Effects of sensory-level high-volt pulsed electrical current ondelayed-onset muscle soreness

Abstract

Ten healthy males and ten healthy females aged 21.5 ± 3.2 years (mean ± s) participated in the study, which was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of sensory level-high volt pulsed electrical current (HVPC) on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Arm discomfort, elbow extension range of motion and isometric elbow flexion strength were obtained as baseline measurements. Delayed-onset muscle soreness was induced in the participants' dominant or non-dominant arm using two sets of 20 maximal eccentric elbow flexion contractions. After the induction of DOMS, the participants were randomly divided into an experimental condition (HVPC) or a placebo condition. The experimental condition consisted of 20 min of HVPC immediately after the induction of DOMS, and 20 min every 24 h for three consecutive days thereafter. The participants in the placebo condition received an intervention similar in design; however, no electrical current was administered. Baseline measurements were reevaluated at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the induction of DOMS. Three weeks later, the participants returned and the protocol was repeated on the contralateral limb, using the opposite intervention (HVPC or placebo). Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a significant increase in overall arm discomfort, decrease in elbow extension and decrease in isometric strength for both conditions over time. No significant main effect of treatment, or time-by-treatment interaction, was found for the HVPC condition when compared with the placebo condition for any variable. Sensory-level HVPC, as utilized in our application, was ineffective in reducing the measured variables associated with DOMS.     

Mechanisms of beneficial effects of exercise training on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Roles of oxidative stress and inflammation

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disorder which is associated with accumulation of fats in the liver. It causes a wide variety of pathological effects such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis, insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The molecular mechanisms that cause the initiation and progression of NAFLD are not fully understood. Oxidative stress (OS) induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation are likely a significant mechanism which can lead to hepatic cell death and tissue injury. Mitochondrial abnormalities, down-regulation of several antioxidant enzymes, glutathione (GSH) depletion and decreased activity of GSH-dependent antioxidants, accumulation of leukocytes and hepatic inflammation are the major sources of ROS overproduction in NAFLD. Excessive production of ROS suppresses the capacity of other antioxidant defence systems in NAFLD and causes further oxidative damage. Regular exercise can be considered as an effective strategy for treatment of NAFLD. It improves NAFLD by reducing intrahepatic fat content, increasing β-oxidation of fatty acids, inducing hepato-protective autophagy, overexpressing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ (PPAR-γ), as well as attenuating hepatocyte apoptosis and increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise training also suppresses ROS overproduction and OS in NAFLD via up-regulation of several antioxidant enzymes and anti-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, an understanding of these molecules and signalling pathways gives us valuable information about NAFLD progression and a method for developing a suitable clinical treatment. This review aimed to evaluate sources of ROS and OS in NAFLD and the molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of exercises on NAFLD.     

Influence of cold-water immersion on limb blood flow after resistance exercise*

This study determined the influence of cold (8°C) and cool (22°C) water immersion on lower limb and cutaneous blood flow following resistance exercise. Twelve males completed 4 sets of 10-repetition maximum squat exercise and were then immersed, semi-reclined, into 8°C or 22°C water for 10-min, or rested in a seated position (control) in a randomized order on different days. Rectal and thigh skin temperature, muscle temperature, thigh and calf skin blood flow and superficial femoral artery blood flow were measured before and after immersion. Indices of vascular conductance were calculated (flux and blood flow/mean arterial pressure). The colder water reduced thigh skin temperature and deep muscle temperature to the greatest extent (P?<?.001). Reductions in rectal temperature were similar (0.2–0.4°C) in all three trials (P?=?.69). Femoral artery conductance was similar after immersion in both cooling conditions, with both conditions significantly lower (55%) than the control post-immersion (P?<?.01). Similarly, there was greater thigh and calf cutaneous vasoconstriction (40–50%) after immersion in both cooling conditions, relative to the control (P?<?.01), with no difference between cooling conditions. These findings suggest that cold and cool water similarly reduce femoral artery and cutaneous blood flow responses but not muscle temperature following resistance exercise.     

High-intensity interval and moderate-intensity continuous training elicit similar enjoyment and adherence levels in overweight and obese adults

Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve cardiometabolic health during supervised lab-based studies but adherence, enjoyment, and health benefits of HIIT performed independently are yet to be understood. We compared adherence, enjoyment, and cardiometabolic outcomes after 8 weeks of HIIT or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), matched for energy expenditure, in overweight and obese young adults. Methods: 17 adults were randomized to HIIT or MICT. After completing 12 sessions of supervised training over 3 weeks, participants were asked to independently perform HIIT or MICT for 30 min, 4 times/week for 5 weeks. Cardiometabolic outcomes included cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ peak), lipids, and inflammatory markers. Exercise enjoyment was measured by the validated Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Results: Exercise adherence (93.4?±?3.1% vs. 93.1?±?3.7%, respectively) and mean enjoyment across the intervention (100.1?±?4.3 vs. 100.3?±?4.4, respectively) were high, with no differences between HIIT and MICT (p?>?.05). Similarly, enjoyment levels did not change over time in either group (p?>?.05). After training, HIIT exhibited a greater decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol than MICT (?0.66?mmol?L^?1 vs. ?0.03?mmol?L^?1, respectively) and a greater increase in VO₂ peak than MICT (p?<?.05, +2.6?mL?kg?min^?1 vs. +0.4?mL?kg?min^?1, respectively). Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein increased in HIIT (+0.5?pg?mL^?1 and +?31.4?nmol?L^?1, respectively) and decreased in MICT (?0.6?pg?mL^?1 and ?6.7?nmol?L^?1, respectively, p?<?.05). Conclusions: Our novel findings suggest that HIIT is enjoyable and has high unsupervised adherence rates in overweight and obese adults. However, HIIT may be associated with an increase in inflammation with short-term exercise in this population.     

中药热奄包治疗慢性盆腔炎的护理体会

目的:总结中药热奄包治疗慢性盆腔炎的护理体会。方法:将加有跌打酊蒸热后的中药热奄包对慢性盆腔炎患者进行治疗,每次30分钟,每天一次,一个疗程10次,连续2个疗程后,观察疗效。结果:治疗组总有效率达83.4%,与对照组总有效率比较,P0.05。结论:中药热奄包治疗慢性盆腔炎,疗效确切,简单方便,患者无痛苦。     

Long pentraxin 3 as a marker of COVID-19 severity: evidences and perspectives

IntroductionSeveral laboratory tests are characteristically altered in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but are not totally accurate in predicting the disease outcome. The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is quickly released directly at inflammation sites by many immune cell types. Previous studies have shown that PTX3 correlated with disease severity in various inflammatory conditions. Our study investigated the use of PTX3 as a potential marker of COVID-19 severity and compared its performance in detecting a more severe form of the disease with that of routine laboratory parameters.Materials and methodsStored serum samples of RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 cases that had been obtained at hospital admission were retrospectively analysed. Intensive care unit (ICU) stay was considered a surrogate endpoint of severe COVID-19. Pentraxin 3 was measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsA total of 96 patients were recruited from May 1st, 2020 to June 30th, 2020; 75/96 were transferred to ICU. Pentraxin 3 was higher in ICU vs non-ICU patients (35.86 vs 10.61 ng/mL, P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that the only significant laboratory predictor of ICU stay was PTX3 (OR: 1.68 (1.19-2.29), P = 0.003), after controlling for comorbidities. The Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis showed that PTX3 had a higher accuracy compared to C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), ferritin in identifying ICU patients (AUC of PTX3 = 0.98; CRP = 0.66; LD = 0.70; ferritin = 0.67, P < 0.001). A cut-off of PTX3 > 18 ng/mL yielded a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 100% in identifying patients requiring ICU.ConclusionHigh values of PTX3 predict a more severe COVID-19.     

Serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor as a potential biomarker to evaluate therapeutic response in patients with allergic asthma: an exploratory study

Background: Previous studies have shown that macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF) is involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. This study aimed to investigate whether serum MIF reflects a therapeutic response in allergic asthma.Methods: We enrolled 30 asthmatic patients with mild-to-moderate exacerbations and 20 healthy controls, analyzing the parameter levels of serum MIF, serum total immunoglobulin E(tIgE), peripheral blood eosinophil percentage(EOS%), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide(FeNO). Lung function indices were used to identify disease severity and therapeutic response.Results: Our study showed that all measured parameters in patients were at higher levels than those of controls. After one week of treatment, most parameter levels decreased significantly except for serum tIgE. Furthermore, we found that serum MIF positively correlated with EOS% as well as FeNO, but negatively correlated with lung function indices. Receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curve analysis indicated that among the parameters, serum MIF exhibited a higher capacity to evaluate therapeutic response. The area under the curve(AUC) of MIF was 0.931, with a sensitivity of 0.967 and a specificity of 0.800.Conclusions: Our results suggested that serum MIF may serve as a potential biomarker for evaluating therapeutic response in allergic asthma with mild-to-moderate exacerbations.     

一次急性耐力游泳运动对DIO小鼠脂肪组织巨噬细胞介导的慢性炎症的影响

摘要：目的： 探讨一次急性耐力游泳运动对DIO小鼠脂肪组织巨噬细胞介导的慢性炎症的影响及其分子机制。方法：32只4周龄C57BL/6雄性小鼠随机分为普通饮食组(n=16)和高脂饮食组(n=16),12周高脂饮食结束分为普通饮食对照组(NC)、普通饮食游泳组(NS)、高脂饮食对照组(HC)和高脂饮食游泳组(HS),运动组小鼠进行1次2 h耐力游泳运动,每30 min休息5 min,运动结束8 h处死小鼠,分离附睾脂肪基质血管部分细胞(SVCs),流式细胞术筛分析SVCs中巨噬细胞;罗氏血糖仪检测空腹血糖(FBG)、ELISA法检测血清炎症因子;RT-PCR法检测脂肪基因表达。结果：与NC组相比,HC组小鼠血清TNF-α、IL-1β、FBG浓度显著升高(P﹤0.05),附睾脂肪F4/80+CD11b+巨噬细胞数量、F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+巨噬细胞数量显著升高(P﹤0.05),附睾脂肪TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、iNOS、F4/80、CD11c mRNA表达显著升高(P﹤0.05),MGL-1、IL-10、IL-4、IL-13 mRNA表达显著下降(P﹤0.05)。NC组与NS组各项指标之间无显著差异。与HC组相比,HS组小鼠TNF-α、IL-1β、FBG浓度显著下降,附睾脂肪F4/80+CD11b+巨噬细胞数量无显著差异、F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+巨噬细胞数量显著下降(P﹤0.05),附睾脂肪TNF-α、IL-6、IL-1β、CD11c mRNA表达显著降低(P﹤0.05),MGL-1、IL-10、IL-4 mRNA表达显著升高(P﹤0.05)。结论：长期高脂肪膳食诱导小鼠膳食性肥胖,内脏脂肪组织巨噬细胞,尤其M1型巨噬细胞数量增加,促炎症因子基因表达增加;一次急性耐力运动有效改善DIO小鼠脂肪组织炎症,可能与巨噬细胞M1-M2表型转化有关,与巨噬细胞数量无关。     

Visceral and somatic hypersensitivity,autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction and low-grade inflammation in a subset of irritable bowel syndrome patients

The pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is complex and not fully understood, so the aim of this study was to evaluate whether visceral and somatic hypersensitivity, autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction, and low-grade inflammation of the gut wall are associated with diarrhea-predominant IBS (D-IBS). Sixty-two patients with D-IBS and 20 control subjects participated in the study. Using the ascending method of limits (AML) protocol, we demonstrated that D-IBS patients had significantly lower sensory thresholds compared with healthy controls (P<0.001). Using diverse methods, especially the ischemic sensitivity test, for the first time in China, we confirmed that D-IBS patients have somatic hypersensitivity. They had a significantly higher systolic blood pressure and heart rate after a cold stimulus, indicative of autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction. Compared with the control group, D-IBS patients had a significantly higher level of calprotectin (P<0.001). We also found significant correlations between visceral and somatic hypersensitivity, visceral hypersensitivity and autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction, and somatic hypersensitivity and autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction. Our findings may provide valuable suggestions for the treatment of D-IBS.     

白细胞介素-6与胰岛素抵抗分子机理研究进展

胰岛素抵抗是指胰岛素效应细胞不能对正常剂量的胰岛素产生相应的反应.研究表明胰岛素抵抗与慢性炎症相关,而且是导致II型糖尿病的主要原因.在分子水平上,胰岛素抵抗的发生与多种炎症因子相关,其中白细胞介素-6（IL-6）是最为关键的一个因子.主要由脂肪组织中分泌的IL-6进入肝细胞中使得IL-6浓度显著升高.IL-6则通过STAT3—SOCS3信号通路影响胰岛素受体信号通路的传导从而引起胰岛素抵抗.对胰岛素分子机制的理解有助于从分子水平上设计和发现治疗胰岛素抵抗药物或方法.