• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.49-55
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• 2017

Purpose : In this study we tested the hypothesis that eucommia ulmoides (EU) extract would improve disuse-induced muscle atrophy following hindlimb immobilization. Method : The hindlimb immobilization was performed with casting tape to keep the left ankle joint in a fully extended position. The rats in EU treated group were orally administrated with eucommia ulmoides water extract. After 2 weeks of immobilization, all animals were sacrificed, and the whole gastrocnemius muscles were dissected from both legs. The morphology of right and left gastrocnemius muscles in both EU and control groups were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results : Eucommia ulmoides extract represented the significant protective effects against the reductions of the gastrocnemius muscles weight and average cross section area to compared with Control group. Conclusion : Eucommia ulmoides has protective effects against immobilization induced muscle atrophy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.491-496
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• 2009

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common phenomenon during the prolonged muscle disuse caused by cast immobilization, extended aging states, bed rest, space flight, or other factors. However, the cellular mechanisms of the atrophic process are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the expression of muscle-specific RING finger 1 (MuRF1) during atrophy of the rat gastrocnemius muscle. Histological analysis revealed that cast immobilization induced the atrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle, with diminution of muscle weight and cross-sectional area after 14 days. Cast immobilization significantly elevated the expression of MuRF1 and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. The starvation of L6 rat skeletal myoblasts under serum-free conditions induced the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and the characteristics typical of cast-immobilized gastrocnemius muscle. The expression of MuRF1 was also elevated in serum-starved L6 myoblasts, but was significantly attenuated by SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK. Changes in the sizes of L6 myoblasts in response to starvation were also reversed by their transfection with MuRF1 small interfering RNA or treatment with SB203580. From these results, we suggest that the expression of MuRF1 in cast-immobilized atrophy is regulated by p38 MAPK in rat gastrocnemius muscles.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.25-30
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• 2011

Purpose : This study aims to examine the changes of muscle activity of the tibialis anterior muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle on the ground and unstable ground for functional reach test. Methods : This study chose 24 elderly men and 24 elderly women who could walk independently, reach their arm over 25 cm, show shoulder joint $90^{\circ}$ flexion, had no operations on lower limb joints, and don't take medication affecting the ability to keep balance. Muscular activity of the tibialis anterior muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle was measured using functional reach test and electromyogram. Functional reach test was conducted at a total of four sections, 0cm, 15cm, 20cm, and 25cm. Results : It was known that the gastrocnemius muscle was used more than the tibialis anterior muscle to keep balance and the elderly with good balance ability showed no great change of muscular activity on both the stable and unstable ground. Conclusion : It was found that the subjects used their gastrocnemius muscle more and lower limbs of frequently used parts to keep their balance. As the elderly have good balance ability, they showed no great change of muscular activity on both the stable and unstable ground.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2018

This study was conducted to examine changes in the muscle activity of the triceps surae, specifically the gastrocnemius and the soleus, depending on the angle of the knee joint during the manual muscle test (MMT) of the plantar flexion of the ankle. The muscle activity of the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius was statistically significantly reduced when the angle of the knee joint was $15^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, and $45^{\circ}$ compared to when the angle was $0^{\circ}$. However, there was no statistically significant difference in muscle activity at the angles of $15^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$ or $45^{\circ}$. There was no statistically significant difference in the muscle activity of the soleus depending on the angle of the knee joint. The ratio of the muscle activity of the soleus to that of the triceps surae showed a statistically significant increase when the angle was $15^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ}$ compared to when the angle was $0^{\circ}$. However, there was no statistically significant difference in muscle activity at the angles of $15^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$ or $45^{\circ}$. When the angle of the knee joint was $15^{\circ}$ or higher during the test of the isolated soleus, the muscle activity of the gastrocnemius was reduced. These results indicate that the angle is suitable for the test of the isolated soleus, but there was no statistically significant difference in the muscle activity of the gastrocnemius when the angle was higher than $15^{\circ}$. Therefore, it can be concluded that the most suitable angle of the knee joint for the isolated MMT test of the soleus is $15^{\circ}$.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.778-783
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• 2012

We report a rare case of non-traumatic spontaneous intramuscular mass of blood stasis, especially gastrocnemius muscle, associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. A 53-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital for ICH. It was improved by Korean Medicine treatments, however, he was complaint of severe pain in left calf. Ultrasound revealed intramuscular hypoechoic mass at the left gastrocnemius muscle and we diagnose it as mass of blood stasis, which is similarly called 'hematoma' in Western medicine. Herbal extracts, acupuncture and indirect moxibustion reduced it, but the effects could not be compared as there were no reports of these kinds. It seems important to consider intramuscular mass of blood stasis as a complication of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and Ultrasound seems to be very useful in diagnosis and observation of intramuscular mass of blood stasis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.96-108
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of endurance training prior to occurrence of muscle atrophy on the mass, myofibrillar protein content and fiber crossectional area of atrophied hindlimb muscles of rats. Adult female Wistar rats were trained prior to occurrence of muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb suspension. Training began on the 1st day for 10min /day at 15m /min on a 0% grade, training exercise increased daily in time and intensity so that by the 4th week rats were running 60min /day, at 34m /min on a i3.5% grade. Wet weight and relative weight of soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius muscle decreased significantly after seven days of hindlimb suspension. Wet weight and relative weight of soleus tended to increase and that of plantaris and gastrocnemius tended to decrease in the exercise group as compared to the control group. Myofibrillar protein content of soleus and gastrocnemius tended to increase and that of plantaris tended to decrease in the endurance trained group as compared to the control group. Fiber crossectional area of Type I, II fiber in soleus and plantaris muscle tended to increase in the exercise group as compared to the control group. Wet weight and relative weight of soleus. plantaris and gastrocnemius decreased significantly, myofibrillar protein content of soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius increased in hindlimb suspended rats following endurance training as compared to the control group. There was no change in fiber type percentage and crossectional area of type I and II fiber in soleus muscle and that of type I and IIfiber in plantaris muscle decreased in the hindlimb suspended rats following endurance training as compared to the control group. Wet weight and relative weight of soleus and plantaris tended to increase, that of gastrocnemius increased significantly, myofibrillar protein content of soleus and plantaris muscle increased significantly and that of gastrocnemius tended to increase in the hindlimb suspended rats following endurance training as compared to sedentary rats following endurance training. Crossectional area of type I fiber of soleus muscle tended to increase. that of type I fiber of plantaris muscle increased significantly and that of type II fiber tended to increase in hindlimb suspended rats following endurance training as compared to sedentary rats following endurance training. The results suggest that endurance training prior to occurrence of muscle atrophy can attenuate the decrease of mass, myofibrillar protein content and fiber crossectional area induced by hindlimb suspension.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supporting surface instability to trunk and lower extremity muscle activities during bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise. Thirty young healthy adults (15 males and 15 females) voluntarily participated in this study. Each subject was asked to perform bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise on three different supporting surfaces (stable ground surface, the wooden balancing board, and the air cushion). The muscle activities were measured using surface electromyography (EMG) during performing exercise. To test statistical significance, one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used with the significance level of .05. The findings of this study are summarized as follows. (1) There were significant differences in muscle activities on internal oblique, external oblique, gluteus medius, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and lateral gastrocnemius during exercise (p<.05). (2) The biceps femoris and lateral gastrocnemius showed significantly higher muscle activity on the wooden balancing board rather than on the ground, and semitendinosus, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and lateral gastrocnemius showed significantly higher muscle activity on the air cushion rather than on the ground (p<.05). Therefore, it is concluded that muscle activities in the trunk and the lower limbs during bridging exercise combined with core-stabilization exercise was affected with instability of supporting surface. Further researches are needed to investigate the long term effect of bridging exercise on muscle activity with patient group.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.262-270
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• 2020

Objectives : The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Daebangfung-tang (DBFT) on suppressing muscle atrophy followed by immobilization. Methods : Twenty young male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. The rats in experimental group (DBFT group) were orally administrated DBFT once a day for 2 weeks, and the rats in control group were given normal saline in the same manner. The immobilization on left leg was carried out using casting tape. The morphologies of gastrocnemius in both groups were assessed. The cross sectional area of them was measured by image analyzer. Immunohistochemical staining was implemented and the numbers of immunopositive cells implying the expression of TNF-α were measured and quantified. Results : DBFT represented the significant suppressive effects against the weight loss of the left gastrocnemius muscle and the reduction in cross sectional area of the left gastrocnemius muscle compared with normal saline. Also the treatment with DBFT significantly reduced the expression of TNF-α in gastrocnemius compared with normal saline. Conclusions : DBFT is thought to have the significant suppressive effect against muscle atrophy followed by immobilization.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.47-63
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• 2008

Objectives : Eucommiae cortex is reported that it helps bone and skeletal muscle stronger. In case of bone, many report is presented, but reports related to skeletal muscle are rarely existed. So in order to investigate effects of Eucommiae cortex on the skeletal muscle atrophy following stroke, cerebral infarct was induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in the rats. Methods : In order to induce MCAO rats, nylon suture was advanced and then blocked middle cerebral artery(MCA). Water extract of Eucommiae cortex was treated for 15 days, once a day orally, after the MCAO. Effects were evaluated with muscle weights, muscle fiber type composition, cross-sectioned area of muscle fibers in soleus and gastrocnemius of the unaffected and affected hind limbs. And MyoD protein expression in gastrocnemius was demonstrated with immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Results : In the affected hind limb of the MCAO rats, muscle weight loss of gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were attenuated by Eucommiae cortex treatment. In soleus muscle of the affected hind limb of the MCAO rats, increase of type-I fibers and decrease of type-II fibers were induced by Eucommiae cortex treatment. In soleus muscle of the affected hind limb of the MCAO rats, decrease of cross-sectioned areas of type-I fibers was attenuated by Eucommiae cortex treatment. In gastrocnemius muscle of the affected hind limb of the MCAO rats, increase of type-I fibers and decrease of type-II fibers were induced by Eucommiae cortex treatment. In gastrocnemius muscle of the affected hind limb of the MCAO rats, decreases of cross-sectioned areas of type-I and type-II fibers were attenuated by Eucommiae cortex treatment. In gastrocnemius muscle of the affected and unaffected hind limb of the MCAO rats, MyoD expressions were increased by Eucommiae cortex treatment. Conclusions : These results suggest that Eucommiae cortex has a protective effect against muscle atrophy, through the inhibition of the muscle cell apoptosis, following the central nervous system demage.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.36-44
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• 2017

Background: To determine the effect of proprioceptive exercise(PE) on muscle activation and balance of healthy subjects. Methods: 20 subjects were randomly assigned to proprioceptive exercise(PE, n=10) and general exercise group(GE, n=10). To measure muscle activation of the lower limb and balance. For evaluation of muscle activation(Tibialis anterior, Gastrocnemius lateral and medial head), the Electromyogram was used, and balance was measured using the one-leg standing test, OLST. Results: Tibialis anterior(TA), Gastrocnemius medial head(GM) and Gastrocnemius lateral head(GL) muscle activations were significantly (p<0.05) improved in PE group and GE group. and significantly difference between groups(p<0.05). Regarding balance, eye open and close OLST were significantly (p<0.05) increased in PE group and GE group. and significantly difference between groups(p<0.05). Conclusion: Proprioceptive exercise can improve muscle activation of the lowe limb and balance in subjects.