ObjectiveTo investigate the effect on pain reduction and strengthening of the whole body vibration (WBV) in chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsPatients were randomly divided into two groups: the study group (WBV with home based exercise) and control group (home based exercise only). They performed exercise and training for 8 weeks. Eleven patients in each group completed the study. Pain intensity was measured with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), functional scales were measured with Korean Western Ontario McMaster score (KWOMAC) and Lysholm Scoring Scale (LSS), quadriceps strength was measured with isokinetic torque and isometric torque and dynamic balance was measured with the Biodex Stability System. These measurements were performed before training, at 1 month after training and at 2 months after training.ResultsNRS was significantly decreased in each group, and change of pain intensity was significantly larger in the study group than in the control group after treatment. Functional improvements in KWOMAC and LSS were found in both groups, but no significant differences between the groups after treatment. Dynamic balance, isokinetic strength of right quadriceps and isometric strengths of both quadriceps muscles improved in both groups, but no significant differences between the groups after treatment. Isokinetic strength of left quadriceps did not improve in both groups after treatment.ConclusionIn chronic knee OA patients, WBV reduced pain intensity and increased strength of the right quadriceps and dynamic balance performance. In comparison with the home based exercise program, WBV was superior only in pain reduction and similarly effective in strengthening of the quadriceps muscle and balance improvement.

Our results are consistent with important roles for PKC and RhoA in the generation of myogenic tone. Furthermore, enhanced phosphorylation of the myosin light chains by activation of PKCalpha and/or RhoA may be key mechanisms for the Ca(2+) sensitization associated myogenic tone in basilar vessels.

Neural stem cells have been proposed as useful vectors for treating diseases in the CNS, but their utility is severely limited by lack of accessibility. Brain development is ongoing extensively in early postnatal life. However, it is unclear whether stem cells that differentiate into neurons exist in the blood during early postnatal life. We showed in this experiment that neural markers (NeuN, neurofilament, MAP2, GFAP) are expressed and long cytoplasmic processes are elaborated in the cultured human cord blood monocytes prepared from newborn umbilical blood. These results suggest that stem cells in human cord blood may be potential sources of neurons in early postnatal life. We suggest that the neonatal blood system functions as a circulating pool of different types of stem cell.

The classic type of transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) is a molecular candidate for Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels in mammalian cells. Because TRPC channels have calmodulin (CaM) binding sites at their COOH termini, we investigated the effect of CaM on mTRPC5. TRPC5 was initially activated by muscarinic stimulation with 50 microM carbachol and then decayed rapidly even in the presence of carbachol. Intracellular CaM (150 microg/ml) increased the amplitude of mTRPC5 current activated by muscarinic stimulation. CaM antagonists (W-7 and calmidazolium) inhibited mTRPC5 currents when they were applied during the activation of mTRPC5. Pretreatment of W-7 and calmidazolium also inhibited the activation of mTRPC5 current. Inhibitors of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibited the activation of mTRPC5 currents, whereas inhibitors of CaM-dependent protein kinase II did not. Small interfering RNA against cardiac type MLCK also inhibited the activation of mTRPC5 currents. However, inhibitors of CaM or MLCK did not show any effect on GTPgammaS-induced currents. Application of both Rho kinase inhibitor and MLCK inhibitor inhibited GTPgammaS-induced currents. We conclude that CaM and MLCK modulates the activation process of mTRPC5.

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