From June 1990 to May 1995, 46 patients with atopic dermatitis (31 males and 15 females, 25±11 years) were admitted to our hospital to receive balneotherapy using Kusatsu hot-spring water. The atopic dermatitis in all but 4 cases occurred while the patients were still under 20 and had been refractory to various treatments including steroid ointment therapy over a long period of time. A week's observation allowing only a hot fresh water shower to remove environmental factors, resulting in no change in their skin symptoms and pruritus, was followed by taking a 10-minute 40-42°C hot-spring bath 1-2 times daily for 3-28 consecutive weeks. The pH of the hot-spring water is 2.0 and its main components are aluminium, sulphates and chlorides. The skin symptoms of 32 out of 46 cases were improved through hot hot-spring bathing and furthermore pruritus was improved in 18 out of the 32 cases. The improvement of skin symptoms was supported by a significant decrease in serum LDH levels. In contrast, pruritus was not inproved in the remaining 14 cases who showed no changes in skin symptoms and serum LDH levels. Moreover, changes in the number of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin surface were examined before and after balneotherapy. In the 21 cases examined whose skin symptoms were improved, many Staphylococci aureus were detected in 15 of the cases but not in the other 6 cases before starting the balneotherapy. However, they disappeared in 13 out of the 15 cases and decreased in the remaining 2 cases through the balneotherapy. On the other hand, the number of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin surface was not changed in 6 out of the 7 cases whose skin symptoms were not improved. The mechanisms of the improvement of skin symptoms through hot hot-spring bathing may be explained by considering that acute flares induced by skin infiltration due to Staphylococcus aureus subsided with exposure to the acidic hot-spring water. Therefore, balneotherapy at Kusatsu can be useful for the treatment of refractory cases of atopic dermatitis.

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This study was undertaken to investigate contractile responses of the soleus muscle to hindlimb suspension (HS) and the effects of isometric exercise during HS in the adult (4 months old) and old (20 months old) rats. In adult and old rats, soleus wet weight decreased by 39% and 41% and maximum tetanic tension decreased by 70% and 75% during 3 weeks of HS. Isometric exercise (stational support on a grid at 80° with a load equal to 30% of body weight attached to the tail for 30min per day, 6 days per week) counteracted the decreases in the soleus wet weight and maximum tetanic tension by HS but was less effective in old rats than in adult rats. These results indicate that isometric exercise can counteract loss of force-generating capacity by reduced use. Moreover, although the ageing process did not seem to affect the degree of the soleus muscle atrophy caused by reduced use, it did influence the effects of isometric exercise on the soleus muscle atrophy.

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We investigated a possible correlation between the mean bone mineral density of the 2nd to 4th lumbar vertebrae (L2-4BMD) and the mean BMD of the head, ribs, pelvis and upper and lower extremities in the 32 patients. The dominant side of arm and leg in the 32 patients was right, aged 46 to 81 years. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Twenty-three of 32 patients was made a diagnosis of primary osteoporosis, 6 patients spondylosis deformans, 3 patients lumbar disc lesion. The results showed that L2-4BMD was positively correlated with the mean BMD of the right leg (r=0.781; p<0.001), the ribs on the right side (r=0.726; p<0.001), the ribs on the left side (r=0.719; p<0.001), the left leg (r=0.716; p<0.001), the right arm (r=0.692; p<0.001), the pelvis (r=0.672; p<0.001), and the mean BMD of the left arm (r=0.665; p<0.001). The correlation coefficiency between L2-4BMD and the BMD of the upper and lower extremities on the right side was higher than that between L2-4BMD and the BMD of the upper and lower extremities on the left side.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise training based on each subject's AT upon AT and peak oxygen uptake. Nine lower-limb amputees underwent one leg cycling exercise training. Six amputees served as the control group. The exercise training program was designed so that the subjects would exercise at a target heart rate corresponding to 100-120% of AT point for 30 minutes per day, 3-5 days each week for 6 weeks. After the training periods the AT and peak oxygen uptake increased significantly in the training subjects. On the contrary no changes occurred in the control subjects. These results demonstrate that our chosen training program is potentially of value in improving the physical fitness of amputees.

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