BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking rec...BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking recovery.OBJECTIVE:To determine whether early suspension-protected training with a personal assistant machine for stroke patients enhances walking ability and prevents muscle spasms.METHODS:Thirty-two early-stage stroke patients from Shenzhen University General Hospital and the China Rehabilitation Research Center were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=16)and the control group(n=16).Both groups underwent 4 weeks of gait training under the suspension protection system for 30 minutes daily,5 days a week.The experimental group used the personal assistant machine during training.Three-dimensional gait analysis(using the Cortex motion capture system),Brunnstrom staging,Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower limb motor function,Fugl-Meyer balance function,and the modified Ashworth Scale were evaluated within 1 week before the intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After the 4-week intervention,all outcome measures showed significant changes in each group.The experimental group had a small but significant increase in the modified Ashworth Scale score(P<0.05,d=|0.15|),while the control group had a large significant increase(P<0.05,d=|1.48|).The experimental group demonstrated greater improvements in walking speed(16.5 to 38.44 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|4.01|),step frequency(46.44 to 64.94 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|2.32|),stride length(15.50 to 29.81 cm,P<0.05,d=|3.44|),and peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.82|to|2.17|).After treatment,the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in walking speed(38.44 vs.26.63 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|2.75|),stride length,peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.31|to|1.45|),step frequency(64.94 vs.59.38 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|0.85|),and a reduced support phase(bilateral:24.31%vs.28.38%,P<0.05,d=|0.88|;non-paretic:66.19%vs.70.13%,P<0.05,d=|0.94|).For early hemiplegia,personal assistant machine-assisted gait training under the suspension protection system helps establish a correct gait pattern,prevents muscle spasms,and improves motor function.展开更多
In the present study, the effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) on long-chain fatty acid oxidation by hepatocytes isolated from suckled neonatal pig liver (a low ketogenic and lipogenic ti...In the present study, the effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) on long-chain fatty acid oxidation by hepatocytes isolated from suckled neonatal pig liver (a low ketogenic and lipogenic tissue) was tested Incubation of hepatocytes with AICAR (0.5 raM) in the presence of ] mM of carnitine and 10 mM of glucose for 1 hour at 37℃ had no significant effect on total [1-14C]-palrnitate (0.5 mM) oxidation (14CO2 and 14C-Acid soluble products (ASP)). Consistent with the fatty acid oxidation, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity and inhibition of its activity by malonyI-CoA (10 MM) assayed in cell homogenate also remained constant. However, addition of AICAR to the hepatocytes decreased 14CO2 production by 18% compared to control (p 〈 0.06). The reduction of labeled carboxylic carbon accumulated in C02 caused a significant difference in distribution of oxidative products between 14C02 and 14C-ASP (p 〈 0.03) compared with the control. It was also noticed that acetyI-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was increased by AICAR (p 〈 0.03), indicating that ACC might drive acetyI-CoA toward fatty acid synthesis pathway and induce an increase in distribution of fatty acid carbon to 14C-ASP. Addition of insulin to hepatocyte incubations with AICAR did not change the oxidative product distribution between CO2 and ASP, but further promoted ACC activity. The increased ACC activity was 70% higher than in the control group when citrate was absent in the reaction medium and was 30% higher when citrate was present in the medium. Our results suggest that AICAR may affect the distribution of metabolic products from fatty acid oxidation by changing ACC activity in hepatocyte isolated from suckled neonatal piglets; however, the basis for the increase in ACC activity elicited by AICAR is not apparent.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND:Hemiplegia,a prevalent stroke-related condition,is often studied for motor dysfunction;however,spasticity remains under-researched.Abnormal muscle tone significantly hinders hemiplegic patients’walking recovery.OBJECTIVE:To determine whether early suspension-protected training with a personal assistant machine for stroke patients enhances walking ability and prevents muscle spasms.METHODS:Thirty-two early-stage stroke patients from Shenzhen University General Hospital and the China Rehabilitation Research Center were randomly assigned to the experimental group(n=16)and the control group(n=16).Both groups underwent 4 weeks of gait training under the suspension protection system for 30 minutes daily,5 days a week.The experimental group used the personal assistant machine during training.Three-dimensional gait analysis(using the Cortex motion capture system),Brunnstrom staging,Fugl-Meyer Assessment for lower limb motor function,Fugl-Meyer balance function,and the modified Ashworth Scale were evaluated within 1 week before the intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After the 4-week intervention,all outcome measures showed significant changes in each group.The experimental group had a small but significant increase in the modified Ashworth Scale score(P<0.05,d=|0.15|),while the control group had a large significant increase(P<0.05,d=|1.48|).The experimental group demonstrated greater improvements in walking speed(16.5 to 38.44 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|4.01|),step frequency(46.44 to 64.94 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|2.32|),stride length(15.50 to 29.81 cm,P<0.05,d=|3.44|),and peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.82|to|2.17|).After treatment,the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in walking speed(38.44 vs.26.63 cm/s,P<0.05,d=|2.75|),stride length,peak hip and knee flexion(d=|1.31|to|1.45|),step frequency(64.94 vs.59.38 steps/min,P<0.05,d=|0.85|),and a reduced support phase(bilateral:24.31%vs.28.38%,P<0.05,d=|0.88|;non-paretic:66.19%vs.70.13%,P<0.05,d=|0.94|).For early hemiplegia,personal assistant machine-assisted gait training under the suspension protection system helps establish a correct gait pattern,prevents muscle spasms,and improves motor function.
基金supported by National Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2007-35206-17897 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
文摘In the present study, the effect of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) on long-chain fatty acid oxidation by hepatocytes isolated from suckled neonatal pig liver (a low ketogenic and lipogenic tissue) was tested Incubation of hepatocytes with AICAR (0.5 raM) in the presence of ] mM of carnitine and 10 mM of glucose for 1 hour at 37℃ had no significant effect on total [1-14C]-palrnitate (0.5 mM) oxidation (14CO2 and 14C-Acid soluble products (ASP)). Consistent with the fatty acid oxidation, carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity and inhibition of its activity by malonyI-CoA (10 MM) assayed in cell homogenate also remained constant. However, addition of AICAR to the hepatocytes decreased 14CO2 production by 18% compared to control (p 〈 0.06). The reduction of labeled carboxylic carbon accumulated in C02 caused a significant difference in distribution of oxidative products between 14C02 and 14C-ASP (p 〈 0.03) compared with the control. It was also noticed that acetyI-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was increased by AICAR (p 〈 0.03), indicating that ACC might drive acetyI-CoA toward fatty acid synthesis pathway and induce an increase in distribution of fatty acid carbon to 14C-ASP. Addition of insulin to hepatocyte incubations with AICAR did not change the oxidative product distribution between CO2 and ASP, but further promoted ACC activity. The increased ACC activity was 70% higher than in the control group when citrate was absent in the reaction medium and was 30% higher when citrate was present in the medium. Our results suggest that AICAR may affect the distribution of metabolic products from fatty acid oxidation by changing ACC activity in hepatocyte isolated from suckled neonatal piglets; however, the basis for the increase in ACC activity elicited by AICAR is not apparent.