Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Activity Groups (activity + groups)
Selected AbstractsComparison of anti-inflammatory activities of ruscogenin, a major steroidal sapogenin from Radix Ophiopogon japonicus, and Its succinylated derivative, RUS-2HSDRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Ya-Lin Huang Abstract Ruscogenin (RUS), first isolated from Ruscus aculeatus, is also a major steroidal sapogenin of the traditional Chinese herb Radix Ophiopogon japonicus. It has robust anti-inflammatory activities. In previous studies, a ruscogenin affinity column, derived from succinylated ruscogenin (RUS-2HS), was used to purify an antibody of ruscogenin. A ruscogenin affinity column can also be used to explore its protein targets. However, until now there have been no related pharmacological reports about ruscogenin derivatives. Whether the activity groups of ruscogenin have been blocked during the derivation process remains unknown. The present study was performed to compare the anti-inflammatory activities in vitro of RUS-2HS and ruscogenin. Both compounds reduced tumor necrosis factor-, (TNF-,)-induced adhesion of human pro-myelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) to endothelial ECV304 cells with IC50 values of 6.90,nM and 7.45,nM, respectively. They were also inhibited overexpression of ICAM-1 in ECV304 cells at the mRNA level as evaluated by real-time PCR and at the protein level evaluated by flow cytometry with similar potency. Such data demonstrate that the functional groups of ruscogenin were not blocked by derivation, suggesting further use of the ruscogenin affinity column for target investigation. Meanwhile, RUS-2HS was found to have remarkable anti-inflammatory activity for the first time, indicating it would be a new lead compound with improved bioavailability. Drug Dev Res 69: 196,202, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Using spaced retrieval and Montessori-based activities in improving eating ability for residents with dementia,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2010Li-Chan Lin Abstract Objectives To construct a training protocol for spaced retrieval (SR) and to investigate the effectiveness of SR and Montessori-based activities in decreasing eating difficulty in older residents with dementia. Methods A single evaluator, blind, and randomized control trial was used. Eighty-five residents with dementia were chosen from three special care units for residents with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. To avoid any confounding of subjects, the three institutions were randomized into three groups: spaced retrieval, Montessori-based activities, and a control group. The invention consisted of three 30,40,min sessions per week, for 8 weeks. Results After receiving the intervention, the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia (EdFED) scores and assisted feeding scores for the SR and Montessori-based activity groups were significantly lower than that of the control group. However, the frequencies of physical assistance and verbal assistance for the Montessori-based activity group after intervention were significantly higher than that of the control group, which suggests that residents who received Montessori-based activity need more physical and verbal assistance during mealtimes. In terms of the effects of nutritional status after intervention, Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) in the SR group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Conclusion This study confirms the efficacy of SR and Montessori-based activities for eating difficulty and eating ability. A longitudinal study to follow the long-term effects of SR and Montessori-based activities on eating ability and nutritional status is recommended. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Association Between Changes in Habitual Physical Activity and Changes in Bone Density, Muscle Strength, and Functional Performance in Elderly Men and WomenJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2008Robin M. Daly PhD OBJECTIVES: To investigate the long-term effects of habitual physical activity on changes in musculoskeletal health, functional performance, and fracture risk in elderly men and women. DESIGN: Ten-year prospective population-based study. SETTING: Malmö-Sjöbo Prospective Study, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 152 men and 206 women aged 50, 60, 70, and 80 who were followed for 10 years. MEASUREMENTS: Distal radius bone mineral density (BMD) (single photon absorptiometry), upper limb muscle (grip) strength, balance, gait velocity, occupational and leisure-time activity, and fractures (interview-administered questionnaire) were reassessed after 10 years. Annual changes for all measures were compared between participants with varying habitual physical activity histories at baseline and follow-up: inactive,inactive (n=202), active,inactive (n=47), inactive,active (n=49), and active,active (n=60). Data for men and women were pooled, because there were no sex-by-activity group interactions. To detect possible differences in fracture incidence between the varying habitual activity groups, participants were classified into two activity groups based on their activity classification at baseline and follow-up: inactive:less active versus active:more active. RESULTS: The annual rate of bone loss was 0.6% per year less in individuals classified as active at both time points than in those classified as inactive at both time points (P<.01). Similar results were observed for balance, but there was no effect of varying habitual activity on changes in muscle strength or gait velocity. There were also no differences in fracture incidence between individuals categorized as active:more active and those categorized as inactive:less active during the follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio=0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.42,1.90). CONCLUSION: This study showed that elderly men and women who maintained a habitually active lifestyle over 10 years had lower bone loss and retained better balance than those who remained habitually inactive. [source] Antibodies to apolipoprotein A-I, high-density lipoprotein, and C-reactive protein are associated with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosusARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 3 2010Sean G. O'Neill Objective Inflammatory disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may affect the development of atherosclerosis, contributing to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This process may be mediated by anti,apolipoprotein A-I (anti,Apo A-I), anti,high-density lipoprotein (anti-HDL), and anti,C-reactive protein (anti-CRP) autoantibodies. We undertook this study to examine whether levels of these antibodies rise in association with increased SLE disease activity. Methods IgG anti,Apo A-I, anti-HDL, and anti-CRP levels were measured in serum from the following groups: 39 patients with persistently high disease activity (British Isles Lupus Assessment Group [BILAG] A or B score) over the previous 2 years, 42 patients with persistently low disease activity (no BILAG A or B scores) over the previous 2 years, 34 healthy controls, 25 individual patients from whom paired samples (at time of disease flare and quiescence) were obtained and compared, 16 patients with newly diagnosed lupus nephritis from whom multiple samples were obtained and who were followed up prospectively for up to 2 years, and 24 patients with SLE who had experienced CVD events. Results Serum levels of IgG anti,Apo A-I, anti-HDL, and anti-CRP were higher in patients with SLE than in controls. Anti,Apo A-I and anti-HDL levels, but not anti-CRP levels, were higher in patients with persistently high disease activity than in those with low disease activity. Mean levels of the 3 autoantibodies in patients who had experienced CVD events lay between the mean levels in the high and low disease activity groups. Only levels of anti,Apo A-I were significantly higher in samples obtained from individual patients during disease flares than in samples obtained during disease quiescence. In the lupus nephritis patients, anti,Apo A-I and anti-HDL levels correlated with serum levels of high avidity IgG anti,double-stranded DNA. Conclusion Persistent disease activity is associated with a significant increase in IgG anti,Apo A-I and anti-HDL in patients with SLE. [source] | ||||||||||