Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

Important RPM Release Updates…Plus, Win Free RPM!!!!

man, another quick one, at this rate your gonna be all out of stock on everything, and no more AN because your broke!
 
Next question- winner gets a free Lipo-AM


Post one study that you think is most relevant to muscle building- can be on training, supplementation, etc. Abstracts only!!

Winner judged by me!!!!
 
Effects of icariin on erectile function and expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in castrated rats.

Liu WJ,
Xin ZC,
Xin H,
Yuan YM,
Tian L,
Guo YL.
Andrology Center of Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100009, China.
AIM: To investigate the effect of icariin on erectile function and the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in castrated rats. METHODS: Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into one sham-operated group (A) and three castrated groups (B, C and D). One week after surgery, rats were treated with normal saline (groups A and B) or oral icariin (1 mg/[kg.day] for group C and 5 mg/[kg.day] for group D) for 4 weeks. One week after treatment, the erectile function of the rats was assessed by measuring intracavernosal pressure (ICP) during electrostimulation of the cavernosal nerve. The serum testosterone (ST) levels, the percent of smooth muscle (PSM) in trabecular tissue, and the expression of mRNA and proteins of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phosphodiesterase V (PDE5) in corpus cavernosum (CC) were also evaluated. RESULTS: ICP, PSM, ST and the expression of nNOS, iNOS, eNOS and PDE5 were significantly decreased in group B compared with those in group A (P 0.01). However, ICP, PSM and the expression of nNOS and iNOS were increased in groups C and D compared with those in group B (P 0.05). Changes in ST and the expression of eNOS and PDE5 were not significant (P 0.05) in groups C and D compared with those in group B. CONCLUSION: Oral treatment with icariin ( 98.6 % purity) for 4 weeks potentially improves erectile function. This effect is correlated with an increase in PSM and the expression of certain NOS in the CC of castrated rats. These results suggest that icariin may have a therapeutic effect on erectile dysfunction.
PMID: 16281085 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 
Abstract
Prior to competition, bodybuilders typically employ restrictive dietary practices, intense exercise, and the self-administration of pharmaceuticals to reduce body fat and to maintain or gain lean body weight. A competitive bodybuilder recorded his nutritional intake, pharmaceutical use, weight training program, body weight, and skin fold measurements while preparing for a state and national bodybuilding event. The subject's body composition and related history had also been documented throughout his career. In addition, the subject reported all facets of their contest preparation. The subject administered a variety anabolic-androgenic steroids in various dosages and combinations. In contrast to previous studies, the subject maintained a relatively high caloric diet while incorporating a long duration walking regimen. Records indicated a weight gain from 206.5 to 238 lbs in just over 4 months. Within this time, the subject won a state competition weighing 226 lbs at approximately 4.2% body fat. Two weeks later, the subject competed in a drug tested national competition weighing 230 lbs. The subject implemented techniques to pass detection but was not chosen for testing. Changes in anabolic-androgenic steroid treatment positively correlated with changes in lean body weight.
 
Exercise Promotes BCAA Catabolism: Effects of BCAA Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle during Exercise1
Yoshiharu Shimomura*,2, Taro Murakami*, Naoya Nakai, Masaru Nagasaki* and Robert A. Harris**

* Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan; and ** Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5122, USA



2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected].

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are essential amino acids that can be oxidized in skeletal muscle. It is known that BCAA oxidation is promoted by exercise. The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon is attributed to activation of the branched-chain -keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex, which catalyzes the second-step reaction of the BCAA catabolic pathway and is the rate-limiting enzyme in the pathway. This enzyme complex is regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycle. The BCKDH kinase is responsible for inactivation of the complex by phosphorylation, and the activity of the kinase is inversely correlated with the activity state of the BCKDH complex, which suggests that the kinase is the primary regulator of the complex. We found recently that administration of ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- (PPAR) in rats caused activation of the hepatic BCKDH complex in association with a decrease in the kinase activity, which suggests that promotion of fatty acid oxidation upregulates the BCAA catabolism. Long-chain fatty acids are ligands for PPAR, and the fatty acid oxidation is promoted by several physiological conditions including exercise. These findings suggest that fatty acids may be one of the regulators of BCAA catabolism and that the BCAA requirement is increased by exercise. Furthermore, BCAA supplementation before and after exercise has beneficial effects for decreasing exercise-induced muscle damage and promoting muscle-protein synthesis; this suggests the possibility that BCAAs are a useful supplement in relation to exercise and sports.
 
Knuppe Molecular Urology Laboratory, Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California 94115, USA.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of icariin on the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-hydrolytic activity of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) isoforms and the cGMP levels in cavernous smooth muscle cells treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP). METHODS: PDE5 isoforms (PDE5A1, A2, and A3) were isolated from sf9 insect cells infected with baculoviruses carrying PDE5 isoform cDNA. Icariin was isolated from Epimedii herba. Varying amounts (10(-6) to 10(-11) M) of icariin or zaprinast were added to reaction mixtures containing PDE5 isoforms and cGMP. The inhibitory effects of icariin and zaprinast were analyzed by GraphPad Software and are expressed as concentration that inhibits 50% (IC50) values. Cavernous smooth muscle cells were isolated from 3-month-old rats, treated with icariin (100 and 200 microM) or zaprinast (200 microM) for 15 minutes, and then with 10 microM SNP for 30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 minutes. The cells were then analyzed for the cGMP concentration using an enzyme immunoassay system. RESULTS: Icariin inhibited PDE5A1, A2, and A3 with an IC50 value of 1.0, 0.75, and 1.1 microM, respectively. The corresponding IC50 values for zaprinast were 0.33, 0.23, and 0.32 microM. Icariin consistently outperformed the control (SNP-only treatment) in maintaining greater cGMP levels, particularly at the greater concentration of 200 microM. In contrast, zaprinast at 200 microM did better than the control only at 60 and 360 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Icariin was inhibitory to all three PDE5 isoforms with similar IC50 values, which were approximately three times greater than those for zaprinast. Icariin was able to enhance cGMP levels in SNP-treated cavernous smooth muscle cells.

PMID: 17169663 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top