Does massage postapplication improve moisturizer's efficacy? A 2-week regression study.

BACKGROUND: Combining massage with moisturizer application is a popular technique in beauty spa sessions. The subjective positive psychological effects of massage with moisturizer application in hand and face beauty treatment are documented by many people attending spa sessions. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the effect of local effleurage massage as an external intervention on moisturizer efficacy. METHODS: In a regression-type study of 2-week, twice-daily application followed by 1 week of regression, 13 female subjects applied "off the shelf" moisturizer twice daily on both forearms followed by 1 min superficial massage for one forearm randomized among subjects. The influence of massage after moisturizer application on skin barrier properties was evaluated by noninvasive measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin capacitance, and skin elasticity at baseline, day 7, and day 14 during the treatment phase, and day 21 following a 1-week regression period, in which no moisturizer and no massage were performed on forearms. RESULTS: The tested "off the shelf" moisturizer in both "massage" and "no-massage" application protocols caused a comparable progressive improvement in skin hydration level and barrier permeability over the 2-week treatment period, which was maintained during the 1-week regression (no moisturizer) period. In addition, skin elasticity was similarly improved by both application protocols. CONCLUSION: In this long-term study, the daily performance of massage after moisturizer application was not an effective external intervention for enhancing moisturizer efficacy.

Endurance exercise training promotes angiogenesis in the brain of chronic/progressive mouse model of Parkinson's Disease.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of treadmill exercise on the angiogenesis markers in the striatum (ST) of chronic/progressive parkinsonian mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty 57BL/6 albino mice were randomly divided into four groups. Sedentary control (SC, n=10), exercise control (ExC, n=10), sedentary Parkinson's (SPD, n=10), and exercised Parkinson's (ExPD, n=10). Parkinsonism was induced by the injection with 10 doses of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, (25 mg/kg) and probenecid (250 mg/kg) over 5 weeks, three days and half a part. Following the induction of parkinsonism, ExPD and ExC animal groups were trained on a modified human treadmill at a speed of 18 m/min, 0 degrees of inclination, 40 min/day, 5 days/week for 4~weeks. The remaining two groups (SPD and SC) were housed in cages for the same period. At the end of the experiment, the angiogenesis markers; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and CD34 were examined in the striatum in the four animal groups. RESULTS: PD resulted in a significant decrease in blood vessel density with the comparison between the sedentary control and PD model animals (p < 0.005). Four weeks of treadmill exercise training significantly increased angiogenesis in the striatum in ExPD groups (p < 0.05). Exercise also induced an increase in blood vessel density in the striatum of the control animals, but the change was not significant (P < 0.3). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that 4 weeks of treadmill exercise promoted angiogenesis in the brain of chronic Parkinsonian mice, which can partially explain the beneficial role exercise in patients with PD. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism of exercise-induced angiogenesis in PD.

Resistance exercise training lowers HbA1c more than aerobic training in adults with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 10 weeks of resistance or treadmill exercises on glycemic indices levels prior to and immediately following exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD: Twenty inactive subjects (mean age 53.5 years) with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the study. Baseline HbA1c, blood glucose levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured for each subject prior to the initiation of the exercise program. Subsequently, subjects were matched to age, waist circumference and sex and assigned to either isocaloric resistance or treadmill exercise groups, which met 3 times per week for 10 weeks. RESULTS: Both groups showed a reduction in pre and post-exercise blood glucose and HbA1c values. There was no change in resting blood pressure or heart rate in either group during the course of the 10 week intervention. The group receiving resistance exercises showed significant differences in the daily pre-exercise plasma glucose readings between the beginning and end of the exercise protocol (p < 0.001). There were significant improvements in the mean HbA1c reading pre and post training in both groups (p < 0.001). However, the greater reduction was noted in the resistance exercise group, and at 10 weeks their HbA1c levels were significantly lower than the group that received treadmill exercises (p < 0.006). CONCLUSION: Ten weeks of resistance exercises were associated with a significantly better glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes compared to treadmill exercise.

Gait characteristics in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Sixteen control subjects and 15 subjects with type 2 diabetes were examined to compare gait characteristics during walking in a linear path and in turns of 0.33 and 0.66 m diameter. Subjects were excluded if there was diminished sensation in the feet or impairment of strength in the legs. This was done to isolate the effect of diabetes gait independent of loss of sensation. Gait was assessed through contact sensors on the foot, video, and two axis accelerometers mounted bilaterally on the head, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. The results of these experiments showed that subjects with diabetes walked significantly slower (P<0.05) than control subjects and with a wider stance (P<0.01), both for walking in a linear path (velocity of subjects with diabetes was 62.2% that of controls and stance was 134.9% wider than controls) and when making turns (velocity 50.6% of controls and stance 120.1% wider than that of controls). Accelerometry showed increased flexion/extension and lateral movement of the major joints in subjects with diabetes during both walking in a linear path and turns compared to control subjects. Part of the increased movement at the joints in the subjects with diabetes was due to tremor in both the 8 Hz and 16 Hz bands. These findings suggest that at least some of the increased joint movement during walking in people with diabetes is likely neurological in origin and not related to muscle weakness or loss of sensation in the feet.