The Shift of the Ischial Region during Maneuvering the Standard Wheelchair and the Electric Wheelchair in Healthy Adults

Pressure injuries are frequent secondary complications that occur in patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), and the recurrence rate of ischial pressure injury is highest in SCI patients. Most SCI patients use wheelchairs, and some studies have shown a relationship between buttock pressure and sitting posture. However, the pressure distribution during wheelchair maneuvering is unclear. We measured and compared the shift of the ischial region when maneuvering a standard wheelchair or electric wheelchair in healthy adults. The subjects drove wheelchairs on a flat ground of 10 m and the shift of ischial region was measured with a pressure distribution-measuring device. The ischial region shifted forward or backward while maneuvering both the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair, and the shift rate of the ischial region was not significantly different between the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair. The ischial region shift occurred when the forward head moved by the video while maneuvering both a standard wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. Therefore, the shift might occurred because the pelvis shifted forward in conjunction with head movement during maneuvering of both the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair. This result showed that it is important to reduce head and trunk movements when maneuvering a wheelchair to reduce the shear force on the buttocks and prevent pressure injuries.

Suppression of fibrosis in human pterygium fibroblasts by butyrate and phenylbutyrate

AIM: To evaluate the antifibrogenic effects of butyrate or phenylbutyrate, a chemical derivative of butyrate, in human pterygium fibroblasts. METHODS: Human pterygium fibroblasts obtained from patient pterygium tissue were treated with butyrate or phenylbutyrate for 48 h. Expression of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, collagen Ⅲ and matrix metalloproteinase-1 mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and acetylated histone was evaluated by Western blotting.RESULTS: Butyrate inhibited α-smooth muscle actin, type Ⅲ collagen and matrix metalloproteinase-1 expressions, and phenylbutyrate inhibited types I and Ⅲ collagen and matrix metalloproteinase-1 expressions without changing cell viability as well as both of these increased histone acetylation. These results suggested that butyrate and phenylbutyrate suppress fibrosis through a mechanism involving histone deacetylase inhibitor. CONCLUSION: This indicates that butyrate or phenylbutyrate have antifibrogenic effects in human pterygium fibroblasts and could be novel types of prophylactic and/or therapeutic drugs for pterygium, especially phenylbutyrate, which does not have the unpleasant smell associated with butyrate.

Effects of Eccentric Contractions Induced Electrical Stimulation Training System on Quadriceps Femoris Muscle

We developed an eccentric contraction induced electrical stimulation (ES) training system. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the eccentric contraction induced ES enhance the knee extension torque compared with typical ES. Twenty-two young untrained men (age: 23 ± 3 years) in the acute response trial (single training) and seven untrained men in the long period training trial (for 6 weeks) were studied. We measured muscle thickness and knee extension torque evoked by ES with eccentric contraction training system (ES + ECC) or ES alone for the quadriceps muscle of men. The levels of pain and discomfort were evaluated using numeric rating scale (NRS) and heart rate variability. The knee extension torque of ES + ECC was higher than that of ES alone in the acute response trial. There were no significant differences in the levels of pain and discomfort between ES and ES + ECC. Additionally, ES + ECC training for 6 weeks was effective on the quadriceps muscle thickness and knee extension torque. In contrast, the ES alone training failed to increase muscle thickness and knee extension torque. These results suggest that eccentric contraction induced ES would have the potential to become an effective intervention to promote muscle strengthening.