Physical Activity Levels, Perceived Barriers to Exercise and Development of Secondary Conditions in Community Dwelling Persons with Spinal Cord Injury / Niveles de Actividad física, Barreras Percibidas para Ejercitar, y Desarrollo de Condiciones Secundarias en Personas con Lesión de la Médula Espinal que Viven en sus Comunidades

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine physical activity levels of community dwelling persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who received inpatient rehabilitation at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre (SJGRC). This study also explored the perceived barriers to exercise and the development of secondary health complications. Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional analysis of relationships was done. Participants were recruited from the SJGRC discharge files. Three questionnaires (The Physical Activity and Disability Scale, Spinal Cord Injury Secondary Conditions Scale and the Barriers to Exercise and Disability Scale) were administered via a telephone interview. Results: Only 58.3% of patients were engaged in some form of exercise and of that amount only 6% engaged in vigorous exercise. The main secondary conditions affecting both persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia were spasticity, chronic, muscle and joint pain. There were no significant differences between persons having paraplegia and quadriplegia in relation to physical activity levels, development of secondary conditions or barriers to exercise. Most persons were interested in an exercise programme but the most common barriers to exercise were cost and not knowing where they could go to exercise. Conclusion: Regardless of injury level, persons with spinal cord injury living in their communities in Jamaica are not engaged in adequate levels of exercise to confer health benefits and aid with healthy ageing. Barriers like cost, availability and accessibility of facilities must be addressed if this situation is to improve.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Determinar los niveles de actividad física de las personas con lesión de la médula espinal (LME) que viven en sus comunidades -es decir, en sus casas en vez de asilos o instituciones asistenciales-y que recibieron rehabilitación hospitalaria en el Centro de Rehabilitación Sir John Golding (SJGRC, en inglés). Este estudio también exploró las barreras percibidas para hacer ejercicios, y el desarrollo de complicaciones secundarias de salud. Métodos: Se realizó un análisis transversal no experimental de las relaciones. Los participantes fueron reclutados a partir de los archivos de altas del Centro SJGRC. Se aplicaron tres cuestionarios mediante entrevista telefónica (Escala de Actividad Física y Discapacidad, Escala de Condiciones Secundarias de la Lesión Medular, y Escala de Discapacidad y Barreras al Ejercicio). Resultados: Sólo el 58.3% de los pacientes se hallaban participando en alguna forma de ejercicio, y de este número sólo el 6% practicaba ejercicios fuertes. Las condiciones secundarias principales que afectaban a ambas personas con paraplejia y cuadriplejia eran la espasticidad, y el dolor muscular y articular crónico. No había diferencias significativas entre las personas que tenían paraplejia y cuadriplejia en lo referente a los niveles de actividad física, el desarrollo de condiciones secundarias o las barreras al ejercicio. La mayoría de las personas estaban interesadas en un programa de ejercicios, pero las barreras más comunes eran el costo y el no saber dónde ir a hacerlos. Conclusión: Independientemente del nivel de la lesión, las personas con lesión medular que viven en sus comunidades en Jamaica no participan en niveles adecuados de ejercicio que brinden beneficios de salud y ayuden a un envejecimiento saludable. Las barreras como el costo, la disponibilidad y la accesibilidad de las instalaciones deben ser abordadas, si se quiere mejorar esta situación.

Therapeutic mechanism of treating SMMC-7721 liver cancer cells with magnetic fluid hyperthermia using Fe2O3 nanoparticles

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of treating SMMC-7721 liver cancer cells with magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) using Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells cultured in vitro were treated with ferrofluid containing Fe2O3 nanoparticles and irradiated with an alternating radio frequency magnetic field. The influence of the treatment on the cells was examined by inverted microscopy, MTT and flow cytometry. To study the therapeutic mechanism of the Fe2O3 MFH, Hsp70, Bax, Bcl-2 and p53 were detected by immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It was shown that Fe2O3 MFH could cause cellular necrosis, induce cellular apoptosis, and significantly inhibit cellular growth, all of which appeared to be dependent on the concentration of the Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Immunocytochemistry results showed that MFH could induce high expression of Hsp70 and Bax, decrease the expression of mutant p53, and had little effect on Bcl-2. RT-PCR indicated that Hsp70 expression was high in the early stage of MFH (<24 h) and became low or absent after 24 h of MFH treatment. It can be concluded that Fe2O3 MFH significantly inhibited the proliferation of in vitro cultured liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721), induced cell apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. Fe2O3 MFH can induce high Hsp70 expression at an early stage, enhance the expression of Bax, and decrease the expression of mutant p53, which promotes the apoptosis of tumor cells.

Perturbation of EGF-induced MAP kinase activation by TGF-ß1

TGF-ß1 regulates both cellular growth and phenotypic plasticity important for maintaining a growth advantage and increased invasiveness in progressively malignant cells. Recent studies indicate that TGF-ß-1 stimulates the conversion of epitheliod to fibroblastoid phenotype which presumably leads to the inactivation of growth-inhibitory effects by TGF-ß1 (Portella et al. (1998) Cell Growth and Differentiation, 9: 393-404). Therefore, the investigation of TGF-ß1 signaling that leads to altered growth and migration may provide novel targets for the prevention of increased cell growth and invasion. Although much attention has been paid to TGF-ß1 responses in epithelial cells, the above studies suggest that examination of signal transduction pathways in fibroblasts are important as well. Data from our laboratory are consistent with the concept that TGF-ß1 can act as a regulatory switch in density-dependent C3H 10T1/2 fibroblasts capable of either promoting or delaying G1 traverse. The regulation of this switch is proposed to occur prior to pRb phosphorylation, namely prior to activation of cyclin-dependent kinases. The current study is concerned with the evaluation of a key cyclin (cyclin D1) which activates cdk4 and p27KIP1 which in turn inhibit cdk2 in the proliferative responses of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and their modulation by TGF-ß1. Although the molecular events that lead to elevation of cyclin D1 are not completely understood, it appears likely that activation of p42/p44MAPK kinases is involved in its transcriptional regulation. TGF-ß1 delayed EGF- or PDGF-induced cyclin D1 expression and blocked the induction of active p42/p44MAPK. The mechanism by which TGF-ß1 induces a block in p42/p44MAPK activation is being examined and the possibility that TGF-ß1 regulates phosphatase activity is being tested