PurposeThis study investigated the effect of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program on whole body muscle activity using positron emission tomography.MethodsTen healthy male volunteers were divided into a control group and a group that performed injury prevention exercises (The 11+). The subjects of the control group were placed in a sitting position for 20 min and 37 MBq of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was injected intravenously. The subjects then remained seated for 45 min. The subjects of the exercise group performed part 2 of the 11+for 20 min, after which FDG was injected. They then performed part 2 of the 11+for 20 min, and rested for 25 min in a sitting position. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography images were obtained 50 min after FDG injection in each group. Regions of interest were defined within 30 muscles. The standardized uptake value was calculated to examine the FDG uptake of muscle tissue per unit volume.ResultsFDG accumulation within the abdominal rectus, gluteus medius and minimus were significantly higher in the exercise group than in the control group (P<0.05).ConclusionThe hip abductor muscles and abdominal rectus were active during part 2 of the FIFA 11+ program.

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Tenascin-C, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, appears only in the early stages of embryonic development. It is not normally expressed in the adult heart but does reappear transiently in distinct areas in association with active tissue remodeling. The aim of this study was to explore serial changes in the expression of tenascin-C after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, using 125 I-labeled anti-tenascin-C antibody ( 125 I-TNC-Ab) in a rat model of acute ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: The left coronary artery was occluded for 20 or 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 1, 3, or 7 d in rats with 20 min of ischemia and for 1, 3, 7, 14, or 28 d in rats with 30 min of ischemia. At the time of the study, 125 I-TNC-Ab (1.0-2.5 MBq) was injected. Three to 5 h later, to verify the area at risk, 99m Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (100-200 MBq) was injected intravenously just after the left coronary artery reocclusion and the rats were sacrificed 1 min later. Dual-tracer autoradiography was performed to assess 125 I-TNC-Ab uptake and the area at risk. Results: In rats with 20 min of ischemia, 125 I-TNC-Ab uptake peaked at 3 d after reperfusion, followed by faint uptake after 7 d (uptake ratios at 1, 3, and 7 d after reperfusion were 1.81 6 0.53, 2.46 6 0.79, and 1.23 6 0.17, respectively [P , 0.05 vs. 3 d]). In rats with 30 min of ischemia, uptake was high at 1 and 3 d after reperfusion (2.99 6 0.90 and 2.71 6 0.80, respectively), decreased at 7 and 14 d (1.94 6 0.23 and 2.06 6 0.37, respectively), and was weak at 28 d (1.47 6 0.27, P , 0.005 vs. 1 d, P , 0.05 vs. 3 d). Conclusion: These data indicate that 125 I-TNC-Ab imaging may be a way to monitor myocardial injury and its repair process after ischemia and reperfusion by visualizing tenascin-C expression.

The changes in BSI showed a close relationship with all bone metabolic markers but not with the serum PSA. The BSI is confirmed to reflect the activity and extent of bone metastases, and can be used as an imaging biomarker.

PurposeWe retrospectively examined whether or not initial responses of first low-dose 131I-meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine radiotherapy (131I-MIBG therapy) in patients with malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma had prognostic values.Materials and methodsThis study included 26 patients with malignant pheochromocytoma (n = 18) and paraganglioma (n = 8) who underwent the first 131I-MIBG therapy between October 2001 and September 2007. Based on the initial subjective, hormonal, scintigraphic, and objective responses to 131I-MIBG therapy, the responses were divided into progression disease (PD) and non-PD. We examined the following factors for prognostic significance: sex, age, disease, initial diagnosis (benign or malignant pheochromocytoma), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, palpitations, symptoms related to bone metastases, and number of low-dose 131I-MIBG therapy. Univariate Cox proportional regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors for overall survival. Overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method and the curves were compared using the log-rank test.ResultsThe median survival time was 56 months. In the follow-up period, 16 patients died from exacerbation of their diseases. Univariate analysis showed that the hormonal PD [hazard ratio (HR) 3.20, P = 0.034, confidence interval (CI) 1.09–9.93], objective PD (HR 11.89, P = 0.0068, CI 2.14–65.85), single-time 131I-MIBG therapy (HR 3.22, P = 0.020, CI 1.21–8.79), hypertension (HR 2.93, P = 0.044, CI 1.02–10.50), and symptoms related to bone metastases (HR 3.54, P = 0.023, CI 1.18–13.04) were bad prognostic factors for overall survival. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that the hormonal non-PD (P = 0.026), objective non-PD (P = 0.0002), multiple-time 131I-MIBG therapy (P = 0.013), and no symptom related to bone metastases (P = 0.024) were significantly associated with good prognosis. Overall survival rate was 70 and 50 % at 5 years from the initial diagnosis and from the first 131I-MIBG therapy, respectively.ConclusionThe hormonal and objective responses to the first low-dose 131I-MIBG therapy as well as complication of hypertension and symptoms related to bone metastases may be prognostic factors in patients with malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

A relationship between L-[methyl-11 C]methionine ( 11 C-methionine) uptake and angiogenesis has been suggested in gliomas. However, methionine uptake in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion has received little attention. We investigated the serial changes and mechanisms of 14 C-methionine uptake in a rat model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: The left coronary artery was occluded for 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 1-28 d. At the time of the study, 14 C-methionine (0.74 MBq) and 201 Tl (14.8 MBq) were injected intravenously at 20 and 10 min before sacrifice, respectively. One minute before sacrifice, the left coronary artery was reoccluded, and 99m Tc-hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (150-180 MBq) was injected to verify the area at risk. Histologic sections of the heart were immunohistochemically analyzed using anti-CD68, anti-smooth-muscle a-actin (SMA), and antitroponin I and compared with the autoradiography findings. Results: Both 14 Cmethionine (uptake ratio, 0.71 6 0.13) and 201 Tl uptake were reduced in the area at risk at 1 d after reperfusion. However, 3 d after reperfusion, an increased 14 C-methionine uptake (1.79 6 0.23) was observed corresponding to the area of still-reduced 201 Tl uptake, and the 14 C-methionine uptake gradually declined until 28 d. The increased 14 C-methionine uptake area at 3 and 7 d corresponded well to the macrophage infiltrations demonstrated by positive CD68 staining. Anti-SMA staining appeared at 7 d, after which CD68 staining was gradually replaced by the SMA staining, suggesting that methionine uptake in the early phase after ischemia and reperfusion might reflect inflammatory activity. Conclusion: 14 C-methionine accumulated in the infarcted area, and its uptake corresponded closely to macrophage infiltration at 3-7 d after reperfusion. Methionine imaging may be useful for inflammatory imaging early after myocardial infarction.

BackgroundExercise is one of the few treatments that provide significant improvements in chronic low back pain (CLBP). We developed an innovative exercise device for abdominal trunk muscles. This device can be used in a sitting or standing position and contains a built-in system to measure abdominal trunk muscle strength. We examined whether subjects can adequately use the device to perform the exercises and measure their abdominal trunk muscle strength.MethodsWe collected data on the body height, body weight, body mass index, and girth of 30 healthy male volunteers, and measured their grip power and trunk extensor muscle strength using a dynamometer. The volunteers performed a sit-up test as an indicator of trunk flexor muscle strength, and we measured their abdominal muscle strength using the device. We then evaluated the correlations between abdominal trunk muscle strength and anthropometric parameters as well as the strength of other muscles. In subsequent tests, 5 of the 30 subjects participated in two positron emission tomography (PET) series consisting of examinations after a resting period (control study) and during exercise (exercise study). For the exercise study, the subjects performed 2 sets of exercises for 20 minutes using the device before and after an injection of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). PET-computed tomography images were obtained 60 minutes after FDG injection in each study. We compared the skeletal muscle metabolism of the participants in both studies using the standardized uptake value.ResultsThe muscle strength measured by the device and the 30-second sit-up frequency were correlated. FDG accumulation within the diaphragm and abdominal rectus muscles was significantly higher in the exercise study.ConclusionOur innovative exercise device facilitates a coordinated contraction of the abdominal trunk muscles at the anterior aspect and the roof of the core, and enables subjects to measure the strength of these muscles.