Effect of Psoas Training on Postmenopausal Lumbar Bone Loss: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study

The present study completed a previous randomized trial that demonstrated the protective effect of 1-year psoas training on lumbar bone loss in postmenopausal women. Computerized tomography had been carried out at the beginning (CT1) and at the end (CT2) of this trial. In the present study, 67 women having completed the first trial were asked to practice psoas exercises (60 hip flexions in sitting position with a 5 kg weight on the knee) for 2 additional years with a third CT control at the end of this period (CT3). The aim of this complementary study was to assess the compliance rate and long-term effect on bone of daily psoas muscle training over a longer period. Twenty-one women performed this daily psoas training for 3 years from CT1 to CT3, and 14 acted as controls during the same period. Fourteen women were controls during the first year (from CT1 to CT2) but practiced psoas training during the following 2 years (from CT2 to CT3). Four women were psoas trained during the first year (from CT1 to CT2) and subsequently crossed over to the control group for the last 2 years. The compliance rate was 42%, with an attendance rate of 88%. The lumbar bone loss was lower in the 21 women trained over the 3 years (−3.26 ± 28.45 mg/cm³) than in the 14 untrained women (−16.79 ± 8.51 mg/cm³) (P= 0.02). The bone loss was not significantly reduced between the two periods of the study in the 12 women having been controls from CT1 to CT2 and having crossed over to the active training group from CT2 to CT3. Psoas training may be effective against lumbar bone loss. We conclude that specific training may play a contributing role in the preventive strategy to avoid osteoporosis. Received: 23 February 1996 / Accepted: 25 October 1996     

Influence of muscle activation dynamics on reaction time in the elderly

The aim of this investigation was to determine whether age-related changes in the dynamics of muscle activation were, in part, responsible for longer reaction times (RT) in the elderly. A group of 12 young (mean age, 20.6 years) and 12 elderly (mean age, 64.3 years) women performed a series of ballistic forearm supination movements in response to an auditory stimulus while using a simple reaction time test. Surface electromyographic waveforms from biceps brachii (agonist) and pronator teres (antagonist) muscles were recorded, together with the angle-time curves representing the motion of the forearm, on to an IBM compatible microcomputer. The results showed that an age-related increase (P<0.05) in motor reaction time (MRT) contributed to longer RT in the elderly. In addition, the longer (P<0.05) MRTs in the elderly were associated with a significantly slower rate (P<0.05) of biceps brachii muscle activation and a significantly increased proportion (P<0.05) of the initial biceps brachii muscle burst required to initiate the movement. This data suggested that an important part of the slowing of motor behaviour, commonly observed with increasing age, may be due to either decreases in the ability of aged skeletal muscle to rapidly generate tension or to a reduction in motor drive.     

Bone Mass in Female Volleyball Players: A Comparison of Total and Regional Bone Mass in Female Volleyball Players and Nonactive Females

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate bone mass in female athletes participating in an impact loading sport (volleyball), and especially to investigate whether any changes in bone mass might be related to the type and magnitude of weightbearing loading and muscle strength. The volleyball group consisted of 13 first division players (age 20.9 ± 3.7 years) training for about 8 hours/week, and the reference group consisted of 13 nonactive females (age 25.0 ± 2.4 years) not participating in any kind of regular or organized sport activity. The groups were matched according to weight and height. Areal bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in total body, head, lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward's triangle, trochanter, the whole femur, and humerus using dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry. Isokinetic concentric peak torque of the quadricep and hamstring muscles was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Compared with the controls, the volleyball players had a significantly (P < 0.05–0.01) higher BMD of the total body (6.1%), lumbar spine (13.2%), femoral neck (15.8%), Ward's triangle (17.9%), trochanter (18.8%), nondominant femur (8.2%), and humerus (dominant 9.5%, nondominant 10.0%), but not of the head and the dominant whole femur. The dominant humerus showed significantly higher BMD than the nondominant humerus in both the volleyball and nonactive group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in muscle strength of the thigh between the two groups. In the nonactive group, muscle strength in the quadriceps, and especially hamstrings, was correlated to BMD of the adjacent bones (whole femur, hip sites) and also to distant sites (humerus). However, in the volleyball group there were no correlations between muscle strength and BMD of the adjacent bones, but quadricep strength correlated to BMD of the humerus. These results clearly show that young female volleyball players have a high bone mass. The demonstrated high bone mass seems to be related to the type of loading subjected to each BMD site. Muscle strength of the thigh seems to have little impact on BMD in female volleyball players. Received: 18 June 1996 / Accepted: 31 October 1996     

Predicted and Measured Muscle Forces after Recoveries of Differing Durations Following Fatigue in Functional Electrical Stimulation

Abstract: Using ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the bioenergetics of paralyzed muscles activated by functional electrical stimulation (FES) were studied in vivo during fatigue and recovery on paraplegic subjects. During the activation phase of the muscle, the muscle force was also monitored. The phosphorus metabolites were found to vary systematically during fatigue and to recover slowly to their rest state values after cessation of FES. During fatigue, a good correlation was found between the decaying force and each of the profiles of phos-phocreatine, inorganic phosphorus, and intracellular pH. A musculotendon 5 element model was proposed for the activated muscle to predict its force generation capacity. A fatigue recovery function, based on the metabolic profiles, was introduced into the model. This model allowed us to predict the force expected to be developed as a function of the time after recovery of given time durations. Validation experimental measurements of force were carried out and included recurrent fatigue tests, both in the initially un-fatigued state and at various times in the postfatigue stage of the muscle. Comparison of the predicted and measured forces indicated satisfactory agreement of the results. The developed model of muscle dynamics should help to design a strategy for reducing muscle fatigue under FES.     

Characteristics of open- and closed-loop smooth pursuit responses among obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and nonpsychiatric individuals

Twenty obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and comparison samples of 20 schizophrenia and 20 nonpsychiatric individuals were presented with (a) a step-ramp task designed to measure smooth pursuit initiation and (b) a regular ramp task designed to measure steady-stale tracking performance. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-psychiatric individuals had statistically similar pursuit reaction time and average eye accelerations during the open-loop interval. They also had similar closed-loop performance. Schizophrenia patients, however, had delayed pursuit reaction times and reduced eye acceleration during the last 60 ms of the open-loop interval. These findings suggest that brain regions supporting smooth pursuit performance are unimpaired among obsessive-compulsive disorder patients. Furthermore, the deficits found in the schizophrenia patients replicate and extend the results of previous smooth pursuit studies.     

腹主动脉瘤动脉壁血管平滑肌细胞增殖及凋亡的研究

目的研究腹主动脉瘤 (abdominalaorticaneurysm ,AAA)在发病不同时期动脉壁平滑肌细胞 (smoothmusclecells,SMC)增殖与凋亡的改变。方法建立大鼠AAA模型 ,分别于术后 3d、1、2、3、4周切取腹主动脉 ,应用原位DNA片段末端标记 (TUNEL)和免疫组织化学方法检测腹主动脉壁中SMC凋亡和相关基因bcl 2、bax蛋白以及增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA)、α 血管平滑肌肌动蛋白(α actin)的表达。结果TUNEL及PCNA表达高峰时段分别为术后 2～ 3周和 1周 ;术后 3d至 1周凋亡细胞少于PCNA阳性SMC ,2～ 4周多于PCNA阳性SMC且SMC数量明显减少 ;bcl 2与bax蛋白表达分别于术后 1、3周达到峰值 (P <0 0 1)。结论动脉壁SMC增殖和凋亡的失衡与AAA发病密切相关 ;bcl 2与bax基因参与了对AAA动脉壁中SMC凋亡的调控。     

过氧化氢对血管平滑肌细胞的作用

目的　研究过氧化氢 (H2 O2 )对兔血管平滑肌细胞的作用机制。方法　兔血管平滑肌细胞 (VSMCs)原代培养 ,微量细胞培养四甲基偶氮唑蓝法 (MTT)检测不同浓度H2 O2 在不同时段对其增殖影响 ,确定进一步研究的H2 O2 浓度 ,并应用流式细胞仪检测此浓度H2 O2 对VSMCs细胞周期和细胞凋亡的作用。结果　MTT法检测 ,H2 O2 浓度≥ 10 0 μmol/L(10 0～ 14 0 0 μmol/L)时 ,与VSMCs作用仅 1h ,即出现吸光度值显著降低 (P <0 .0 1) ;流式细胞仪细胞周期检测 ,H2 O2 浓度≥ 10 0 μmol/L时 ,与VSMCs作用 2 4h后 ,其G1期细胞数显著高于对照组 (94.65 %和 79.97% ) (P <0 .0 1) ,以H2 O2浓度在 10 0 μmol/L时尤为明显 ;流式细胞仪AnnexinV PI双标细胞凋亡检测 ,10 0 μmol/LH2 O2 有促进VSMCs凋亡作用 ,并在作用 48h左右达到高峰 ,占 2 6.76% ,与对照组相比 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　H2 O2 浓度≥ 10 0 μmol/L时 ,可显著抑制VSMCs增殖 ;当H2 O2 浓度为 10 0 μmol/L时 ,有促进VSMCs凋亡作用。     

肌蒂移植术治疗陈旧性脊髓损伤(附56例报告)

作者采用肌蒂移植术治疗胸腰段陈旧性脊髓损伤56例.脊髓功能恢复率提高至Franke 1个等级以上者占76.8%(43/56).本文讨论了肌蒂移植术对陈旧性脊髓损伤的适应证.安徽省宿州市骨伤科医院淮北煤矿基建局医院     

细胞移植治疗心肌梗死的研究与展望

细胞移植是治疗心肌梗死的一种新策略,本文对目前应用于临床研究的骨骼肌卫星细胞移植及骨髓干细胞移植治疗心肌梗死的进展进行综述。上述两种细胞移植均具有来源丰富、无排斥反应的特点,而且通过研究观察表明,上述两种细胞移植后,心脏功能均能得到改善,故具有美好发展前景。但二者亦均具有不足之处和需要解决的问题,还需进一步研究与探索。     

丝裂素活化蛋白激酶磷酸酶-1对血管平滑肌细胞增殖的影响及其机制

目的 研究丝裂素活化蛋白激酶磷酸酶-1(MKP1)对血管平滑肌细胞增殖的影响及机制。方法 转染MKP1质粒72h后，收集培养的血管平滑肌细胞(VSMC)，利用P^42／P^44磷酸化抗MAPK抗体通过免疫印迹法测定MAPK活性，用流试细胞仪测定细胞周期、细胞周期素和P27蛋白的表达。结果 转染MKP1质粒后，MAPK活性明显下降，VSMC阻滞于G0-G1期，同时抑制了细胞周期素D、E的表达，P27蛋白表达却明显增加。结论 MKP1抑制VSMC增殖可能是通过降低MAPK活性，抑制细胞周期素表达和增加P27蛋白表达途径实现的。