In our prior studies of distribution center workers, we found that participating companies’ injury logs contained very few reported lower extremity Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs), yet a significant percentage of workers reportedly had experienced knee pain. In this study, 341 workers performing material handling jobs from three distribution centers completed a questionnaire that assessed lower extremity MSD symptoms. Two-thirds of the participant’s self-reported work-related lower extremity musculoskeletal symptoms. These were most common in the ankles and feet, followed by knees and hip & thighs. Approximately half the sample experienced pain on work days and some on a daily basis. A large percentage of the respondents reported that their symptoms were exacerbated by work. Stand-up forklift drivers had the highest 12-month prevalence of knee and ankle/foot symptoms across the occupations included in this sample. Significant associations were also found between symptoms and age, gender, work experience, and smoking status.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy inducing fibrosis, oxidative stress and muscle necrosis. In the heart, DMD can lead to cardiac failure and death.

Objective:
This study evaluated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and ventricular histological aspects of Dystrophic mice, as well as the effects of Ascorbic acid (AA) on these parameters.

Materials and methods:
60 mice, 30 C57BL/10and 30 C57BL10-Dmdmdx, were distributed into six groups according to their age and treatment (n=10/group): control groups at 30 and 60 days (C30 and C60); Dystrophic animals at 30 and 60 days (D30 and D60); and controls and Dystrophic animals at 60days supplemented with AA (CS60 and DS60). After the trial period, the animals were euthanized and their hearts were collected. Samples were subjected to Masson’s Trichrome, Picrosirius Red under polarized light and COX-2 Immunohistochemistrytechniques.

Results:
The results showed an increase of collagen fibers in the D30 group andreduction in the area occupied by cardiomyocytes in D60. COX-2 expression washigher in the C30, D30 and D60 groups, indicating a probable cellular remodelingprocess in C30 and increased oxidative stress leading to fibrosis in dystrophic animals.

Conclusion:
AA supplementation prevented muscle loss in DS60 compared to D60, as well as a decrease of fibrosis and the expression of COX-2 in DS60, proving the protective action of AA in the hearts of these animals.

Disruption in the normal adolescent growth spurt can cause the spinal deformities that result in idiopathic scoliosis. Effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) on the expression of genes involved in the proliferation and differentiation of myocytes in culture were analyzed. Human myocytes in in vitro culture were treated with IGF1 or FGF2 (10 ng/ml) for 24 hours. Experiments were performed during the exponential growth phase with approximately 1e7 cells per 75 cm2 flask. mRNA was reverse transcribed directly and analyzed using RT-PCR Taqman assays. Expression levels of key genes involved in cell growth and differentiation (CHD 7, HDAC 5, ACTA 1, LEF1, WNT5A, COL1A1, COL2A1, ACAN, FGF7 and VCAN) were monitored using RT-PCR with gene-specific Taqman probes. Two patterns of response to the growth factors were observed: Five genes (CHD7, HDAC5, COL1A1, ACAN, LEF1) were stimulated in their level of expression by IGF-1 with lesser or no effects of FGF2, and one gene (WNT5) was even down regulated by the addition of FGF2. Only ACTA1 showed an increased expression level that was augmented higher by FGF2 than by IGF-1.In summary, we could explicate the feasibility of our myocyte culture system to study genes with possible implication in the development of scoliosis. Growth factor addition to these cells exhibit differential effects simulating eventually the changing growth factor environment during puberty. Any disturbance of the intricate pattern of the various pathways studied might have long lasting effects on skeletal muscle development leading to human disease and might be probed in affected individuals.