Creatine is a nonessential dietary component that, when supplemented in the diet, has shown physiological benefits in athletes, in animal-based models of disease and in patients with various muscle, neurological and neuromuscular disease.

The clinical relevance of creatine supplementation is based primarily on its role in ATP generation, and cells may be able to better handle rapidly…

PURPOSE: Studies attributing gains in strength and lean body mass (LBM) to creatine monohydrate (CrM) during resistance exercise (RE) training have not assessed these changes alongside cellular and subcellular adaptations. Additionally, CrM-treated groups have seldom been compared with a group receiving a placebo similar in nitrogen and energy.

The purpose of this study was to examin…

Free fatty acids (FFA) and lactic acid are markers of secondary cellular injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We previously showed that animals fed a creatine (Cr)-enriched diet are afforded neuroprotection following TBI.

To further characterize the neuroprotective Cr diet, we studied neurochemical changes in cortex and hippocampus following a moderate injury. Adult rats we…

A 16-year-old high school male student was admitted to our hospital with complaints of difficulty in walking and muscle atrophy of the lower legs. He noticed his gait disturbance when he was about 12 years old and his symptoms had gradually increased.

On examination, he was unable to walk on his heels and on his toes. He had mild pes cavus and marked muscle wastes of the lower legs. …

We investigated whether the Huntington's disease (HD) gene mutation may produce either primary or secondary effects on energy metabolism. 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated a significant decrease in the phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate ratio in resting muscle of 8 patients as compared with 8 control subjects.

The cerebrospinal fluid lactate-pyruvate ratio was sign…

We used a standardized bicycle ergometry protocol with a stepwise increasing workload (30-100 W) to evaluate various metabolic factors for the diagnosis and metabolic monitoring of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.

All patients (n = 9) showed pathological venous lactate/pyruvate (L/P) ratios, which normalized in three patients after 6 months of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) therapy.

Steinert's myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic autosomal dominant disease and the most frequent muscular dystrophy in adulthood. Although causative mutation is recognized as a CTG trinucleotide expansion on 19q13.3, pathogenic mechanisms of multisystem involvement of DM are still under debate.

It has been suggested that mitochondrial abnormalities can occur in this disease and defic…

Three unrelated, sporadic patients with muscle coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency presented at 32, 29, and 6 years of age with proximal muscle weakness and elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate levels, but without myoglobinuria, ataxia, or seizures. Muscle biopsy showed lipid storage myopathy, combined deficiency of respiratory chain complexes I and III, and CoQ10 levels below 50% of normal…

Inflammatory sinonasal disease is a common problem in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although some patients present with acute or chronic sinusitis, many describe persistent nasal congestion and thick, tenacious postnasal drainage, even in the absence of infection.

The efficacy of guaifenesin as a mucolytic is poorly documented and support for its use …

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent and causes much work loss and discomfort. A treatment with a new mechanism of action could benefit women of menstruating age. A study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of guaifenesin as a treatment for primary dysmenorrhea because of its effects of cervical dilation and cervical mucous thinning.

METHODS: Thirty-four subjects with prima…