006) and the physical component (p = 0.032) of the SF-36.
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the presence of juvenile disc degeneration was strongly associated with overweight and obesity, low back pain, increased low back pain intensity, and diminished physical and social functioning. Furthermore, an elevated BMI was significantly associated with increased severity of disc degeneration.
This study has public health implications regarding overweight and obesity and the development of lumbar disc disease.”
“Purpose: Melatonin Mizoribine (MEL) is an effective antioxidant in numerous experimental models, both in vitro and in vivo. However, it should be stressed that there are also papers reporting limited antioxidative activity of MEL or even giving evidence for its pro-oxidative properties. In the present paper we investigated the influence of MEL on the oxidative damage of human erythrocytes during prolonged incubation.
Material/Methods: Human erythrocytes suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS),
pH 7.4 were incubated at 37 degrees C either in absence or presence of melatonin at concentration range 0.02 mM-3 mM for up to 96 hrs. The influence of MEL on erythrocyte damage was assessed on the basis of the intensity of intracellular oxidation processes (the oxidation of HbO(2), GSH, fluorescent label DCFH2) as well as damage to the plasma membrane (lipid peroxidation, the potassium leakage) and the kinetics of hemolysis.
Results: The prolonged incubation of erythrocytes induced a progressive destruction of erythrocytes. Melatonin prevented lipid peroxidation and hemolysis whereas the oxidation of HbO(2) and DCFH2 was enhanced GSK872 by melatonin at concentrations higher than click here 0.6 mM. In the case of erythrocytes incubated with 3 mM of MEL, the hemolysis rate constant (0.0498 +/- 0.0039 H%.h(-1)) was 50% lower than that of the control while the HbO(2) oxidation
rate constants were about 1.4 and 1.5 times higher for 1.5 and 3 mM of MEL, respectively. Melatonin had no influence on the oxidation of GSH and the potassium leakage.
Conclusions: Probably, MEL can stabilize the erythrocyte membrane due to interaction with lipids, thus prolonging the existence of cells. On the contrary, in the presence of MEL the accelerated oxidation of HbO(2) and generally, increased oxidative stress was observed in erythrocytes. Pro-and antioxidative properties of melatonin depend on the type of cells, redox state, as well as experimental conditions.”
“A micromechanics-based thermodynamic model is applied to study the piezoelectric and dielectric constants of BaTiO(3) crystals as a function of temperature upon the cooling from the Curie point. The formation of spontaneous polarization at the beginning of cooling provides dramatic change in symmetry of the system. This plays an important role for the sudden change in piezoelectric constant of d(31) at the beginning of the cooling.