Effect of Community-Based Functional Aerobic Training on Motor Performance and Quality of Life of Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

BackgroundEfficacies of community-based exercise programmes have been well reported, but there is scarce information on the expediency of community-based rehabilitation in a society where many children with disabilities live in poorly resourced settings with extremely limited rehabilitative services. This study investigated the effects of community-based functional aerobic exercise (CBFAE) on gross motor function, walking distance, and quality of life of children with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodsQuasi-experimental design was used. Children with gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels I – II participated in eight weeks CBFAE training four times/week, 50 minutes/day at 40–80% maximum heart rate. Gross motor function (GMF), walking distance and quality of life were assessed pre and post CBFAE training.ResultsSignificant improvement was observed in GMF (Dstanding) (8.2%, P=.000), GMF (E-walking + running+ jumping (5.12%, P=.004), walking distance (6.09%, P=.009). Higher significant positive effects of CBFAE were observed in Social wellbeing and acceptance (107.10%, P=.000), and participation and physical health (105.04%, P=.005) by children parent proxy. Self-reported results showed that for CBFAE, significant positive improvements were higher in pain and impact of disability (67.93%, P=.049) and participation and physical health (60.00%, P=.042).ConclusionCBFAE training contributes majorly to improved standing, walking, jumping and running and self-esteem, quality of life of children with spastic CP. Clinicians and exercise therapists should essentially incorporate CBFAE training and activities into the management of children with CP for improved mobility and functional performances.     

Mammary gland development as a sensitive end point after acute prenatal exposure to an atrazine metabolite mixture in female Long-Evans rats

BACKGROUND: Atrazine (ATR), a widely used chlorotriazine herbicide, inhibits a number of endocrine-dependent processes, including gonadotrophin surges and mammary gland development in rats. Chlorotriazine herbicides are rapidly metabolized in plants and animals to form a group of metabolites that are detected both in the environment and in exposed animals. The extent to which these metabolites are responsible directly for the observed health effects is not understood. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to determine if a mixture of ATR metabolites, in proportions found in the environment, might produce developmental effects in Long-Evans rats following exposure late in pregnancy. METHODS: We administered an ATR metabolite mixture (AMM) containing ATR, hydroxyatrazine, diaminochlorotriazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine orally to pregnant Long-Evans rats at 0.09, 0.87, or 8.73 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day, on gestation days 15-19, using 0 and 100 mg ATR/kg bw/day as negative and positive controls, respectively. RESULTS: We observed no significant effect of acute AMM exposure on body weight gain in dams during the dosing period, weight loss in pups on postnatal day (PND)4, or pubertal timing, as is seen with ATR alone. However, as with ATR, we detected delayed mammary gland development, evaluated by whole mount analysis, as early as PND4 in all treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that acute exposure to AMM at levels as low as 0.09 mg/kg bw during late pregnancy causes persistent alterations in mammary gland development of female offspring, and that these effects do not appear to be related to bw or associated with pubertal timing.     

Assessment of cerebral circulation in normal fetuses by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography

Objective: To assess the three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography (3D power Doppler) vascular indices in the middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territories. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 111 normal pregnancies between 26 and 34 weeks. The MCA, ACA and PCA territories closest to the transducer were scanned and volumes were calculated by using the VOCAL (Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis) program. The 3D power Doppler indices – vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization-flow index (VFI) were calculated. Scatter graphs, Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and linear regression models were used. Results: Only the FI-MCA (r = 0.38 and p < 0.001), VFI-MCA (r = 0.23 and p = 0.016) and FI-PCA (r = 0.191 and p = 0.040) had a low correlation with gestational age. The other 3D power Doppler indices VI-MCA (r = 0.153 and p = 0.150), VI-ACA (r = 0.105 and p = 0.271), FI-ACA (r = 0.154 and p = 0.106), VFI-ACA (r = 0.134 and p = 0.161), VI-PCA (r = 0.105 and p = 0.270) and VFI-PCA (r = 0.126 and p = 0.180) showed no statistically significant correlation with gestational. Conclusion: It was observed a low correlation between gestational age and the FI-MCA, VFI-MCA and FI-PCA.     

protection by vitamin E against endothelial cell injury by linoleic acid hydroperoxides

Exposure to 90 μM albumin-bound linoleic acid (18:2) for 24 hours significantly increased the rate of albumin transfer across cultured endothelial monolayers. Linoleic acid hydroperoxides (18:2-OOH) further accelerated the rate of albumin transfer over that of 18:2. Cells exposed to 18:2-OOH but not 18:2 caused a marked release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the media. Prior cellular incubation with media containing 25 μM vitamin E for 24 hours protected endothelial cells from injury by 18:2 and 18:2-OOH, as evidenced by a decreased rate of albumin transfer across the endothelium as well as reduced release of LDH into the media. These results suggest that vitamin E may provide protection against endothelial cell injury resulting from expusure to fatty acid hydroperoxides