Percussive Massage Increases Capillary Density in Type I and II Skeletal Muscle Fibers

Capillaries play a critical role in delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells. Skeletal muscle adapts to increased demand by increasing capillary density through a process known as angiogenesis. The effects of alternative therapies such as massage on angiogenic adaptation in skeletal muscle are inconclusive, particularly for newer techniques such as percussive massage. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of 6 weeks of percussive massage on skeletal muscle myofiber area and angiogenesis. METHODS: 11 healthy young (22±4 yr.) men (n=5) and women (n=6) received 18 sessions of 30-min-percussive massage on their right thigh over the course of 6 weeks. Muscle samples were collected one week before the start of massage sessions and 48 h after the last session from the participant’s treated thigh. Sections from the biopsies were stained with CD31 for capillary analysis and type I myosin heavy chain for fiber type analysis. Capillary per fiber, capillary density, fiber area and fiber type were analyzed before and after massage treatment. RESULTS: The mean cross-sectional area of type I fibers did not change after massage treatment, but type II fiber area decreased by 7.5% (p=0.04). The number of capillaries per fiber increased only for type I fibers (p=0.01) and did not change in type II fibers. Massage increased overall capillary density (capillary per fiber/area) of both type I (p=0.04) and II muscle fibers (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Although capillary density increased for both muscle fiber types; massage likely affected the two fiber types differently. Whereas increased capillary density of type I fibers was the likely result of angiogenesis, the increase in capillary density for type II fibers was driven largely by a reduction in type II fiber area

The Impact of Clinical and Population Strategies on Coronary Heart Disease Mortality: An Assessment of Rose’s Big Idea

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death worldwide, has declined in many afuent countries but it continues to rise in industrializing countries. Objective: To quantify the relative contribution of the clinical and population strategies to the decline in CHD mortality in afuent countries. Design: Meta-analysis of cross-sectional and prospective studies. Data sources: PubMed and Web of Science from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 2019. Method: We combined and analyzed data from 22 cross-sectional and prospective studies, representing 500 million people, to quantify the relative decline in CHD mortality attributable to the clinical strategy and population strategy. Result: The population strategy accounted for 48% (range=19 to 73%) of the decline in CHD deaths and the clinical strategy accounted for 42% (range=25 to 56%), with moderate inconsistency of results across studies. Conclusion: Since 1970, a larger fraction of the decline in CHD deaths in industrialized countries was attributable to reduction in CHD risk factors than medical care. Population strategies, which are more cost-efective than clinical strategies, are under-utilized

Association between hair dye use and cancer in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies

Background: The use of hair dye for cosmetic purposes appears to be increasing worldwide. As 50-80% of women use hair dye throughout their lifetimes, the possible association between hair dye use and cancer is a public health concern. Method: This systematic review was performed by retrieving studies from PubMed, Scopus, WOS, and ProQuest databases. The inclusion criteria were case-control studies evaluating the association between hair dye use and cancer in women. Women with cancer who have used any hair dye were the focus of our study. Results: The present study combined 28 studies, to assess the association between hair dye use and cancer. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of hematopoietic system cancers among those who have generally ever used any type of hair dyes was 1.10 (95% CI:1.01-1.20) in 17 studies. In 11 studies investigating hair dye made before and after 1980 as a risk factor for cancer, the pooled OR for cancer was 1.31(95% CI:1.08-1.59). Likewise, in the 13 studies that evaluated the association of light and dark hair dye with cancer, the risk among those using dark hair dye increased by 9%, compared to non-users (OR=1.09; 95% CI:0.95-1.25). Conclusion: The present study suggests that, although the use of hair dye may increase the risk of cancer among users, a more detailed evaluation is required to assess the type of hair dye use in terms of guidelines and metrics. Keywords: Hair dye; cancer; meta-analysis

Global, regional, and national prevalence of depression among cancer patients:A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide a summary of the existing evidence on the prevalence of depression among cancer patients worldwide to assist health policymakers in adopting appropriate measures to prevent and control depression in these patients. EMBASE, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for original studies published in English from January 2000 to July 2019. The studies were screened on the basis of quality and relevance criteria. The statistical analyses were conducted in the R software. Out of 182,521 cancer patients examined in 183 studies, 49,280 (~27%) had depression (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24%-30%). The highest prevalence of depression was among patients with colorectal cancer with 32% (95% CI = 20%-47%). Among countries, Pakistan with 43% (95% CI = 26%-64%), and among continents, Africa with 36% (95% CI = 29%-43%) had the highest prevalence of reported depression in cancer patients. Adjusting for sample size, the prevalence of depression among female cancer patients, 31% (95% CI = 26%-36%), was higher than men, 26% (95% CI = 21%-31%). The prevalence of depression among cancer patients is increasing by an average of 0.6% per year. The findings show higher prevalence of depression among cancer patients in underdeveloped and developing countries compared to the developed nations and the global average

An insight to HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) pathogenesis; evidence from high-throughput data integration and meta-analysis

Background Human T-lymphotropic virus 1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that significantly affected spinal cord, nevertheless, the pathogenesis pathway and reliable biomarkers have not been well determined. This study aimed to employ high throughput meta-analysis to find major genes that are possibly involved in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP. Results High-throughput statistical analyses identified 832, 49, and 22 differentially expressed genes for normal vs. ACs, normal vs. HAM/TSP, and ACs vs. HAM/TSP groups, respectively. The protein-protein interactions between DEGs were identified in STRING and further network analyses highlighted 24 and 6 hub genes for normal vs. HAM/TSP and ACs vs. HAM/TSP groups, respectively. Moreover, four biologically meaningful modules including 251 genes were identified for normal vs. ACs. Biological network analyses indicated the involvement of hub genes in many vital pathways like JAK-STAT signaling pathway, interferon, Interleukins, and immune pathways in the normal vs. HAM/TSP group and Metabolism of RNA, Viral mRNA Translation, Human T cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and Cell cycle in the normal vs. ACs group. Moreover, three major genes including STAT1, TAP1, and PSMB8 were identified by network analysis. Real-time PCR revealed the meaningful down-regulation of STAT1 in HAM/TSP samples than AC and normal samples (P = 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively), up-regulation of PSMB8 in HAM/TSP samples than AC and normal samples (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01, respectively), and down-regulation of TAP1 in HAM/TSP samples than those in AC and normal samples (P = 0.008 and P = 0.02, respectively). No significant difference was found among three groups in terms of the percentage of T helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (P = 0.55 and P = 0.12). Conclusions High-throughput data integration disclosed novel hub genes involved in important pathways in virus infection and immune systems. The comprehensive studies are needed to improve our knowledge about the pathogenesis pathways and also biomarkers of complex diseases.Peer reviewe

The Effect of Percussive Massage on Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Fat Oxidation and Thigh Fat Thickness

Nutrition and exercise are well-established modalities for the induction of fat loss. However, it is important that alternative methods of fat reduction be investigated whether as supplementary treatments to traditional methods or stand-alone interventions, as a significant portion of the population is unable to participate in exercise training or undergo effective diet programs. Some studies have shown that daily whole-body massage can limit body fat deposition in infants, as well as young and middle-aged adults. While most studies have investigated the effects of traditional massage modalities in which massage is applied by a massage therapist using touch to manipulate the soft tissues of the body, research regarding the efficacy of newer massage modalities like percussive massage remains limited. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of percussive massage on skeletal muscle mitochondrial fat metabolism and thigh subcutaneous fat thickness. METHODS: Nine healthy young (22±4 yr) men (n=4) and women (n=5) received 18 sessions of 30-min-percussive massage on their right thigh over the course of 6 weeks. Muscle samples were collected one week before the start of massage sessions and 48 h after the last session from the participant’s treated thigh. Subcutaneous fat was imaged and measured using ultrasound on both the treated and contralateral thighs. Mitochondrial fat oxidation was assessed in permeabilized muscle fibers using high-resolution respirometry (Oroboros O2k), supported by octanoyl carnitine (0.5 mM), malate (2 mM), and ADP (2.5 mM). Respiration is expressed as pmol of O2 consumed per second per mg of tissue (wet weight). RESULTS Percussive massage treatment decreased the subcutaneous fat thickness of the treated thigh by 7.2%±5.4, which was not significantly higher than the contralateral leg (0.5% ± 4.3; p=0.07). Subcutaneous fat thickness decreased from 10.04 ± 5.49 mm at baseline to 9.36 ± 5.39 mm post-treatment in the treated thigh and remained unchanged in the contralateral limb (9.53 ± 5.18 mm to 9.54 ± 5.24 mm). However, maximal mitochondrial fat oxidation increased significantly (p=0.038) from 13.16 ± 4.9 pmolO2/s/mg to 17.33 ± 3.59 pmolO2/s/mg (+31.7%), after 6 weeks of percussive massage. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that percussive massage increases mitochondrial fat oxidation, which could potentially lead to a decrease in body fat deposition if applied daily, or over a longer time course

Association between built environment factors and post-menopausal breast cancer : Alberta’s tomorrow project

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Some established risk factors for breast cancer include obesity, physical activity, food choices, smoking, and alcohol use. With increasing rates of urbanization, there might be certain built environment features, such as traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), greenness, and walkability, that influence breast cancer risk. Objective: To assess the impact of TRAP on the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer by utilizing incident breast cancer data from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) cohort linked to geographic datasets from the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research (CANUE). This study will also assess the impact of the built environment factors on the risk breast cancer. Method: This study entailed a secondary analysis of baseline data from the ATP. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to build four models to assess the association between breast cancer risk and built environment factors. Results: The study included 15,536 participants and 523 incident breast cancer cases. The HR estimate for a 10 ppb increase in NO2 measured at baseline (the year participant completed the UHLQ or CORE survey) was 1.10 (95% CI = 0.90, 1.34). For walkability, the adjusted HRs for quintile 2 through 5, in relation to quintile 1, were 1.07 (95% CI = 0.80-1.44), 1.39 (1.05-1.83), 1.49 (1.13-1.97), and 1.22 (0.90-1.66), respectively. Q1 corresponded to least walkable neighbourhoods and Q5 corresponded to most walkable neighbourhoods. The HR estimate for an interquartile range increase in baseline greenness for this model was 1.05 (95% CI = 0.94, 1.16). For greenness measured within 1000 meters, the HR estimate for an IQR increase was 0.97 (95% CI = 0.88, 1.07). Discussion: We found non-significant associations between NO₂ exposure and post-menopausal breast cancer. For walkability, the least walkable areas had the lowest breast cancer rate, and the most walkable areas corresponded to greater breast cancer risk. Further, higher baseline greenness resulted in greater breast cancer risk, whereas increased greenness within 1000 meters was associated with reduced risk. While the association between NO2 and breast cancer risk has been reasonably studied, research on the association between greenness and walkability, and breast cancer risk is limited.Medicine, Faculty ofPopulation and Public Health (SPPH), School ofGraduat

Macrophage Response to Damage in Old and Young Skeletal Muscle

PURPOSE: In skeletal muscle, macrophages migrate to damaged fibers, influencing the inflammatory response during muscle regeneration. Macrophages experience polarization, exhibiting different phenotypes described as M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory.) Failure to properly transition between phenotypes inhibits fiber regeneration. Previous animal literature suggests that dysregulated macrophage polarization may contribute to the decreased regenerative capacity of aging muscle. The purpose of this study is to quantify macrophage response and polarization in a model of muscle damage and regeneration in older humans. We hypothesized that older people would have a higher percentage of M2 macrophages relative to the young. METHODS: Seven young (25 ± 3 y) and nineteen elderly (67 ± 4 y) male subjects were recruited for participation in the study. Muscle damage and regeneration events were initiated in one leg by electrically induced maximal eccentric contractions. Muscle biopsies were collected from the electrically stimulated leg pre and 9 days post stimulation. Biopsy samples were prepared for histological analysis and stained by immunohistochemistry to visualize macrophage content. Anti-CD68 antibodies were used as a pan-macrophage marker, while an anti-CD206 antibody was used to identify M2 macrophage. RESULTS: Both groups (young and elderly) demonstrated an increase in the number of damaged fibers following the protocol (p=.0006), but no significant effect of age was observed( add P). The total number of CD68+ cells increased post intervention (pCONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the protocol was successful in eliciting similar muscular damage in both age groups. Damage in young muscle elicits a greater macrophage response post damage. A higher proportion of macrophages present in older muscle tissue exhibit an M2 phenotype

The effect of some components of government expenditure on the economic growth Iran

Identifying the type of relationship between the level of government intervention in the economy and economic growth has always been one of the issues discussed in the field of public sector economics. The most important instrument of the government's intervention in the economy is the expenditure it spends, so that the amount of government expenditures and how it is allocated to different sectors often affects economic variables. In this research, the impact of government expenditure components, which include education, health and military expenditure, along with investment variables and employment rate, on Iran's economic growth during the period of 1350 to 1398 has been investigated. Based on the results of the smooth nonlinear transfer regression model, the nonlinear and threshold relationship in the model was confirmed and the results showed that in the first regime, the effect of health expenditure growth on economic growth was positive and the effect of military and educational expenditure growth was negative. In the second regime, the impact of the growth of health expenditures was negative and the impact of the growth of education and investment expenditures was also positive

A Comparison of Heat Treatment-Induced Skeletal Muscle Adaptations Relative to Exercise Training

ABSTRACT In vitro and animal studies indicate that the response to heat stress is associated with beneficial adaptations that promote cell health and survival. Few studies to date have examined this finding in human subjects, and it is unclear how the adaptation compares in magnitude to exercise training. PURPOSE: To investigate the skeletal muscle adaptations (namely mitochondrial biogenesis and capillarization) of 6 weeks of deep-muscle heat treatment relative to exercise training. We hypothesized that heat treatment (HT), applied through pulsed shortwave diathermy (2 hr, 3 days/week) over a 6-week intervention period would lead to increased mitochondrial content and capillarity within skeletal muscle, though to a lesser extent than single-leg knee extension exercise training (EX; 40 min, 3 days/week). METHODS: We randomized 28 sedentary but otherwise healthy, young adults (ages 18–36; n = 13 female, n = 15 male) to receive either HT, EX, or sham heating sessions (CON; 2 hr, 3 days/week) over 6 weeks. Diathermy increased muscle temperature by 3.2 ± 0.33 °C (P \u3c 0.0001) within 20 minutes. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis at baseline, after 3 weeks of intervention and again after 6 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: Following 3 and 6 weeks of heat treatment, we did not observe significant changes in mitochondrial biogenesis or capillarization. However, exercise training was sufficient to elicit an increase in individual capillary-to-fiber ratio (P = 0.0003), capillary density (P = 0.0428), and the Capillary to Fiber Perimeter Exchange Index (P = 0.0089). Significant increases in the expression of mitochondrial protein Complexes I (P = 0.0073) and IV (P = 0.0015), were observed in the exercise group, but not the heat or control groups. CONCLUSIONS: 6 weeks of localized HT, when applied to young healthy individuals, is insufficient to induce mitochondrial biogenesis or capillarization in skeletal muscle. Additionally, our findings provide support for the extensive body of literature that connects exercise training to beneficial skeletal muscle adaptations