BMP-2/4 and its receptors may play roles in degenerative change of intervertebral disc.

Although most soft tissue sarcomas are isointense relative to muscle or MRI T1-weighted images (T1WI), nine of the ten alveolar ASPS in the present study demonstrated high signal intensity on both T2 and T1WI. Flow voids were observed both at the core and at the margins of the tumors studied. Recognition of these characteristic MRI findings may lead to the early diagnosis of ASPS, especially when the clinical presentation is that of a slow-growing soft tissue mass in a young adult patient.

We investigated the effects of different frequencies of treadmill running on immobilization-induced soleus and gastrocnemius muscle atrophy and ankle joint contracture in rats using morphology and histochemistry. The right ankle joint of rat was immobilized for 2 weeks. Thereafter, the rats were randomly assigned to four groups for 6 weeks of exercise under different conditions: free cage activity and free remobilization (FR), once-a-week treadmill running (lowfrequency running program (LFR)), three-time-a-week running (middle-frequency running program (MFR)), and six-time-a-week running (high-frequency running program (HFR)) groups. Two weeks of immobilization significantly reduced the cross-sectional area of soleus type I (62%, Po0.05) and type II muscle fibers (66%, Po0.05), gastrocnemius type I (78%, Po0.05) and type II muscle fibers (68%, Po0.05), and the range of ankle joint movement (46%, Po0.05). Immobilization also increased the ratio of type II to total fiber numbers in the soleus (Po0.05), and gastrocnemius (Po0.05), and induced pathological changes in muscle fibers. Some of these changes could not be corrected by free remobilization; however, the LFR, MFR, and HFR groups clearly recovered toward normal levels with exercise frequency, the effect on muscle recovery being more beneficial in the MFR and HFR groups. In addition, the range of ankle joint contracture was improved in LFR, MFR, and HFR groups in comparison with that in the FR group. These findings indicate that treadmill running exercise improved the immobilization-induced muscle fiber histochemical alterations and the range of the ankle motion in rats. Running three times and six times a week was more beneficial for recovery of immobilization-induced muscle atrophy and joint contracture compared with no running or once-a-week running.

Object. The authors conducted a study to determine age-related changes in expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)—β1, —β2, —β3, and Type I and Type II receptors in various cells in the nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus. Immunolocalization of TGFβs and Type I and II receptors was examined during the aging process of cervical intervertebral discs in senescence-accelerated mice (SAM). The TGFβ family has important roles for cellular function of various tissues. Its role in disc aging, however, is unknown. Detailed information on the temporal and spatial localization of TGFβs and their receptors in discs is required before discussing introduction of them clinically into the intervertebral disc. Methods. Three groups of five SAM each were used. The groups of SAM were age 8, 24, and 50 weeks, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical study involving specific antibodies for TGFβ1, -β2, -β3, and Types I and II TGF receptors were performed. Intervertebral discs exhibited degenerative change with advancing age. The TGFβs and their receptors were present in the fibrocartilaginous cells within the anulus fibrosus and notochord-like cells within the nucleus pulposus of young mice. Expression of TGFβs and Type I and Type II receptors changed markedly in the cells within the anulus fibrosus during the aging process. Conclusions. The TGFβs and their receptors were present in cells within the nucleus pulposus and the anulus fibrosus of young mice, and their expression decreased with age.

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