Effect of Exercise Prescription Implementation Rate on Cardiovascular Events.

BACKGROUND: Exercise prescription of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is vital in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and those carrying high risk for CVDs. However, the relation between the implementation rate of exercise prescription and cardiovascular events (CVEs) is unclear. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, using the administration data from the Rehabilitation Center in a hospital, patients aged ≥18 years with CVDs were consecutively enrolled from November 2018 to May 2021. Patients were divided into the high execution group (HEG) and low execution group (LEG) depending on whether they completed more than half the time of the exercise prescriptions. Baseline characteristics, ultrasonic cardiogram, cardiopulmonary exercise test, follow-up data, and CVEs were collected. RESULTS: The mean age of the 197 CR patients was 61.8 ± 13.7 years and the mean follow-up duration was 10.9 ± 4.2 months. Among them, 15 patients suffered CVEs: 4 in the HEG and 11 in the LEG. The incidence of CVEs showed significant differences between HEG and LEG (chi-square test). Free-event survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival plots showed that patients in LEG had poor survival. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the prescription implementation rate was an independent predictor of CVEs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested a significant effect of exercise prescription execution rate on the occurrence of CVEs. Further, the HEG of exercise prescription was associated with lower CVDs.

[Effects of electroacupuncture stimulation at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) on serum insulin-like growth factor-1 content and bone biomechanics in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) content and bone biomechanics in osteoporosis rats so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP). METHODS: Forty female SD rats (4.5 months old) were randomly divided into sham-operation (sham), model, medication and EA groups (10 rats/group). The rat's bilateral ovaries were removed to establish the PMOP model. For rats in the sham group, similar procedures were conducted except removing comparable weight of fat tissues around the ovaries. For rats in the EA group, "Guanyuan" (CV 4) was punctured with filiform needles and stimulated electrically (1 mA, 2 Hz) for 20 min, once a day for 30 days. For rats in the medication group, pentanoic acid estradiol (50 microg/500 g) was administrated by gavage. The serum IGF-1 content was examined by ELISA and the bone biomechanics measured by three-point bending tests, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the serum IGF-1 level, femoral maximum load and fracture load were significantly reduced in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, these indexes were significantly increased in rats of the EA and medication groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but without significant difference between the EA and medication groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA produces benefits on postmenopausal osteoporosis through increasing the serum IGF-1 contents and bone strength.

[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Mingmen" (GV 4) on bone morphogenetic protein-2 expression in osteoporosis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Mingmen" (GV 4) on the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) content and biomechanics in osteoporosis rats so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of osteoporosis. METHODS: Fifty female SD rats were randomized into sham operation (sham), model, EA-GV 4, EA-non-acupoint (non-acupoint) and estrogen (medication) groups, with 10 rats in each group. Postmenopausal osteoporosis model was established by removing the rats' bilateral ovaries under anesthesia. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1.0 mA) was applied to "Mingmen" (GV 4) or non-acupoint for 20 min, once daily for 30 times, with one day's interval between every two 10 times. Rats of the medication group were lavaged with Pentanoic Acid Estradiol (25 microg/mL, 2 mL/500 g), once every day (the dosage of estradiol was adjusted according to their body weight) continuously for 1 month. Rats of the model and sham groups experienced the fixing and fastening procedures as the other rats in the EA and medication groups. After intervention, the BMP-2 expression level of the femoral bone tissue, and bone biomechanical values were determined by immunohistochemistry and three-point bending tests, respectively. RESULTS: (1) In comparison with the sham operation group, the femoral biochemical maximum load and fracture load values were significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.05). While compared with the model group, the biochemical maximum load and fracture load values were obviously increased in the EA-GV 4 and medication groups (P < 0.05), but not in the non-acupoint group (P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the sham group, the femoral BMP-2 expression of model group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), compared with the model group, the expression of BMP-2 of GV 4 and medication groups significantly increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA-GV 4 intervention can improve bone biomechanical changes in osteoporosis rats.

[Discussion on method for locating acupoint "Mingmen" (GV 4) in adult rats].

"Mingmen" (GV 4) is one of the most frequently used acupoints in acupuncture clinic. In recent years, more and more experimental researches have been focusing on GV 4 or acupoint recipe containing GV 4 in rats. Accurate location of GV 4 is probably not only related to fully display its therapeutic effect, but also to help study its underlying mechanisms. However, there has been no unified standard about the accurate location of GV 4 in the adult rat at present. In the present paper, the authors review related literature about GV 4 location in experimental studies in recent 10 years, and put forward a practical method for locating GV 4 in the rat by combining their own experience. That is, GV 4 is taken according to the relative relationship of ilium and spinous process of the lumbar vertebra. In addition, the authors also recommend some matters needing attention in locating GV 4 in rats.