The effectiveness of treadmill and swimming exercise in an animal model of osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is considered an inflammatory and degenerative joint disease, characterized by loss of hyaline joint cartilage and adjacent bone remodeling with the formation of osteophytes, accompanied by various degrees of functional limitation and reduction in the quality of life of individuals. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of treatment with physical exercise on the treadmill and swimming in an animal model of osteoarthritis. Methods: Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided (n=12 per group): Sham (S); Osteoarthritis (OA); Osteoarthritis + Treadmill (OA + T); Osteoarthritis + Swimming (OA + S). The mechanical model of OA was induced by median meniscectomy. Thirty days later, the animals started the physical exercise protocols. Both protocols were performed at moderate intensity. Forty-eight hours after the end of the exercise protocols, all animals were anesthetized and euthanized for histological, molecular, and biochemical parameters analysis. Results: Physical exercise performed on a treadmill was more effective in attenuating the action of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL1-ß, and IL6) and positively regulating anti-inflammatories such as IL4, IL10, and TGF-ß in relation to other groups. Discussion: In addition to maintaining a more balanced oxi-reductive environment within the joint, treadmill exercise provided a more satisfactory morphological outcome regarding the number of chondrocytes in the histological evaluation. As an outcome, better results were found in groups submitted to exercise, mostly treadmill exercise.

Effects of the intranasal application of gold nanoparticles on the pulmonary tissue after acute exposure to industrial cigarette smoke.

Inhalation of harmful particles appears as a primary factor for the onset and establishment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cigarette smoke acutely promotes an exacerbated inflammatory response with oxidative stress induction with DNA damage. Administration of Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs) with 20 nm in different concentrations can revert damages caused by external aggravations. The effects of GNPs in a COPD process have not been observed until now. The objective of this work was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of intranasal administration of different doses of GNPs after acute exposure to industrial cigarette smoke. Thirty male Swiss mice were randomly divided into five groups: Sham; cigarette smoke (CS); CS + GNPs 2.5 mg/L; CS + GNPs 7.5 mg/L and CS + GNPs 22.5 mg/L. The animals were exposed to the commercial cigarette with filter in an acrylic inhalation chamber and treated with intranasal GNPs for five consecutive days. The results demonstrate that exposure to CS causes an increase in inflammatory cytokines, histological changes, oxidative and nitrosive damage in the lung, as well as increased damage to the DNA of liver cells, blood plasma and lung. Among the three doses of GNPs (2.5, 7.5, and 22.5 mg/L) used, the highest dose had better anti-inflammatory effects. However, GNPs at a dose of 7.5 mg/L showed better efficacies in reducing ROS formation, alveolar diameter, and the number of inflammatory cells in histology, in addition to significantly reduced rate of DNA damage in lung cells without additional systemic genotoxicity already caused by cigarette smoke.

Effects of chronic treatment with gold nanoparticles on inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in Mdx mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive hereditary myopathy characterised by progressive muscle degeneration in male children. As a consequence of DMD, increased inflammation and oxidative stress occur in muscle tissue along with morphological changes. Several studies have reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of gold nanoparticles (GNP) in muscle injury models. The objective of this study was to evaluate these effects along with the impacts of the disease on histopathological changes following chronic administration of GNP to Mdx mice. Two-month-old Mdx mice were separated into five groups of eight individuals each, as follows: wild-type (WT), Mdx-modified without treatment, Mdx + 2.5 mg/kg GNP, Mdx + 7.0 mg/kg GNP and Mdx + 21 mg/kg GNP. GNP with a mean diameter of 20 nm were injected subcutaneously at concentrations of 2.5, 7.0 and 21 mg/kg. Treatments continued for 30 d with injections administered at 48-h intervals. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, the animals were killed and the central region of the gastrocnemius muscle was surgically removed. Chronic administration of GNP reduced inflammation in the gastrocnemius muscle of Mdx mice and reduced morphological alterations due to inflammatory responses to muscular dystrophy. In addition, GNP also demonstrated antioxidant potential by reducing the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, reducing oxidative damage and improving antioxidant activity.

Effects of phonophoresis with ibuprofen associated with gold nanoparticles in animal model of traumatic muscle injury.

The repair process consists of molecular and cellular events that can be accelerated by specific therapies. Considering this, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ibuprofen phonophoresis associated with gold nanoparticles in the animal model of traumatic muscle injury. Was used 80 male wistar rats divided into eight groups: Sham; Muscle injury (MI); MI + therapeutic pulsed ultrasound (TPU); MI + Ibuprofen (IBU); MI + GNPs; MI + TPU+ IBU; MI + TPU + GNPs and MI + TPU + IBU + GNPs. The lesion in the gastrocnemius was performed by a single direct trauma impact on the injured press. The animals were treated with pulsed ultrasound and the gel with gold nanoparticles and/or ibuprofen. The treatment was applied daily for 5 days and the first session was 12 h after the muscle injury. The gastrocnemius muscle was surgically removed for analyzes biochemical, molecular and histological. In the analyzes only the MI + TPU + IBU + GNPs group showed a reduction in TNF-a and IL-1 levels, with a concomitant increase in the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the analysis of oxidative stress, only the MI + TPU + IBU + GNPs group presented a reversal of the condition when compared to the MI group. In the histological analysis, the MI group presented a large cell infiltrate and a centralized nucleus and only the MI + TPU + IBU + GNPs group showed a structural improvement, also in the pain results the MI + TPU + IBU + GNPs showed a significant difference in comparison to the MI group (p<0.01). We believe that the effects of phonophoresis with anti-inflammatory drugs associated with gold nanoparticles may potentiate the reduction of the inflammatory response and regulate the cellular redox state.

Prediction of ground reaction forces while walking in water.

Despite being a key concept in rehabilitation, controlling weight-bearing load while walking, following lower limb injury is very hard to achieve. Walking in water provides an opportunity to prescribe load for people who have pain, weakness or weight bearing restrictions related to stages of healing. The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate and validate regression models for predicting ground reaction forces while walking in water. One hundred and thirty seven individuals (24±5 years, 1.71±0.08 m and 68.7±12.5 kg) were randomly assigned to a regression group (n = 113) and a validation group (n = 24). Trials were performed at a randomly assigned water depth (0.75 to 1.35 m), and at a self-selected speed. Independent variables were: immersion ratio, velocity, body mass, and waist, thigh and leg circumferences. Stepwise regression was used for the prediction of ground reaction forces and validation included agreement and consistency statistical analyses. Data from a force plate were compared with predicted data from the created model in the validation group. Body mass, immersion ratio, and velocity independently predicted 95% of the vertical and resultant ground reaction force variability, while, together, velocity and thigh circumference explained 81% of antero-posterior ground reaction force variability. When tested against the data measured in validation samples, the models output resulted in statistically similar values, intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.90 and standard errors of measurement, 11.8 to 42.3 N. The models introduced in this study showed good predictive performance in our evaluation procedures and may be considered valid in the prediction of vertical, antero-posterior and resultant ground reaction forces while walking in water. All predictive variables can be easily determined in clinical practice. Future studies should focus on the validation of these models in specific populations.

Skin Cooling and Force Replication at the Ankle in Healthy Individuals: A Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial.

CONTEXT: Proprioception of the ankle is determined by the ability to perceive the sense of position of the ankle structures, as well as the speed and direction of movement. Few researchers have investigated proprioception by force-replication ability and particularly after skin cooling. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the ability of the ankle-dorsiflexor muscles to replicate isometric force after a period of skin cooling. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Twenty healthy individuals (10 men, 10 women; age = 26.8 ± 5.2 years, height = 171 ± 7 cm, mass = 66.8 ± 10.5 kg). INTERVENTION(S): Skin cooling was carried out using 2 ice applications: (1) after maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) performance and before data collection for the first target force, maintained for 20 minutes; and (2) before data collection for the second target force, maintained for 10 minutes. We measured skin temperature before and after ice applications to ensure skin cooling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A load cell was placed under an inclined board for data collection, and 10 attempts of force replication were carried out for 2 values of MVIC (20%, 50%) in each condition (ice, no ice). We assessed force sense with absolute and root mean square errors (the difference between the force developed by the dorsiflexors and the target force measured with the raw data and after root mean square analysis, respectively) and variable error (the variance around the mean absolute error score). A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The absolute error was greater for the ice than for the no-ice condition (F1,19 = 9.05, P = .007) and for the target force at 50% of MVIC than at 20% of MVIC (F1,19 = 26.01, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The error was greater in the ice condition and at 50% of MVIC. Skin cooling reduced the proprioceptive ability of the ankle-dorsiflexor muscles to replicate isometric force.

Sport injuries treated at a physiotherapy center specialized in sports / Lesões esportivas tratadas em um centro de fisioterapia especializado em esportes

Abstract Introduction: The risk of injuries related to physical activity and sports may increase if there is predisposition, inappropriate training and/or coach guidance, and absence of sports medicine follow-up. Objective: To assess the frequency of injuries in athletes treated at a physiotherapy center specialized in sports. Methods: For the data collection was carried out the survey of injuries in records of athletes treated in eight years of activities. The data collected included: characteristics of patients, sport, injury kind, injury characteristics and affected body part. Results: From 1090 patient/athlete records, the average age was 25 years old, the athletes were spread across 44 different sports modalities, being the great majority men (75%). The most common type of injury was joint injury, followed by muscular and bone injuries. Chronic injury was the most frequent (47%), while the most common body part injured was the knee, followed by ankle and shoulder. Among all the sports, soccer, futsal, and track and field presented the highest number of injured athletes, respectively. Conclusion: Soccer was the most common sport among the injured athletes, injury kind most frequent was joint injuries and knee was the body part most injured. Chronic injuries were the most common.

Resumo Introdução: O risco de lesões relacionadas à atividade física e ao esporte aumenta quando existe predisposição, falta de treinamento ou orientação e em atividades na qual não houve preparação adequada. Objetivo: Verificar a frequência das lesões em atletas atendidos por um serviço especializado em fisioterapia esportiva. Métodos: Para a coleta de dados foi realizado o levantamento das lesões nos prontuários de atletas atendidos em oito anos de atividades. Foram coletados da ficha de avaliação: características dos pacientes, modalidade esportiva, tipos e características das lesões e o segmento corporal acometido. Resultados: A partir de 1090 prontuários de pacientes/atletas atendidos, a média de idade foi 25 anos, distribuídos em 44 diferentes modalidades esportivas com predomínio do sexo masculino (75%). O tipo de lesão mais frequente foi a articular, seguida das musculares e ósseas. As lesões crônicas foram as mais frequentes (47%). O local mais lesionado foi o joelho, seguido do tornozelo e ombro. Dentre as modalidades, o futebol, o futsal e o atletismo foram as que apresentaram o maior número de atletas lesionados. Conclusão: Futebol foi a modalidade mais praticada entre os atletas atendidos, o tipo de lesão mais frequente foi o articular e o joelho foi o local mais acometido, com lesões crônicas sendo as comuns.