Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leptin ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; blood ; RNA, Messenger ; blood

Objective To investigate the efficacy of progressive resistance exercise for improving the lower limb motor function of hemiplegic stroke patients. Methods Eighty-nine hemiplegic patients were randomly divided into a treatment group (n =46) and a control group ( n = 43 ) . Both groups received routine rehabilitation training, while the treatment group also undertook progressive resistance training. The control group received extra quadriceps femoris training. Before and after the treatment, motor function was evaluated with the Fugl-Meyer lower limb assessment, functional ambulation category (FAC) classification and the modified Barthel index (MBI). Results Before intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups in any of the assessments. Four weeks later, all the assessment scores obtained with the Fugl-Meyer lower limb assessment, FCA classification and MBI in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group. Conclusion Progressive resistance training combined with routine rehabilitation treatment can improve motor function in the lower limbs, ambulation and ability in the activities of daily living of hemiplegic patients after stroke.

Adult ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 ; blood ; Male ; Reference Values

Objective To survey cervical myoelectric signals during craniocervical flexion, neutral and extension postures, and to explore the evidence that proper head position can alleviate cervical muscle fatigue in a lateral recumbent position. Methods Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were detected from the sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius and erector spinae muscles of 30 young subjects bilaterally during craniocervical flexion,neutral and extension postures in the left lateral recumbent position. The integrated trace area (IEMG) and median frequency (MF) were estimated. Results The average IEMG of the sternocleidomastoid muscles was significantly lower in flexion than in extension bilaterally. The average IEMG of the erector spinae muscles was lower in extension than in flexion bilaterally, and the difference was again significant. The IEMGs of the upper trapezius muscle showed no significant difference on average in the three postures bilaterally. There was no significant MF difference in any of the muscles. Conclusions The muscles in the cervical back were less activated during craniocervical extension in a lateral recumbent position. A little cranicocervical extension is optimal while resting in a lateral recumbent position.

Objective To observe the efficacy of underwater partial body-weight-supported treadmill training in repairing spinal cord injury (SCI) and its relationship with spinal nerve plasticity. Methods A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: a sham model group, a model control group, an underwater training group, a partial body-weight-supported treadmill training (PBWSTT) group and an underwater PBWSTT group. A rat model of SCI was induced by contusion of the T10 segment with a Multicenter Animal Spinal Cord Injury Study (MASCIS) impactor. One week post-operation, different rehabilitation strategies, such as free exercise in water, BWSTT and underwater PBWSTT, were administered to the rats in the underwater training groups for 8 weeks.Those in the sham model group and model control group were given no training. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and a climbing test were used to evaluate the recovery of hindlimb locomotor function.The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in the spinal cords was detected with immunohistochemical methods. Results Nine weeks post-operation, hindlimb locomotor function had improved significantly more in the underwater PBWSTT group than in underwater training group or the BWSTT group.The expression of BDNF in the 3 training groups was significantly higher than in the model control group, though there was no significant difference among the 3 training groups. The expression of NT-3 in the underwater PBWSTT group increased more significantly than in the BWSTT group, however there was no significant difference between the underwater PBWSTT group and the underwater training group. Conclusion Underwater PBWSTT can promote the recovery of hindlimb locomotor function in rats after SCI, probably through increasing the expression of BDNF and NT-3 and thus promoting neural plasticity in the spinal cord.

【Objective】 To analyze the independent influencing factors of repeated extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of upper urinary calculi (UUC), based on which a nomogram model was established to predict the efficacy. 【Methods】 Clinical and imaging data of 203 patients receiving repeated ESWL during Jan.2020 and Dec.2022 were collected, including 117 cases in the successful group and 86 cases in the unsuccessful group.The patients’ age and sex, stone volume (SV), surface area (SA), skin-to-site distance (SSD), maximum CT value, mean stone density (MSD), and stone heterogeneity index (SHI) were compared between the two groups.The independent predictors were analyzed with logistic regression and the meaningful variables (P<0.05) were used to establish a nomogram.The efficacy of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decreasing curve analysis (DCA).Internal validation was also performed. 【Results】 Stepwise regression showed that SV, SSD, MSD and SHI were independent influencing factors (P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve (AUC), optimal threshold, sensitivity and specificity were 0.793 (95%CI: 0.674-0.911), 0.619, 77.1% and 74.0%, respectively.The DCA curve was above two extreme curves.Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the nomogram had a good fitting degree (χ²=5.526, P=0.489), and the correction C-index was 0.746. 【Conclusion】 SV, SSD, MSD and SHI are independent predictors of the efficacy of repeated ESWL in the treatment of UUC.The nomogram established based on the above indicators has good predictive efficiency and clinical applicability.

Purpose: Cavernous nerve injury induced erectile dysfunction (ED) is a refractory complication with high incidence in person under radical prostatectomy. Studies have shown that relaxin-2 (RLX-2) plays a vital role of endothelial protection, vasodilation, anti-fibrosis and neuroprotection in a variety of diseases. However, whether penile cavernous erection can benefit from RLX-2 remains unknown. The purpose of the experiment was to explore the effects of RLX-2 on ED in the rat suffering with bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI). Materials and Methods: The rats were divided into three groups: Sham group was underwent sham operation, BCNI+RLX group or BCNI group was underwent bilateral cavernous nerve crush and then randomly treated with RLX-2 (0.4 mg/kg/d) or saline by continuous administration using a subcutaneously implanted micro pump for 4 weeks respectively. Then, erectile function was evaluated by electrical stimulation of cavernous nerves. Cavernous nerves and penile tissues and were collected for histological evaluation. Results: Erectile function of rats with BCNI was partially improved after RLX-2 treatment. The BCNI group had lower expression of relaxin family peptide receptor (RXFP) 1, p-AKT/AKT, p-eNOS/eNOS ratios than sham operation rats, but RLX-2 could partially reversed these changes. Histologically, the BCNI+RLX group had a significant effect on preservation of neurofilament, neuronal glial antigen 2 of penile tissue and nNOS of cavernous nerves when compared with BCNI group. RLX-2 could inhibited the lever of BCNI induced corporal fibrosis and apoptosis via regulating TGFβ1-Smad2/3-CTGF pathway and the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase3. Conclusions RLX-2 could improve erectile function of BCNI rats by protecting cavernous nerve and endothelial function and suppressing corporal fibrosis and apoptosis via RXFP1 and AKT/eNOS pathway. Our findings may provide a promising treatment for refractory BCNI induced ED.