, 24 and 48 h after exercise. Pressure pain thresholds were reduced at 24 and 48 h after the exercise in the exercised hand. Range of abduction of the index finger was reduced immediately after the exercise and was still reduced at 24 h as compared to the non‐exercised hand. The EMG RMS amplitude was also reduced immediately after the exercise, but was increased at 24 and 48 h. Isometric force was reduced immediately after the exercise as compared to days 1, 6, and the 24 and 48 h post‐exercise assessments with a greater reduction following the tolperisone hydrochloride treatment and the reduction was more in tolperisone group as compared to the placebo group. The results suggest, that the prophylactic intake of tolperisone hydrochloride provides no relief to pain in course of post‐exercise muscle soreness but results in reduction in isometric force.
Measures of anxiety: is there a difference in their ability to predict functioning at three‐month follow‐up among pain patients?
Authors: Hadjistavropoulos Heather D , Asmundson Gordon J.G , Kowalyk Kristine M 
Published: September 2003

AbstractIndependent investigators have found that pain is related to health anxiety, trait anxiety, pain‐related anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity. To date, the relationship among these anxiety‐related constructs has not been studied directly and little is known about their relative ability to predict adjustment to pain over time. This paper presents longitudinal data from measures given to 227 musculoskeletal pain patients. Patients were asked at the time of their first visit (T1) to a physiotherapy clinic to complete a questionnaire package including measures of these different forms of anxiety as well as pain severity, disability, negative affect, and perceived control. Approximately 3 months later (T2), 50% of patients responded to these same questionnaires. Results showed that correlations among the anxiety measures at T1 ranged from 0.35 to 0.56. Using multiple regression analyses, measures of T1 anxiety were each examined for their ability to predict unique variance in disability, negative affect, and perceptions of control measured at T1 and T2. At T1, after controlling for pain severity and other measures of anxiety, pain‐related anxiety uniquely predicted both disability and negative affect, trait anxiety uniquely predicted negative affect and perceptions of control, and anxiety sensitivity uniquely predicted negative affect. At T2, after controlling for pain severity, other measures of anxiety and each respective measure of functioning at T1, health anxiety uniquely predicted disability and negative affect, although anxiety sensitivity also uniquely contributed to the prediction of negative affect. It is concluded that the importance of various forms of anxiety is dependent on the timeframe and outcome examined. Clinical implications of the findings as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Key role of the dorsal root ganglion in neuropathic tactile hypersensibility
Authors: Sukhotinsky Inna , Ben‐Dor Efrat , Raber Pnina , Devor Marshall 
Published: September 2003

AbstractCutting spinal nerves just distal to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) triggers, with rapid onset, massive spontaneous ectopic discharge in axotomized afferent A‐neurons, and at the same time induces tactile allodynia in the partially denervated hindlimb. We show that secondary transection of the dorsal root (rhizotomy) of the axotomized DRG, or suppression of the ectopia with topically applied local anesthetics, eliminates or attenuates the allodynia. Dorsal rhizotomy alone does not trigger allodynia. These observations support the hypothesis that ectopic firing in DRG A‐neurons induces central sensitization which leads to tactile allodynia. The question of how activity in afferent A‐neurons, which are not normally nociceptive, might induce allodynia is discussed in light of the current literature.
Peripheral effects of needle stimulation (acupuncture) on skin and muscle blood flow in fibromyalgia
Authors: Sandberg Margareta , Lindberg Lars‐Göran , Gerdle Björn 
Published: September 2003

AbstractAcupuncture has become a widely used treatment modality in various musculoskeletal pain conditions. Acupuncture is also shown to enhance blood flow and recovery in surgical flaps. The mechanisms behind the effect on blood flow were suggested to rely on vasoactive substances, such as calcitonin gene‐related peptide, released from nociceptors by the needle stimulation. In a previous study on healthy subjects, one needle stimulation into the anterior tibial muscle was shown to increase both skin and muscle blood flow. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of needle stimulation on local blood flow in the anterior tibial muscle and overlying skin in patients suffering from a widespread chronic pain condition. Fifteen patients with fibromyalgia (FM) participated in the study. Two modes of needling, deep muscle stimulation and subcutaneous needle insertion were performed at the upper anterior aspect of the tibia, i.e., in an area without focal pathology or ongoing pain in these patients. Blood flow changes were assessed non‐invasively by photoplethysmography (PPG). The results of the present study were partly similar to those earlier found at a corresponding site in healthy female subjects, i.e., deep muscle stimulation resulted in larger increase in skin blood flow (mean (SE)): 62.4% (13.0) and muscle blood flow: 93.1% (18.6), compared to baseline, than did subcutaneous insertion (mean (SE) skin blood flow increase: 26.4% (6.2); muscle blood flow increase: 46.1% (10.2)). However, in FM patients subcutaneous needle insertion was followed by a significant increase in both skin and muscle blood flow, in contrast to findings in healthy subjects where no significant blood flow increase was found following the subcutaneous needling. The different results of subcutaneous needling between the groups (skin blood flow: p=0.008; muscle blood flow: p=0.027) may be related to a greater sensitivity to pain and other somatosensory input in FM.
Increased exercise ejection fraction and reversed remodeling after long‐term treatment with metoprolol in congestive heart failure: a randomized, stratified, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial in mild to moderate heart failure due to ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Waagstein F. , Strömblad O. , Andersson B. , Böhm M. , Darius M. , Delius W. , Goss F. , Osterziel K.J. , Sigmund M. , Trenkwalder S.‐P. , Wahlqvist I. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractBackground:the effects of long‐term administration of β‐blockers on left ventricular (LV) function during exercise in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are controversial.Patients and methods:patients with stable congestive heart failure (CHF) (New York heart association [NYHA] class II and III) and ejection fraction (EF) ≤0.40 were randomized to metoprolol, 50 mg t.i.d. or placebo for 6 months. Patients were divided into two groups: ischemic heart disease (IHD) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The mean EF was 0.29 in both groups and 92% were taking angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. In the IHD group, 84% had suffered a myocardial infarction (MI) and 64% had undergone revascularization at least 6 months before the study. LV volumes were measured by equilibrium radionuclide angiography. Mitral regurgitation was assessed by Doppler echocardiography. All values are changes for metoprolol subtracted by changes for placebo.Results:metoprolol improved LV function markedly both at rest and during sub‐maximal exercise in both groups. The mean increase in EF was 0.069 at rest (P<0.001) and 0.078 during submaximal exercise (P<0.001). LV end‐diastolic volume decreased by 22 ml at rest (P=0.006) and by 15 ml during exercise (P=0.006). LV end‐systolic volume decreased by 23 ml both at rest (P=0.001) and during exercise (P=0.004). Exercise time increased by 39 s (P=0.08). In the metoprolol group, mitral regurgitation decreased (P=0.0026) and only one patient developed atrial fibrillation vs. eight in the placebo group (P=0.01).Conclusion:metoprolol improves EF both at rest and during submaximal exercise and prevents LV dilatation in mild to moderate CHF due to IHD or DCM.
Levofloxacin‐based triple therapy vs. quadruple therapy in second‐line Helicobacter pylori treatment: a randomized trial
Authors: Nista E. C. , Candelli M. , Cremonini F. , Cazzato I. A. , Di Caro S. , Gabrielli M. , Santarelli L. , Zocco M. A. , Ojetti V. , Carloni E. , Cammarota G. , Gasbarrini G. , Gasbarrini A. 
Published: September 2003

SummaryBackground : Levofloxacin has been shown to be effective in Helicobacter pylori eradication. Two 10‐day levofloxacin‐based triple therapies were compared with standard 7‐ and 14‐day quadruple regimens in second‐line treatment.Methods : Two hundred and eighty consecutive patients who failed to respond to standard triple therapy (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, rabeprazole) were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) levofloxacin 500 mg o.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.d., rabeprazole 20 mg b.d. for 10 days (LAR, n = 70); (2) levofloxacin 500 mg o.d., tinidazole 500 mg b.d., rabeprazole 20 mg b.d. for 10 days (LTR, n = 70); (3) tetracycline 500 mg q.d.s., metronidazole 500 mg t.d.s., bismuth salt 120 mg q.d.s., rabeprazole 20 mg b.d. for 7 days (7TMBR, n = 70); and (4) for 14 days (14TMBR, n = 70). Helicobacter pylori status and side‐effects were assessed 6 weeks after treatment.Results : The eradication rate was 94% in the LAR group and 90% in the LTR group in both intention‐to‐treat and per protocol analyses. Helicobacter pylori eradication was achieved in 63 and 69% of the 7TMBR group and in 69 and 80% of the 14TMBR group in intention‐to‐treat and per protocol analysis, respectively. Side‐effects were significantly lower in the LAR and LTR groups than in the 14TMBR group.Conclusion : Ten‐day levofloxacin‐based therapies are better than standard quadruple regimens as second‐line option for H. pylori eradication.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after interferon therapy
Authors: Fabris P. , Floreani A. , Tositti G. , Vergani D. , De Lalla F. , Betterle C. 
Published: September 2003

SummaryType 1 diabetes mellitus is the result of an autoimmune process characterized by pancreatic beta cell destruction. It has been reported that chronic hepatitis C infection is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but not with type 1. Although the prevalence of markers of pancreatic autoimmunity in hepatitis C virus‐positive patients is not significantly different to that reported in the general population, it increases during alpha‐interferon therapy from 3 to 7%, probably due to the immunostimulatory effects of this cytokine. To date, 31 case reports of type 1 diabetes mellitus related to interferon treatment have been published. Type 1 diabetes mellitus occurs more frequently in patients treated for chronic hepatitis C than for other conditions and is irreversible in most cases. In 50% of these patients, markers of pancreatic autoimmunity predated treatment, the majority of cases having a genetic predisposition. Thus, in predisposed individuals, alpha‐interferon can either induce or accelerate a diabetogenic process already underway. We suggest that islet cell autoantibodies and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies should be investigated before and during interferon treatment in order to identify subjects at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Sarco‐endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) inhibitors identify a novel calcium pool in the central nervous system
Authors: Watson William D. , Facchina Stephen L. , Grimaldi Maurizio , Verma Ajay 
Published: September 2003

AbstractCa2+ uptake into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is mediated by Ca2+ ATPase isoforms, which are all selectively inhibited by nanomolar concentrations of thapsigargin. Using ATP/Mg2+‐dependent 45Ca2+ transport in rat brain microsomes, tissue sections, and permeabilized cells, as well as Ca2+ imaging in living cells we distinguish two ER Ca2+ pools in the rat CNS. Nanomolar levels of thapsigargin blocked one component of brain microsomal 45Ca2+ transport, which we designate as the thapsigargin‐sensitive pool (TG‐S). The remaining component was only inhibited by micromolar thapsigargin, and thus designated as thapsigargin resistant (TG‐R). Ca2+ ATPase and [32P]phosphoenzyme assays also distinguished activities with differential sensitivities to thapsigargin. The TG‐R Ca2+ uptake displayed unique anion permeabilities, was inhibited by vanadate, but was unaffected by sulfhydryl reduction. Ca2+ sequestered into the TG‐R pool could not be released by inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate, caffeine, or cyclic ADP‐ribose. The TG‐R Ca2+ pool had a unique anatomical distribution in the brain, with selective enrichment in brainstem and spinal cord structures. Cell lines that expressed high levels of the TG‐R pool required micromolar concentrations of thapsigargin to effectively raise cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels. TG‐R Ca2+ accumulation represents a distinct Ca2+ buffering pool in specific CNS regions with unique pharmacological sensitivities and anatomical distributions.
SER‐7b, a constitutively active Gαs coupled 5‐HT7‐like receptor expressed in the Caenorhabditis elegans M4 pharyngeal motorneuron
Authors: Hobson Robert J. , Geng Jinming , Gray Anjali D. , Komuniecki Richard W. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractSerotonin plays a key role in the regulation of pharyngeal pumping in nematodes. We have isolated a Caenorhabditis elegans cDNA (C09B7.1b, ser‐7b) with greatest identity to the 5‐HT7 receptor family. Membranes from COS‐7 cells expressing SER‐7b exhibit saturable [3H]‐LSD binding (Kd = 45 nm) that is inhibited by serotonin (5‐HT) and tryptamine, but not by other physiological biogenic amines. Expression of SER‐7b in COS‐7 cells results in dramatic increase in basal cAMP levels over untransfected cells that is dependent on expression level. 5‐HT further elevates cAMP levels in a dose‐dependent manner (pEC50 = 7.5 ± 0.5). Mammalian 5‐HT7 receptor inverse agonists reduce constitutive activity, with methiothepin the most potent (pIC50 = 7.8 ± 0.1). Ser‐7::GFP transcriptional fusions reveal that SER‐7b appears to be expressed solely in the M4 pharyngeal motorneuron after hatching. This is the first report of a Gαs coupled biogenic amine receptor in nematodes and the localization of SER‐7b in the M4 pharyngeal motorneuron suggests that SER‐7b may play a role in the regulation of pharyngeal pumping.
The hemicholinium‐3 sensitive high affinity choline transporter is internalized by clathrin‐mediated endocytosis and is present in endosomes and synaptic vesicles
Authors: Ribeiro F. M. , Alves‐Silva J. , Volknandt W. , Martins‐Silva C. , Mahmud H. , Wilhelm A. , Gomez M. V. , Rylett R. J. , Ferguson S. S. G. , Prado V. F. , Prado M. A. M. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractSynthesis of acetylcholine depends on the plasma membrane uptake of choline by a high affinity choline transporter (CHT1). Choline uptake is regulated by nerve impulses and trafficking of an intracellular pool of CHT1 to the plasma membrane may be important for this regulation. We have generated a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope tagged CHT1 to investigate the organelles involved with intracellular trafficking of this protein. Expression of CHT1‐HA in HEK 293 cells establishes Na+‐dependent, hemicholinium‐3 sensitive high‐affinity choline transport activity. Confocal microscopy reveals that CHT1‐HA is found predominantly in intracellular organelles in three different cell lines. Importantly, CHT1‐HA seems to be continuously cycling between the plasma membrane and endocytic organelles via a constitutive clathrin‐mediated endocytic pathway. In a neuronal cell line, CHT1‐HA colocalizes with the early endocytic marker green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐Rab 5 and with two markers of synaptic‐like vesicles, VAMP‐myc and GFP‐VAChT, suggesting that in cultured cells CHT1 is present mainly in organelles of endocytic origin. Subcellular fractionation and immunoisolation of organelles from rat brain indicate that CHT1 is present in synaptic vesicles. We propose that intracellular CHT1 can be recruited during stimulation to increase choline uptake in nerve terminals.
The amyloid precursor protein protects PC12 cells against endoplasmic reticulum stress‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Kögel Donat , Schomburg Robert , Schürmann Tina , Reimertz Claus , König Hans‐Georg , Poppe Monika , Eckert Anne , Müller Walter E. , Prehn Jochen H. M. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractEndoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is believed to play an important role in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the human amyloid precursor protein (APP) on the ER stress response in PC12 cells. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N‐glycosylation, rapidly induced the expression of the ER‐resident chaperone Bip/grp78, a known target gene of the unfolded protein response. Prolonged treatment with tunicamycin (≥ 12 h) resulted in the activation of executioner caspases 3 and 7. Interestingly, PC12 cells overexpressing human wild‐type APP (APPwt) showed increased resistance to tunicamycin‐induced apoptosis compared with empty vector‐transfected controls. This neuroprotective effect was significantly diminished in cells expressing the Swedish mutation of APP (KM670/671NL). Similar effects were observed when ER stress was induced with brefeldin A, an inhibitor of ER‐to‐Golgi protein translocation. Of note, APP‐mediated neuroprotection was not associated with altered expression of Bip/grp78 or transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein‐10 (CHOP/GADD153), suggesting that APP acted either downstream or independently of ER‐to‐nucleus signaling. Our data indicate that APP plays an important physiological role in protecting neurons from the consequences of prolonged ER stress, and that APP mutations associated with familial Alzheimer's disease may impair this protective activity.
Winter wheat in England and Wales, 1923–1995: what do indices of genetic diversity reveal?
Authors: Srinivasan C. S. , Thirtle Colin , Palladino Paolo 
Published: September 2003

AbstractGenealogical data have been used very widely to construct indices with which to examine the contribution of plant breeding programmes to the maintenance and enhancement of genetic resources. In this paper we use such indices to examine changes in the genetic diversity of the winter wheat crop in England and Wales between 1923 and 1995. We find that, except for one period characterized by the dominance of imported varieties, the genetic diversity of the winter wheat crop has been remarkably stable. This agrees with many studies of plant breeding programmes elsewhere. However, underlying the stability of the winter wheat crop is accelerating varietal turnover without any significant diversification of the genetic resources used. Moreover, the changes we observe are more directly attributable to changes in the varietal shares of the area under winter wheat than to the genealogical relationship between the varieties sown. We argue, therefore, that while genealogical indices reflect how well plant breeders have retained and exploited the resources with which they started, these indices suffer from a critical limitation. They do not reflect the proportion of the available range of genetic resources which has been effectively utilized in the breeding programme: complex crosses of a given set of varieties can yield high indices, and yet disguise the loss (or non-utilization) of a large proportion of the available genetic diversity.
Utilization of plant genetic resources in breeding for sustainability
Authors: Humphreys M. O. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractUK agriculture is undergoing significant change with reduced subsidies for food production, increasing consumer demands for food safety and traceability, and environmental concerns including climate and demographic change. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation supports the use of genetic resources for research and breeding. Mining genetic resources for useful genetic variation is perceived as a major benefit of genebanks. However, utilization by breeders may be constrained by poor characterization of genetic resources, a widening gap between improved and unimproved material, and the disruption of well- adapted genotypes during introgression. Breeders working with grasses and forage legumes for sustainable agriculture are fortunate in the wealth of genetic variation available both within the primary species of interest and among related species. New DNA technologies allow more targeted approaches to the use of these genetic resources. Possibilities for gene transfer between related species using conventional techniques expand the available gene pools while potential use of genetic transformation extend these even further.