Weight training (WT) is the most common method of maintaining and increasing muscle strength. WT, however, is not always useful as it requires the external resistance and stabilization. We have developed a "hybrid training" (HYB) approach that avoids these problems by using electrically stimulated muscles to provide resistance to the motion of a muscle undergoing training. Here we report the efficacy of HYB compared with conventional WT for increasing the muscle strength around the knee at both slow and fast joint speeds (at 30 and 180°/sec). Two matched groups, each of 8 healthy men aged 22 years, exercised 3 times/week for six weeks. Both groups showed significantly increased strength in concentric torque at 30°/sec (HYB +28%, WT +33%) and at 180°/sec (HYB +33%, WT +38%), and also in eccentric torque at 30°/sec (HYB +25%, WT +24%) and at 180°/sec (HYB +19%, WT +30%) ( p < 0.001). HYB is comparable with WT exercising with the exception of high-speed contractions, while HYB has a clear advantage in not needing external resistance equipment or stabilization. HYB is therefore considered a useful approach for strengthening muscles when a person is restricted to bed rest or during space flight. rehabilitation; exercise; electrical stimulation; knee extension; strength © 2006 Tohoku University Medical PressExercise is essential in the maintenance of health and strength. Current approaches with weights and resistance devices are effective and are capable of increasing the strength of sedentary or de-conditioned people by 25 to 100% over a period as short as a few months (Fiatarone et al. 1994;Rall et al. 1996;Kuge et al. 2005). However, conventional weight training (WT) is not feasible and an alternative is needed when a person is restricted to bed rest or during space

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This review project, including the publication of this article, was funded by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

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Loss of the tumor suppressor NDRG2 has been implicated in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), acting by modulating PI3K/AKT-mediated dephosphorylation of PTEN at S380/S382/T383 (STT). Here, we show that the majority of OSCC tumors with lymph node metastasis, a major prognostic factor, exhibit high levels of phosphorylated AKT-S473 and PTEN-STT and low levels of NDRG2 expression. In -deficient mice, which develop a wide range of tumors, we developed a model of OSCC by treatment with the tobacco surrogate 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO). In this model, both the number and size of OSCC tumors were increased significantly by deficiency, which also increased invasion of cervical lymph nodes. 4-NQO treatment of human OSCC cell lines exhibiting low NDRG2 expression induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via activation of NF-κB signaling. Conversely, ectopic expression of NDRG2 reversed the EMT phenotype and inhibited NF-κB signaling via suppression of PTEN-STT and AKT-S473 phosphorylation. Our results show how NDRG2 expression serves as a critical determinant of the invasive and metastatic capacity of OSCC. .

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