Effect of hydrotherapy on the signs and symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness

This study independently examined the effects of three hydrotherapy interventions on the physiological and functional symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Strength trained males (n = 38) completed two experimental trials separated by 8 months in a randomised crossover design; one trial involved passive recovery (PAS, control), the other a specific hydrotherapy protocol for 72 h post-exercise; either: (1) cold water immersion (CWI: n = 12), (2) hot water immersion (HWI: n = 11) or (3) contrast water therapy (CWT: n = 15). For each trial, subjects performed a DOMS-inducing leg press protocol followed by PAS or one of the hydrotherapy interventions for 14 min. Weighted squat jump, isometric squat, perceived pain, thigh girths and blood variables were measured prior to, immediately after, and at 24, 48 and 72 h post-exercise. Squat jump performance and isometric force recovery were significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) at 24, 48 and 72 h post-exercise following CWT and at 48 and 72 h post-exercise following CWI when compared to PAS. Isometric force recovery was also greater (P < 0.05) at 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise following HWI when compared to PAS. Perceived pain improved (P < 0.01) following CWT at 24, 48 and 72 h post-exercise. Overall, CWI and CWT were found to be effective in reducing the physiological and functional deficits associated with DOMS, including improved recovery of isometric force and dynamic power and a reduction in localised oedema. While HWI was effective in the recovery of isometric force, it was ineffective for recovery of all other markers compared to PAS. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Growth hormone and prolactin responses during partial and whole body warm‐water immersions

Aim: To elucidate the role of core and skin thermoreceptors in the release of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL), a sequence of two experiments using whole‐body (head‐out) and partial (one forearm) hot water immersions was performed. Methods: Experiment 1: Nine healthy men were exposed to head‐out and partial water immersions (25 min, 38–39 °C). Results: Head‐out immersion increased the core temperature (38.0 ± 0.1 vs. 36.7 ± 0.1 °C, P < 0.001) and plasma concentration of the hormones (GH, 16.1 ± 4.5 vs. 1.2 ± 0.4 ng mL^?1, P < 0.01; PRL, 9.1 ± 1.0 vs. 6.4 ± 0.4 ng mL^?1, P < 0.05). During the partial immersion the core temperature was slightly elevated (36.8 ± 0.1 vs. 36.6 ± 0.1, P < 0.001), the concentration of GH increased (4.8 ± 1.7 vs. 0.6 ± 0.3, P < 0.05), while plasma PRL decreased (7.6 ± 0.8, 6.0 ± 0.6, 5.2 ± 0.6, P < 0.01). Experiment 2: Seven volunteers immersed one forearm once in 39 °C and once in 38 °C water. The measurements were performed in 5‐min intervals. The GH concentration increased gradually from the beginning of the immersions (min 10; 39 °C: 1.9 ± 1.0 vs. 0.6 ± 0.3 ng mL^?1, P < 0.01; 38 °C: 0.19 ± 0.03 vs. 0.14 ± 0.03, P < 0.05) and peaked after their completion (39 °C: +10 min, 3.7 ± 2.0, P < 0.001; 38 °C: +15 min, 0.86 ± 0.61, P < 0.01). The core temperature was unchanged until min 15 of the 39 °C bath. Thereafter, it increased about 0.15 °C above the baseline (P < 0.01). Immersion in 38 °C water did not induce core temperature changes. Conclusions: Peripheral thermoreceptors are involved in GH release when the body is exposed to elevated environmental temperature while a substantial elevation of core temperature is a precondition of PRL release.     

Water-immersion wrinkling is due to vasoconstriction

The underlying mechanism of the water-immersion skin wrinkling test, which is used as a test of sympathetic nerve function, remains elusive. We investigated changes of blood circulation in the hand occurring with water-immersion wrinkling by measuring the velocity of ulnar and digital artery blood flow, and of digit skin blood flow, in healthy subjects before and during wrinkling. Wrinkling was accompanied by significant reduction in blood flow velocity in all vessels, with a maximum in digital vessels. Our data show that water-immersion wrinkling is a function of digit pulp vasoconstriction. This test of sympathetic function can now be quantified using parameters of blood flow velocity, enabling its more widespread and accurate use.     

Bronchoconstriction: a component of the ‘diving response’ in man

Summary We have investigated the possibility that a bronchoconstriction accompanies the vagally-mediated bradycardia induced in man by immersion of the face in cold water. Forced expiratory flows (FEF) at 40% and 25% of vital capacity (VC) have been measured from partial flow-volume curves obtained during forced expirations starting at 70% VC. These were performed immediately after 15 s apnoea with or without face immersion, and compared with control expirations having the same volume history but without the preceding apnoea. Five of the 10 subjects showed evidence of a greater than 10% reduction in FEF, which averaged 17% (Fig. 2). Half the response was attributable to the apnoea alone and the other half, which was abolished by ipratropium, to cold face immersion (Fig. 3). This bronchoconstriction appears to be a new component of the diving response in man, mediated, like the bradycardia, by vagal efferents.     

酚酞在妇科手术后的临床应用

目的 探讨子宫切除术后酚酞在促进肠功能恢复中的作用。方法 接受妇科手术的患者随机分为3组,在术后6h分别给A组酚酞口服,B组温水足浴,C组不施加任何因素。观察3组患者肛门排气时间。结果 术后肛门排气时间平均A组约24h,B组36h、C组51h,相比较具有明显的差异。结论 酚酞口服、温水足浴均可缩短术后肛门排气时间,但口服酚酞效果最好,对术后患者早日康复具有重要意义。     

Learning the Language of Abstinence in Addiction Treatment: Some Similarities Between Relapse-Prevention with Disulfiram,Naltrexone, and Other Pharmacological Antagonists and Intensive “Immersion” Methods of Foreign Language Teaching

Relapse-prevention (RP) is an educational process. Learning to abstain from alcohol or opiates after years of dependence involves selectively suppressing old, maladaptive habits of thought and behavior and establishing new, adaptive ones. This process resembles foreign language (FL) learning. Effective FL teaching techniques are relevant to RP. Immersion, the most effective FL teaching method, discourages students from using their first language ab initio, requiring them to use the FL instead, however inexpertly. It resembles exposure and response-prevention for phobic or compulsive disorders. Supervised disulfiram aids RP by discouraging alcoholics from responding to real-life drinking cues in the language of excessive drinking, requiring them, ab initio, to practice new, alcohol-free responses. Supervised or depot naltrexone acts similarly in opiate dependence. We discuss the concept of antagonist-assisted abstinence.     

Effect of water immersion on renal sympathetic nerve activity and arterial baroreflex in conscious rabbits with heart failure

Several studies have indicated an interaction between cardiopulmonary mechanoreflex and arterial baroreflex. However, the contribution of cardiopulmonary mechanoreflex to an abnormal arterial baroreflex in chronic heart failure (CHF) has not been fully investigated. We examined the effect of the activation of cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors induced by head-out water immersion (WI) on the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in conscious rabbits with CHF induced by myocardial infarction. The arterial baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) of both HR and RSNA were decreased in CHF. WI induced a small decrease in RSNA in CHF compared to a sham-operated group (Sham), despite a similar increase in central venous pressure. WI did not affect BRS of HR or RSNA in either Sham or CHF. By averaging rectified RSNA recordings, we found that miniature RSNA in the control in CHF was higher than that in Sham. WI decreased the synchronized RSNA without changing miniature RSNA in either group. These results suggest that cardiopulmonary mechanoreflex control of RSNA is reduced in CHF, and that cardiopulmonary mechanoreflex has little effect on arterial baroreflex. An increase in miniature RSNA may reflect sympatho-excitation in CHF.     

An epidemic of occupational contact dermatitis from an immersion oil for microscopy in laboratory personnel

Since November 1997, 14 successive cases of occupational contact dermatitis were observed in 13 laboratory technicians and 1 physician, working in a genetics laboratory in Leuven (Belgium) in 3 laboratories of bacteriology in Strasbourg, Montbeliard and Angers, and in the laboratory of hematology in Bordeaux (France). The dermatitis, located on the hands, forearms and face, relapsed after each exposure to an immersion oil for microscopy. Patch tests performed in 10 patients were positive to epoxy resin (ER) in the European standard series (10/10 patients) and to newly formulated Leica immersion oil (7/7), 1 patient testing negatively with the former oil. A breakdown performed in 2 patients with the oil's ingredients confirmed sensitization to liquid modified ER components, contained at >80% concentration in the oil. The presence of DGEBA was demonstrated by HPLC analysis at a +/-30% rate. Although the safety data sheet indicated a revision of the formula, nobody was alerted to the risk of sensitization and the need for skin protection. ERs, as a source of occupational allergy, can provoke epidemics of contact dermatitis in industry. This report of epidemic contact dermatitis from ERs, used for their optical properties in an immersion oil for microscopy, emphasizes the need for perpetual vigilance in occupational medicine and the usefulness of multicentre contacts in dermato-allergology.     

A hand immersion test under laboratory-controlled usage conditions: the need for sensitive and controlled assessment methods

Exaggerated test conditions were frequently used to investigate the cutaneous tolerance of detergent products in the past. As the sensitivity of newly designed biometric methods is steadily improving, the trend towards more realistic test conditions should be encouraged. A hand immersion test under laboratory-controlled usage conditions is presently described, fulfilling such principles. Panelists soaked their hands in 2 different hand dishwashing liquids, 2x daily for 10 min each (with successive in-solution/out-of-solution cycles) for 4 consecutive days. Products were at usual dilution for dishwashing liquids and were randomized between the dominant and non-dominant hands of panelists. Visual scoring of erythema and dryness developing on the whole hands (scoring scales including interdigital areas and joints) during the week did not allow discrimination between the 2 products. However the dominant hands were significantly more susceptible to alterations than the non-dominant hands, regardless of product attribution. In contrast, skin electrical measurements (Corneometer CM800 and Skicon 200) on the dorsum of the hands (muscle mass between thumb and index) and squamometry analysis of tape stripping (harvested from the same site) yielded significant differences between the 2 products. In conclusion, a hand immersion test under realistic conditions has been described, which discriminates between products when sensitive assessment methods are used to explore skin sites partially protected from daily-life skin aggressions.     

海水浸泡兔脑挫伤后caspase-8及caspase-3表达的研究

目的建立海水浸泡颅脑挫裂伤模型,观察海水浸泡对实验性脑挫裂伤后创伤性脑水肿的影响及研究兔脑挫伤后不同时间caspase-8及caspase-3表达的变化。方法采用立体定向自由落体伤模型进行持续海水浸泡作为实验组,对照组采用同样的方法致伤后不进行海水浸泡。观察创伤组织的病理改变,并通过免疫组化染色和计算机图像分析技术用半定量化的方法检测不同干预不同时程caspase-8和caspase-3的活性表达强弱差异。结果实验组和对照组均发生了创伤性脑水肿,但水肿高峰期出现时间不一致,严重程度也不一致。实验组caspase-8和caspase-3活性表达强度均高于对照组。结论海水浸泡促进了挫裂伤周边缺血水肿区神经细胞凋亡的增加。