Vitamin C supplementation ameliorates liver function profile and antiviral treatment response in Hepatitis C patients.

An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidative defence mediates a variety of diseases pathogenesis. The present study aims to assess the possible outcome of supplementation of oral vitamin-C (VC), an antioxidant, in Viral Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment as an adjuvant therapy. 200 HCV-patients were selected, 100 were given Vitamin-C (1000 mg/day) along with anti HCV treatment (sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir) while the other 100 took only anti-HCV treatment for 4weeks. The serum ascorbic acid (Vitamin-C) levels and functions of the liver were tested before and after the VC supplementation. HCV patients with relatively low serum ascorbic acid showed significant improvement after the intake of vitamin C. After 4 weeks of treatment, AST, ALP, albumin, and total, direct and indirect bilirubin were improved significantly in the VC group; whereas only ALT and indirect bilirubin were improved in both groups when associated with the control subjects. Comparing the two treatment groups at 4weeks; more effective and significant improvement was observed in ALT (p<0.01), AST (p<0.001), direct (p<0.01) and indirect bilirubin (p<0.001), total proteins (p<0.001) and albumin (p<0.05) in patients with VC supplementation on anti-viral treatment compared to only anti-viral treatment group. Thus, VC supplementation improves the antiviral therapy outcome by bestowing a beneficial effect in minimizing liver damage in HCV cases.

Effects of active isolated stretching on exercise-induced muscle damage in untrained subjects: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To investigate the prophylactic effect of the active isolated stretching technique on exercise-induced muscle damage of wrist flexors. METHODS: The mixed model randomised controlled interventional study was conducted at the University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan, from November 2018 to May 2019, and comprised young adults who were untrained, sedentary and healthy who were randomly divided into intervention group A and control group B. Group A participants received self-assisted active isolated stretching before inducing muscle soreness of wrist flexors by eccentric exercises. Group B did not receive any intervention. The outcome measures were pain intensity, muscle soreness, pressure pain threshold, range of motion, and grip strength. Data were collected at baseline, after one hour, and daily from day 1 to 7 after inducing muscle soreness. Data were analysed using SPSS 21. RESULTS: Of the 60 subjects, there were 30(50%) in each of the two groups. There were 14(23.3%) males and 46(76.7%) females. The overall mean age was 21.47±1.9 years. Group A showed early recovery in pain and muscle soreness compared to group B (p<0.05). Also, a limited deficit in the range of motion, grip strength, and pain pressure threshold was found in group A compared to group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Active isolated stretching before strenuous, unaccustomed exercise was found to be useful in ameliorating the symptoms of muscle soreness.

Beat the exercise-induced muscle damage.

Eccentric exercises are being used widely as a strategy to manage sarcopenia. However, eccentric exercises are linked to increased risk of myofibre damage and delayed recovery. There is elevated muscle soreness, decrease muscle strength and increased levels of muscle-specific circulatory protein. There is a huge variation in the severity of the symptoms after eccentric exercise. Several factors affect the degree and severity of muscle soreness. It includes exercise intensity, duration, mode, muscle group, age, gender, genetics and nutritional status. Therefore, designing a specific individual exercise plan is required to overcome injuries, myofibre damage and muscle soreness. At present, we still do not have enough knowledge about the exact sources and factors that trigger muscle soreness linked with strenuous exercise. Deep insight and identification of the risk factors which predispose individuals at an increased risk of muscle soreness after unaccustomed exercises may be a key to help them by prescribing personalised exercise therapy to speed up recovery and adaptation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are being used widely to manage muscle soreness, pain and tenderness linked with post exercise complications. But there is more to it than just treating pain. Is there any substantive gain besides pain relief? Can they improve muscle function? Could they prevent muscle soreness or speed up recovery? The current narrative review was planned to discuss the sources and factors that trigger exercise-induced muscle damage. Furthermore, it also provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature concerning the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing symptom and improving muscle function in exercise induced muscle soreness.

Non-pharmacological interventions to combat exercise-induced muscle damage, a little natural tax on work out.

Debilitating pain, stiffness, tenderness, fatigue, impaired muscle function, lack of strength subsequent to exercise are not welcomed by those not accustomed to it. It may discourage an individual from participating in regular exercise. Numerou s ph armacological and non - pharmacological strategies have been used to alleviate symptoms of muscle soreness, muscle pain, improving muscle function, the range of motion and recovery time. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are suggested to have a beneficial impact on muscle soreness, but fail to rejuvenate muscle weakness and range of motion coupled with muscle soreness. Furthermore, oral antiinflammatory drugs are widely used to mitigate muscle soreness symptoms, but chronic use can lead to different side effects in terms of peptic ulcer and liver toxicity. Non-pharmacological remedies and interventions can be a better choice. This narrative review is intended to provide insight into the non-pharmacological strategies to combat exercise-induced muscle damage.

Axonal Regeneration: Underlying Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets.

Axons in the peripheral nervous system have the ability to repair themselves after damage, whereas axons in the central nervous system are unable to do so. A common and important characteristic of damage to the spinal cord, brain, and peripheral nerves is the disruption of axonal regrowth. Interestingly, intrinsic growth factors play a significant role in the axonal regeneration of injured nerves. Various factors such as proteomic profile, microtubule stability, ribosomal location, and signalling pathways mark a line between the central and peripheral axons' capacity for self-renewal. Unfortunately, glial scar development, myelin-associated inhibitor molecules, lack of neurotrophic factors, and inflammatory reactions are among the factors that restrict axonal regeneration. Molecular pathways such as cAMP, MAPK, JAK/STAT, ATF3/CREB, BMP/SMAD, AKT/mTORC1/p70S6K, PI3K/AKT, GSK-3ß/CLASP, BDNF/Trk, Ras/ERK, integrin/FAK, RhoA/ROCK/LIMK, and POSTN/integrin are activated after nerve injury and are considered significant players in axonal regeneration. In addition to the aforementioned pathways, growth factors, microRNAs, and astrocytes are also commendable participants in regeneration. In this review, we discuss the detailed mechanism of each pathway along with key players that can be potentially valuable targets to help achieve quick axonal healing. We also identify the prospective targets that could help close knowledge gaps in the molecular pathways underlying regeneration and shed light on the creation of more powerful strategies to encourage axonal regeneration after nervous system injury.

Long-term culture of Japanese human embryonic stem cells in feeder-free conditions.

Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have great promise for research into human developmental biology, development of cell therapies for the treatment of diseases, toxicology, and drug discovery. Traditionally, undifferentiated hESCs are maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which impede the clinical applications of hESCs. Here we have examined the long-term stability of the Japanese hESC line (KhES-1) in feeder-free culture. KhES-1 cells were cultured with MEF conditioned medium (CM) and different doses of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in six-well-plates of which the surface was coated with Matrigel. KhES-1 cells were maintained for at least 40 passages. In this culture system, the cells maintained stable proliferation rates and steadily expressed Oct-4, Nanog, and alkaline phosphatase. In addition, KhES-1 cells maintained without direct feeder contact formed embryonic bodies with expression of markers from the three germ layers. Here we demonstrated that Japanese human embryonic stem cells KhES-1 were cultured long term in a feeder-free method, while retaining pluripotency in vitro.

Long-Term Culture of Japanese Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Feeder-Free Conditions.

Human pluripotent embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have great promise for research into human developmental biology, development of cell therapies for the treatment of diseases, toxicology, and drug discovery. Traditionally, undifferentiated hESCs are maintained on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which impede the clinical applications of hESCs. Here we have examined the long-term stability of the Japanese hESC line (KhES-1) in feeder-free culture. KhES-1 cells were cultured with MEF conditioned medium (CM) and different doses of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in six-well-plates of which the surface was coated with Matrigel. KhES-1 cells were maintained for at least 40 passages. In this culture system, the cells maintained stable proliferation rates and steadily expressed Oct-4, Nanog, and alkaline phosphatase. In addition, KhES-1 cells maintained without direct feeder contact formed embryonic bodies with expression of markers from the three germ layers. Here we demonstrated that Japanese human embryonic stem cells KhES-1 were cultured long term in a feeder-free method, while retaining pluripotency in vitro.