We investigated the effect of the combination of coffee ingestion and repeated bouts of low-intensity exercise on fat oxidation. Subjects were seven young, healthy male adults. They performed four trials: a single 30-min bout of exercise following ingestion of plain hot water (WS) or coffee (CS); a trial with three 10-min bouts of exercise separated by 10-min periods of rest following ingestion of plain hot water (WR) or coffee (CR). The coffee contained 5 mg kg of caffeine. All trials were performed on a cycle ergometer at 40% maximal oxygen uptake for each subject an hour after beverage ingestion. Oxygen uptake in the CS and CR trials was higher compared with the WS and WR trials at 90 min after exercise (P<0·05). Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in the CS and CR trials was decreased during the whole recovery period compared with baseline (P<0·05), whereas no significant decreases were observed in either the WS or WR trials. Moreover, RER was significantly lower at 30 min after exercise in the CR trial than in either the WS or WR trials (P<0·05 each). Similarly, it is notable that fat oxidation rate in the CR trial was significantly higher at 30 min after exercise compared to that in the WS and WR trials (P<0·05). These results suggest that the combination of coffee intake and repeated bouts of low-intensity exercise enhances fat oxidation in the period after exercise.

We report for the first time the presence of horizontal water migration in the cornea in a swirling pattern (i.e., intracorneal swirling migration of water, generated by the pump function in the corneal endothelial cells), which may supplement the conventional concept of development of corneal edema in the vertical plane. This dynamic water circulatory system may be involved in increasing the efficiency of the water transfer in the entire cornea.

PurposeTo present the properties of a newly developed immortalized human conjunctival epithelial cell (iHCjEC) line.MethodsiHCjECs were developed to induce Simian Virus 40 large T-antigen (SV40LT) by incorporating lentivirus in a tetracycline (Tet)-regulated gene-expression system into primary cultures of human conjunctival epithelial cells. The population doubling time and morphology of the iHCjECs were analyzed. The expressions of CK13, CK19, CK12, and MUC1, MUC4, MUC16, and MUC5AC were determined by real time PCR and immunohistochemically under different culture conditions. The organotypic culture model in which iHCjECs were cultured on rabbit conjunctival fibroblast-embedded collagen gel was used to characterize the iHCjECs.ResultsThe iHCjECs cultured with doxycycline (Dox) continued to proliferate for at least 20 passages and had a cobblestone-like appearance. The expressions of CK13 and CK19 but not CK12 were detected in the iHCjECs, and the expression of CK13 increased in culture media lacking Dox (Dox-). The expressions of MUC1, MUC4, MUC16, and MUC5AC were detected in iHCjECs, and a relatively strong immunostaining of MUC5AC was detected with Dox(-) added 5% FBS. Stratified iHCjECs were observed in organotypic culture at 5 days.ConclusionThe iHCjECs had high proliferation rates and abilities to control the differentiation potency to control the expression of SV40 LT-antigen with Tet-regulated gene-expression system. They are able to express the mucin gene repertoire of their native epithelia. The iHCjECs can be a useful experimental cell line to study conjunctival epithelial cell characteristics and for pathophysiological and toxicological studies.

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