African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM最新文献

Background: Exposure to whole body vibration exercises (WBVE), besides some biological effects, causes alterations in the concentration of some blood biomarkers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the action of vibration (10 Hz) of WBVE on the concentration of blood biomarkers in Wistar rats.

Materials and methods: Wistar rats were divided in 2 groups. The experimental group (EG) was subjected to vibrations of 10Hz (one min per day, one week, total time of seven min), while the control group (CG) has not experienced vibration. Samples of whole blood were drawn for biochemical analysis of the concentration of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, glucose, CPK, albumin, alkaline phosphates, TGP, TGO, γGT, lipase, amylase, urea and creatinine.

Results: White blood cell count and a platelet-hemogram were also performed. Significant (p<0.05) increase in TGP, TGO and white blood cells and decrease in LDL concentration was found after exposure of 10Hz mechanical vibration.

Conclusion: Although these findings were obtained with rats, they might contribute to try to understand better these mechanisms that occur following exposure to a frequency of 10Hz.

Background: Whole body vibration (WBV) exercises have been investigated as an alternative and complementary method to traditional resistance programs for fitness improvements in healthy subjects. Active militaries must have a high fitness level and have to improve some physical abilities to accomplish some specific tasks in Army, as climb ropes, climb walls and pull up.

Materials and methods: Seven young and healthy soldiers from Brazilian Army were exposed to mechanical vibration in a push-up position, with different frequencies, as 25 (first session), 30 (second session), 35 (third session), 40 (fourth session) and 45 Hz (fifth session). The WBV intervention consisted of five WBV sessions over a consecutive two and a half-weeks period of time. A WBV session consisted of twenty bouts, each one with 10- second vibration, interspersed with 10 seconds of passive rest and 4 minutes pause after the first 10 bouts. Handgrip strength was measured, as proposed by American Society of Hand Therapists - ASHT, before and after the session using 25 Hz of frequency and 45 Hz of frequency (1^st and 5^th sessions).

Results: No significant results were found between groups.

Conclusion: Intervention of WBV exercises with 25 and 45 Hz of frequency applied by hands of healthy and young soldiers had no significant results. Further investigations should focus on the efficacy of WBV in the improvement of handgrip strength of young and healthy people.

Background: Dengue is considered as an important arboviral disease. Safe, low-cost, and effective drugs that possess inhibitory activity against dengue virus (DENV) are mostly needed to try to combat the dengue infection worldwide. Medicinal plants have been considered as an important alternative to manage several diseases, such as dengue. As authors have demonstrated the antiviral effect of medicinal plants against DENV, the aim of this study was to review systematically the published research concerning the use of medicinal plants in the management of dengue using the PubMed database.

Materials and methods: Search and selection of publications were made using the PubMed database following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA statement).

Results: Six publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final selection after thorough analysis.

Conclusion: It is suggested that medicinal plants' products could be used as potential anti-DENV agents.

Background: Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) has been used as a safe and accessible exercise and important reviews have been published about the use of this exercise to manage diseases and to improve physical conditions of athletes The aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of WBVE to soccer players, divers and combat athletes.

Material and methods: This study was made through a systematic review of publications involving WBVE and the selected sports in two databases (Pubmed and PEDRo).

Results: It were identified 10 studies involving WBVE and sports (6 of soccer, 2 of diving and 2 of sport combat) with 156 subjects (80 soccer players, 32 divers and 44 combat athletes), with age from 17 to 44 years old.

Conclusion: The use of WBVE has proven to be a safe and useful strategy to improve the physical conditions of players of different sports. These findings may have clinical relevance and should be considered as a strategy to be used to try improve the physical conditions of players.

Background: Whole body vibration (WBV) exercise has been used in health sciences. Authors have reported that changes on the concentration of plasma biomarkers could be associated with the WBV effects. The aim of this investigation is to assess the consequences of exposition of 25 Hz mechanical vibration generated in oscillating/vibratory platform (OVP) on the concentration of some plasma biomarkers and on the weight of rats.

Materials and methods: Wistar rats were divided into two groups. The animals of the Experimental Group (EG) were submitted to vibration (25 Hz) generated in an OVP with four bouts of 30 seconds with rest time of 60 seconds between the bouts. This procedure was performed daily for 12 days. The animals of the control group (CG) were not exposed to vibration.

Results: Our findings show that the WBV exercise at 25 Hz was not capable to alter significantly (p<0.05) the weight of the rats. A significant alteration in the concentrations of amylase was found.

Conclusion: Our results indicate a modulation of the WBV exercise with vibration of 25 Hz of frequency (i) in the pathways related to the weight and (ii) in the concentration of some biomarkers, such as amylase.

Background: Whole body vibration exercises (WBVE) improve the quality of life (QoL) of different populations. Metabolic syndrome patients (MetS) may be favored by physical activity. Questionnaires are used to assess the QoL. The aim was to evaluate the QoL of patients with MetS that have undergone WBVE with a brief WHOQOL (WHOQOL-BREF).

Material and methods: MetS patients were randomly divided into three groups: (i) control group (CG), (ii) treated with WBVE once per week (WBVE1) and (iii) treated with WBVE twice per week (WBVE2). In the first session, the patient was sat in a chair in front of the platform with the feet on its base in 3 peak to peak displacements (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mm) and frequency of 5 Hz was used. From the second to the last session, patients were subjected to the same protocol, however they were standing on the base of the platform and the frequency was increased up to 14 Hz. The patients fulfilled the WHOQOL-BREF before the first and after the last sessions. Cronbach coefficients were determined to each domain of the WHOQOL-BREF and test Wilcoxon (p<0.05) was used.

Results: The patients of the WBVE1 group had improvements in the physical, psychological and environment domains while in the WBVE2, the improvements were in the physical and social relationships domain of the WHOQOL-BREF.

Conclusion: It was observed that the WBVE in a protocol (one or two times per week) with a progressive and increased frequency improves the QoL of patients with MetS in different domains of the WHOQOL-BREF.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a defective gene located on the X-chromosome, responsible for the production of the dystrophin protein. Complications in the musculoskeletal system have been previously described in DMD patients. Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) is a treatment that improves musculoskeletal function in movement disorders. The aim of this study was to review the effects of WBVE on functional mobility, bone and muscle in DMD patients.

Materials and methods: Four databases were searched. Three eligible studies were found; all three conclude the management of DMD patients with WBV was clinically well tolerated. The studies used a side-alternating WBV system, frequencies 7 - 24 Hz; and amplitudes 2 - 4 mm.

Results: A work indicates that a temporary increase in creatine kinase in DMD during the first days of WBV was observed, but other authors did not find changes. No significant changes in bone mass, muscle strength or bone markers. Some patients reported subjective functional improvement during training. Interpretation.

Conclusion: It is concluded that WBV seems to be a feasible and well tolerated exercise modality in DMD patients.

Background: The ability to control skin blood flow decreases with advancing age and some clinical disorders, as in diabetes and in rheumatologic diseases. Feasible clinical strategies such as whole-body vibration exercise (WBVE) are being used without a clear understanding of its effects. The aim of the present study is to review the effects of the WBVE on blood flow kinetics and its feasibility in different populations.

Material and methods: The level of evidence (LE) of selected papers in PubMed and/or PEDRo databases was determined. We selected randomized, controlled trials in English to be evaluated.

Results: Six studies had LE II, one had LE III-2 and one III-3 according to the NHMRC. A great variability among the protocols was observed but also in the assessment devices; therefore, more research about this topic is warranted.

Conclusion: Despite the limitations, it is can be concluded that the use of WBVE has proven to be a safe and useful strategy to improve blood flow. However, more studies with greater methodological quality are needed to clearly define the more suitable protocols.

Background: Kidney tonifying - spleen strengthening method being one of the modalities for treatment of astheno-oligozoospermia is currently commonly used in the clinical setting. To investigate the mechanism of YiShenJianPi (YSJP) Recipe, used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to benefit "the kidney" and strengthen "the spleen".

Materials and methods: Oligoasthenozoospermia, male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal control, disease model, positive control, low-dosage and high-dosage groups. Oligoasthenozoospermia was induced by tripterygium glucosides intragastric administration before treatment started. Through using computer-aided sperm analysis to test the changes in sperm quality, utilizing flow cytometry to test the percentage of sperm with normal mitochondrial transmembrane potential (JC-1 + %), utilizing X-ray microscopy to observe epididymal sperm ultra-microstructure placing special emphasis and photographing the differences in mitochondria of the flagellum region.

Results: Compared with DM, sperm quality of the treated mice was significantly better (P<0.05, respectively). Compared with PC, the LD group had significantly better quality sperms, while the parameters in the HD group were numerically better. Compared with NC, all other groups had significantly lower percentage of sperms with normal mitochondrial membrane potential. In PC, LD and HD groups, the percentage of sperms with normal mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly higher than that of D. The 9+9+2 mitochondrial sheath structure was complete in NC but damaged in DM. In the treatment groups, this structure was fairly clear.

Conclusion: YSJP improved semen quality with oligoasthenozoospermia by improving sperm mitochondrial membrane potential and restoring sperm mitochondrial ultrastructure.

Background: Aphania senegalensis (Sapindaceae) is commonly used in Senegalese traditional medicine to treat pain, inflammation, asthenia, bacterial and fungal infections. The aim of this study was to determine the type of phytochemical constituents present in the ethanol leaf extract and its antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Materials and methods: The ethanol leaf extract of A. senegalensis was evaluated for its cytotoxic effect in the MTT assay against Vero cells. Flavonoids and tannins were the main constituents of the ethanol leaf extract.

Results: The extract inhibited the growth of the three fungal strains used in this study moderately with the lowest MIC obtained for Candidaalbicans (0.16 mg/mL). The extract also inhibited the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans with an MIC of 0.62 mg/mL. For bacterial pathogens, strong inhibition was obtained against Enterococcusfaecalis (ATTC 29212) (MIC 0.08 mg/mL), while moderate inhibition was obtained for Escherichia coli (ATTC 25922) (MIC 0.16 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATTC 29213) (MIC 0.31mg/mL). The extract however did not inhibit the growth of Pseudomonasaeruginosa (ATTC 27853) at the highest concentration (2.5 mg/ml) tested. The ethanol leaf extract of A. senegalensis had a higher cytotoxicity than berberine used as the positive control (LC₅₀2.67±0.04 µg/mL and 9.99±0.54 µg/mL respectively). The best selectivity index values was obtained for Enterococcus faecalis (SI = 1.24), followed by Escherichia coli (SI = 0.62) for bacterial pathogens and C. albicans (SI = 0.62) for fungal pathogens.

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the extracts may not be safe for use in animals infected by some pathogens.