ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with exercise training on fatigue and interleukin-1β (IL-1β),interleukin-9,interleukin-10,tumor necrosis factor-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with post-stroke fatigue (PSF).Methods A total of 90 patients with post-stroke fatigue were recruited and randomly divided into an observation group and a control group.Both groups were given routine exercise training,and the observation group was treated with transcranial magnetic stimulation in addition.Simplified Fugl-Meyer Motor Function Scale (FMA) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were used to assess the motor function of the limbs and fatigue of the two groups before treatment,4 and 8 weeks after treatment.At the same time,the levels of IL-1 β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP in the serum of the two groups were measured at the above time points.The correlation among the motor function,fatigue and cytokine levels was analyzed.Results There was no significant difference in the levels of IL-1β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP between the two groups before treatment (all P>0.05);FMA score and fatigue improvement in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group after treatment for 4 and 8 weeks (all P<0.05);and serum levels of IL-1β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group after treatment (all P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that FMA scores of limbs were negatively correlated with serum levels of IL-1β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP (P<0.05),and FSS scores were positively correlated with serum levels of IL-1β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP (P<0.05).Conclusion Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with exercise therapy can significantly improve the motor function and ameliorate fatigue of PSF patients.The therapeutic mechanism may be related to the reduction of serum levels of IL-1β,IL-9,IL-10,TNF-α and CRP.
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Objective To observe the effect of phrenic nerve electrical stimulation combined with respiratory training on the pulmonary function,trunk stability and balance of stroke survivors.Methods Thirty-six stroke survivors were randomly divided into a control group and a training group,each of 28.Both groups were given routine rehabilitation treatment (including physical agent therapy and combined training of the limbs),while the training group was additionally provided with phrenic nerve electrical stimulation combined with respiratory training once a day for six weeks.Before and after the treatment,the forced vital capacity (FVC),forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) of both groups were recorded.The Sheikh trunk control scale (TCT) was used to quantify their trunk stability,and balance was quantified using the Berg balance function scale (BBS).Results After six weeks of treatment the average FVC,FEV1 and PEF values of the training group were significantly higher than before the treatment,and significantly better than those of the control group after the treatment.Moreover,significant improvement was observed in the average TCT and BBS scores of both groups after the intervention,with the training group's average significantly higher than that of the contrcl group.Conclusion Phrenic nerve electrical stimulation combined with respiratory training can further improve the pulmonary function and balance function of stroke survivors as a supplement to routine rehabilitation treatment.Therefore,it is worth popularizing in clinical practice.
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Objective To estimate any influence of strong pulsed magnetic fields on the expression of growth-related genes in human bladder cancer BIU-87 cells. Methods Human BIU-87 cells were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into a magnetic field group and a control group. Each group was further divided into 24 h, 48 h and 72 h sub-groups. The magnetic field group cells were exposed to an 8 T magnetic field pulsed at 15 Hz for 2 h every day. The control group cells also placed on the same environment, but not exposed to any strong, pulsed magnetic field. The expression of B cell lymphoma/leukemia gene-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA, Bax mRNA and caspase-3 mRNA was measured with RT-PCR, and flow cytometry was used to evaluate the expression of the Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 genes of the tumor cells in vitro. Results The expression of Bax mRNA and protein was significantly higher in the cells exposed to the magnetic field than in the control groups. The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein was significantly less. The expression of caspase-3 mRNA and protein in the two groups showed no significant differences.Conclusions A strong, pulsed magnetic field can inhibit the growth of bladder tumor BIU-87 cells and promote their apoptosis. The mechanism is probably related with the magnetic field promoting Bax mRNA and protein expression and inhibiting Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression.