The Effect of Electroacupuncture with Different Frequencies on Muscle Oxygenation in Humans

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) with different frequencies on muscle oxygenation in humans. The subjects were 8 healthy male volunteers. Muscle oxygenation was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored simultaneously. After baseline recording, EA was given for 15 min and recovery was measured for 20 minutes. The procedure of EA at 1 Hz, at 20 Hz, and at control followed in the same subjects. Tissue oxygenation index (TOI) decreased during EA at 20 Hz (P<0.05) and increased during the recovery period. Normalized tissue hemoglobin index (nTHI) also decreased during EA at 20 Hz and increased during the recovery period (P<0.05), whereas TOI and nTHI in the EA at 1 Hz did not change significantly throughout the experiment. The peak TOI and nTHI values at 20 Hz during the recovery period were higher than the values at 1 Hz and in the control (P<0.05). BP and HR remained constant. These data suggest that the supply of oxygen to muscle decreased during EA at 20 Hz and increased after EA at 20 Hz, without any changes in HR and BP

Lifestyle Changes and Oxidative Stress in a High-incidence Area of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in the Southwestern Kii Peninsula, Japan

[Objective] Lifestyle changes may play an important role in the incidence reduction and delay of onset age of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Koza/Kozagawa/Kushimoto (K) area. The aim of this study was to evaluate recent lifestyle changes in the K area and to investigate the relationships between lifestyle and oxidative stress among the residents. [Methods] We conducted a medical checkup for elderly residents in the K area and the control area and evaluated the urinary 8-OHdG levels, cognitive function test scores and metal contents in serum and scalp hair, coupled with a lifestyle questionnaire survey between 2010 and 2015. [Results] Recent lifestyle changes among the K residents, including a decrease in the Japanese pickle consumption, increase in fresh vegetable consumption and decrease in farm work, were evaluated in this study. Low consumption of Japanese pickles, high consumption of fresh vegetables, rare farm work and low levels of 8-OHdG/creatinine were all associated with high scores in the cognitive function tests. Frequent farm work and consumption of Japanese pickles was associated with high contents of transition metals, such as Mn, Al and V, in the scalp hair. [Conclusion] These lifestyle changes among residents in the K area may be associated with their oxidative stress