Factors decreasing caregiver burden to allow patients with cerebrovascular disease to continue in long-term home care.

Background: This study attempted to assess continued long-term home care by examining patients' independent activities of daily living (ADLs) and caregivers' free time.

Methods: We surveyed the main caregivers of 52 patients with cerebrovascular disease with continuous home care from 1999 to 2010. Survey items were patients' ADLs, the frequency of use of care services, care requirements, and caregiver sense of burden.

Evidence for organic cation transporter-mediated metformin transport and 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation in rat skeletal muscles.

Objective: 5'-Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key molecule of metabolic enhancement in skeletal muscle. We investigated whether metformin (MET) acts directly on skeletal muscle, is transported into skeletal muscle via organic cation transporters (OCTs), and activates AMPK.

Materials/methods: Isolated rat epitrochlearis and soleus muscles were incubated in vitro either in the absence or in the presence of MET.

Effects of gravitational loading levels on protein expression related to metabolic and/or morphologic properties of mouse neck muscles.

The effects of 3 months of spaceflight (SF), hindlimb suspension, or exposure to 2G on the characteristics of neck muscle in mice were studied. Three 8-week-old male C57BL/10J wild-type mice were exposed to microgravity on the International Space Station in mouse drawer system (MDS) project, although only one mouse returned to the Earth alive. Housing of mice in a small MDS cage (11.

AICAR-induced activation of AMPK negatively regulates myotube hypertrophy through the HSP72-mediated pathway in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.

5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. However, the precise mechanism of AMPK-mediated regulation of muscle mass is not fully clarified. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), stress-induced molecular chaperones, are related with skeletal muscle adaptation, but the association between AMPK and HSPs in skeletal muscle hypertrophy is unknown.

Up-regulation of adiponectin expression in antigravitational soleus muscle in response to unloading followed by reloading, and functional overloading in mice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of adiponectin and its related molecules in hypertrophied and atrophied skeletal muscle in mice. The expression was also evaluated in C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes. Both mRNA and protein expression of adiponectin, mRNA expression of adiponectin receptor (AdipoR) 1 and AdipoR2, and protein expression of adaptor protein containing pleckstrin homology domain, phosphotyrosine binding domain, and leucine zipper motif 1 (APPL1) were observed in C2C12 myoblasts.

Microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation facilitates regrowth of mouse soleus muscle.

Microcurrent electrical nerve stimulation (MENS) has been used to facilitate recovery from skeletal muscle injury. However, the effects of MENS on unloading-associated atrophied skeletal muscle remain unclear. Effects of MENS on the regrowing process of unloading-associated atrophied skeletal muscle were investigated.

Effects of heat stress on muscle mass and the expression levels of heat shock proteins and lysosomal cathepsin L in soleus muscle of young and aged mice.

Effects of heat stress on skeletal muscle mass in young and aged mice were investigated. Young (7-week) and aged (106-week) male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to control and heat-stressed groups in each age. Mice in heat-stressed group were exposed to heat stress (41 °C for 60 min) in an incubator without anesthesia.

[Subjective physical and mental health characteristics of male family caregivers].

Objectives: Due to the increased population of elderly people requiring care and assisted living care, as well as changes in the social structure, the number of males playing a role in home care has therefore been increasing each year. The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristics related to subjective mental and physical health of male family caregivers based on a comparison with male non-caregivers.

Methods: The subjects comprised 52 male family caregivers (caregiver group) who provide care for those requiring at-home care at level 3 or above, or who provided care for people with dementia in cases at a level below 3, with an average age and standard deviation of 69.

Effects of anticipation certainty on preparatory brain activity and anticipatory postural adjustments associated with voluntary unilateral arm movement while standing.

We examined the effects of anticipation certainty concerning which voluntary movement is required in response to a stimulus while standing on preparatory brain activity and anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). Ten right-handed adults abducted their left or right arm rapidly in response to a visual imperative stimulus, based on the type of stimulus. A warning cue, which did or did not contain information about the side of arm abduction, was presented 2000ms before the imperative stimulus.

Possible role of NF-ĸB signals in heat stress-associated increase in protein content of cultured C2C12 cells.

Heat stress is one of the hypertrophic stimuli on mammalian skeletal muscle. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling plays an important role in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. However, the effects of heat stress on NF-κB signaling in skeletal muscle cells remain unclear.

Deficits in task-specific modulation of anticipatory postural adjustments in individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

We examined whether individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) have the ability to utilize lower leg muscles in anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) associated with voluntary arm movement while standing, as well as the ability to modulate APAs with changes in the degree of postural perturbation caused by arm movement. Seven individuals with spastic diplegia (SDCP group, 12-22 yr of age) and seven age- and sex-matched individuals without disability (control group) participated in this study. Participants flexed both shoulders and lifted a load under two different load conditions, during which electromyographic activities of focal and postural muscles were recorded.

A possible role of NF-kappaB and HSP72 in skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by heat stress in rats.

Effects of heat stress on phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappaB (phospho-NF-kappaB) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) contents in skeletal muscles were studied. Male Wistar rats (7-week-old) were randomly assigned to control and heat-stressed groups. Rats in heat-stressed group were exposed to heat stress (42 degrees C for 60 min) in an incubator without anesthesia.

Responses of muscle mass, strength and gene transcripts to long-term heat stress in healthy human subjects.

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of long-term heat stress on mass, strength and gene expression profile of human skeletal muscles without exercise training. Eight healthy men were subjected to 10-week application of heat stress, which was performed for the quadriceps muscles for 8 h/day and 4 days/week by using a heat- and steam-generating sheet. Maximum isometric force during knee extension of the heated leg significantly increased after heat stress (~5.

Anticipatory postural muscle activity associated with bilateral arm flexion while standing in individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy: A pilot study.

Compared to automatic postural responses to external perturbation, little is known about anticipatory postural adjustments in individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. In this study, we examined whether anticipatory activation of postural muscles would be observed before voluntary arm movement while standing in individuals with spastic diplegia. Seven individuals with spastic diplegia (SDCP(group), 12-22 years) and 7 age- and gender-matched individuals without disability (Control(group)) participated in this study.

Body alignment and postural muscle activity at quiet standing and anteroposterior stability limits in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Purpose: We investigated body alignment and muscle activity at quiet standing and anteroposterior stability limits in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP).

Method: Body alignment and electromyographic (EMG) activity of ventral and dorsal lower limb muscles at three different standing positions were compared between seven children with SDCP (SDCP(group)) and seven controls [typically developing (TD(group))]. We also compared these measurements in a child with SDCP before and after a 3-week training in which the child leant forward and maintained the forward-leaning posture with the help of a physiotherapist who manually held her lower limbs fixed in position.

Estimation of the upper limit of the reference value of the QT interval in rest electrocardiograms in healthy young Japanese men using the bootstrap method.

Background: A prolonged QT interval (QT) is associated with cardiac arrhythmia, and methods for identification of QT prolongation are required.

Methods: The relationship between RR and QT was investigated in resting electrocardiograms of 1276 healthy young Japanese men using the bootstrap method.

Results: The upper limit of QT (QT(upper limit)) was approximated well by the exponential equation: QT(upper limit) = 435 x RR(0.

Effects of functional overloading on the regenerative potential of injured skeletal muscles in mice.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of functional overload on the regeneration of injured skeletal muscles of male C57BL/6J mice. To activate a necrosis-regeneration cycle, cardiotoxin (CTX) was injected into soleus muscles both control and functionally overloaded groups. The recovery of muscle protein content, which was decreased by CTX injection, was significantly stimulated by application of functional overloading.

Biomechanical investigation of ambulatory training in patients with acetabular dysplasia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of ambulatory training in patients with acetabular dysplasia. To achieve this, we studied the hip joint moment in subjects walking with laterally and horizontally elevated arms and changing speeds as a form of training to strengthen hip joint abductor muscles. We studied eight women with pre- or early stage hip disease (center-edge angle of Wieberg 18.

Geranylgeranylaceton induces heat shock protein 72 in skeletal muscle cells.

Effects of an antiulcer drug, geranylgeranylaceton (GGA), and/or heat-stress on 72 kDa heat shock protein (HSP72) expression and protein content in cultured skeletal muscle cells were studied. Mouse skeletal muscle cells (C(2)C(12)) were subjected to either 1) control (cultured at 37 degrees C without GGA), 2) GGA administration (10(-11) - 10(-8) M), 3) heat-stress at 41 degrees C for 60 min, or 4) GGA administration combined with heat-stress. Expression of HSP72 was up-regulated by GGA administration.