Changes to Balance and Trunk Repositioning Sense According to Frequency of Falls in Stroke Patients

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the changes to postural sway velocity and trunk repositioning errors and the frequency of falls in stroke patients. METHODS: Fifty-five stroke patients, divided into three groups (no falls group: 20, one fall group: 19, repeated falls group: 16), stood quietly with eyes open and closed on a force platform while postural sway velocity was quantified by the center of pressure measures. Trunk repositioning errors were measured in standing while the subjects performed forward flexion movements. RESULTS: We found a significant difference between the groups for postural sway velocity in medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions with eyes open and closed (P<0.05). With the eyes closed, there were significant differences between the three groups in the postural sway velocity (P<0.05) and the trunk repositioning errors changed significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the increase in falls may increase visual dependence for postural control velocity and trunk repositioning errors. These results may be useful in balance training to prevent falls in stroke survivors.

Estimation Regression of Thigh Muscle Volume by Anthropometry / 체질인류학회지

The purpose in this study is to make a regression model for the prediction of skeletal muscle volume in thigh. For this purpose, men,14 and women,6 were included in this study. They were measured 22 independent variables by CT and anthropometry methods. CT Image analysis were performed with INFINITT, Rapidia 2.8, Korea. The results in this study are as following. There were not significant (P=.000) between CT-measured variables and predicted variables by anthropometry, excepting the difference (P=0.01) at thigh top muscle circumference. Therefore, many of variables could be applied with parameters for estimation equation by anthropometry. The estimation equation, obtained for thigh muscle volume using the predicted mid-thigh muscle circumference corrected by skinfold thickness and predicted total femur bone volume, was Y(Mtot)=127.4134x(X1)+18.7767x(X2)-5998.62. Where, X1 is predicted mid-thigh muscle circumference and X2 is predicted total femur bone volume. R2 in this model is .97, and SEE is 123 mL, CV 3.6%. In conclusion, the determination of skeletal muscle volume in thigh can be highly validated with estimaton model in this study. Therefore it also be apply to predicting thigh muscle volume in korean adults.

Expression Pattern of Nitric Oxide Synthases in Rat Skeletal Muscle after Cyclic Episodes of Short Ischemia and Reperfusion / 체질인류학회지

The ischemic preconditioning was initially identified as a protective maneuver induced by brief periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion. Although ischemic preconditioning can reduce ischemic injury of heart, skeletal muscle and neuronal tissue, it's protective mechanism remains elusive. Recently, several investigations suggest the associations of nitric oxide with protection from ischemic injury. Nitric oxide synthesized by a member of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) family has been known to increase or decrease the ischemic injury. The purpose of this study was to observe the expression patterns of NOS 1, NOS 2 and NOS 3 in the rat skeletal muscle after cyclic episodes of short ischemia and reperfusion. Nine and thirty-five weeks-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control and cyclic short ischemia and reperfusion groups. The experimental group was further divided into 3 groups based on cycles of short ischemia and reperfusion. For cyclic short ischemia and reperfusion, left commom iliac artery was occluded 3, 6 and 10 times for 5 minutes ischemia followed by 5 minutes reperfusion using rodent vascular clamps. The animals were sacrificed at hours 0, 3, 6, 24 and 72 after reperfusion and the left rectus femoris muscles were removed. The expression profiles and distribution of NOS 1, NOS 2 and NOS 3 were examined with immunohistochemical staining. The results were as follows; In the cyclic of short ischemia and reperfusion groups, the mortality was increased with increasing of cyclic episodes at 72 hours after reperfusion, and aging. In the control group, NOS 1, NOS 2 and NOS 3 immunoreactivities showed no differenes with aging. In the 9 weeks-old rats, NOS 1 immunoreactivities were observed moderate at 24 hours after 6 times of short ischemia and reperfusion, and moderate and strong at 24 hours after 10 times of short ischemia and reperfusion. In the 35 weeks-old rats, NOS 1 immunoreactivities were observed trace or mild at 24 hours after 6 and 10 times of short ischemia and reperfusion. At 3 hours after 3 times of short ischemia and reperfusion, NOS 2 immunoreactivities were observed moderate or strong, and trace in the 9 and 35 weeks-old rats, respectively. At 3 hours after 10 times of short ischemia and reperfusion, NOS 3 immunoreactivities were observed mild or moderate, and trace or negative in the 9 and 35 weeks-old rats, respectively. In summary, the expression profile of NOS 1, NOS 2 and NOS 3 were observed differently with increasing episodes of short ischemia and reperfusion. The alteration was the most prominent in NOS 3 than in NOS 1 and NOS 2. These results suggest that the alteration of NOS 3 known to protect tissue against ischemic injury may be associated with increasing mortality after multiple episodes of short ischemia and reperfusion.

Effects of beta-Carotene Supplementation on Lipid Peroxide Levels and Antioxidative Enzyme Activities in Diabetic Rats

This study investigated the effect of dietary beta-carotene supplementation on lipid peroxidation and anti oxidative enzyme activity as indices of oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Fifty Sprague-Dawley male rats aging 7 weeks were used as experimental animals, which were divided into the non-diabetic control group and the diabetic group. The diabetic group received an intraperitoneal injection with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Then the diabetic rats were divided into four dietary groups which contained different amounts of beta-carotene; 0%, 0.002%, 0.02%, or 0.2% of the diet. The diabetic rats were fed the experimental diets and the non-diabetic rats were fed the basal diet without beta-carotene supplementation for 2 weeks and then sacrificed. The diabetic group had a significantly higher blood glucose level than the non-diabetic group. However, blood glucose level were not significantly changed by the level of dietary beta-carotene supplementation. Compared to the non-diabetic control group, the diabetic control group indicated a significant increase of plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). Liver TBARS level also tended to be higher in diabetic control group, although it was not significant. The beta-carotene supplementation did not reduce plasma TBARS level. However, Liver TBARS level was significantly decreased when 0.02% or more beta-carotene was supplemented in the diet. The liver lipofuscin level in the diabetic control group was higher than in the non-diabetic control group, but the effect of beta-carotene supplementation did not show any differences. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly lower in the diabetic group, but it was increased in groups receiving 0.02% or more beta-carotene. Compared to the non-diabetic control group, lower activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were observed in the diabetic control group, although it was not significant. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities tended to increase as the levels of beta-carotene supplementation increased, although it was not statistically significant. Therefore, it seems that dietary beta-carotene supplementation might reduce diabetic complications by partly decreasing the lipid peroxidation and increasing the activity of antioxidative enzyme in diabetes.