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[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the independent effect of electrical pulse stimulation( EPS) and nitric oxide(NO) on muscle contraction and their synergistic or combined effect on contraction phenomenon using C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. [Methods] Some differentiated C2C12 myotube cells were untreated (control). Other cells did not receive EPS and did receive 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mM of the NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP; -E/S0.5, -E/S1.0, and -E/S2.0, respectively). For the EPS treatments (0.3 V/mm, 1.0 Hz, and 4.0 ms), differentiated C2C12 myotube cells received only EPS or both EPS and the SNAPtreatments at the same concentrations (+E/-S, +E/S0.5, +E/ S1.0, and +E/S2.0, respectively). All samples were then cultured for 4 days. [Results] Differentiated C2C12 cellswere stimulated by the EPS, NO, and EPS+NO treatments. The cell length of the +E/S2.0 Group after the 4-day culture (84.2±13.2㎛) was the shortest of all the groups. The expressions of AMPK, JNK, Akt, eNOS, GLUT4, and PGC1α proteins were noticeably dominant. The results indicated synergistic effect on muscle contraction of simultaneously applied EPS and SNAP. [Conclusion] Motor skills were significantly improved when exercise was accompanied by the intake of NO precursor and/or NO, compared to that upon their independent application or treatment.

[Purpose] To determine whether voluntary exercise (wheel running) has the potential of relieving stress. [Methods] In this study, restraint stress with or without voluntary wheel running was performed for mice housed in individual cages. A total of 21 ICR male mice were assigned into control (CON), restraint stress with voluntary exercise (RSVE), or restraint stress (RS) without voluntary exercise groups (n = 7 each). [Results] No significant difference in body weight increase was found among the three groups, although CON and RS groups had a tendency of having smaller body weight increase compared to the RSVE group. No significant difference in the expression level of liver heat shock protein 70, Bcl-2, or p53 was found among the three groups. However, caspase-3 protein level in RS group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups. Blood cortisol concentration in RS was higher (p < 0.05) than that in RSVE or CON group. It was the lowest (p < 0.05) in the RSVE group. [Conclusion] Our findings suggest that apoptosis caused by chronic restraint stress might be suppressed by voluntary exercise in mice.

Edible insects are an interesting alternative global food resource. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ingestion of silkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae powder with and without resistance exercise training (isometric contraction training) increased muscle mass in ICR mice. To achieve this, 28 ICR mice were grouped into control (CON), resistance exercise training (EX), silkworm pupae powder ingested control (SP), and silkworm powder ingestion with resistance exercise training (SPEX) groups. The change in body weight ratio was significantly decreased in the EX and SPEX groups compared to the CON and SP groups. Total blood protein levels were the highest in SPEX mice compared to those in other groups. The albumin concentration increased only in the EX group. Blood GOT and GPT levels were not significantly affected. Changes in Akt and Gsk- protein expression were not significant but there was a tendency for Akt to increase and for Gsk- to increase following the ingestion of the powder. The size of the gastrocnemius muscle increased significantly in response to resistance exercise training only. Furthermore, the ingestion of silkworm pupae powder tended to increase muscle mass without significance. These results suggested that the ingestion of silkworm pupae powder with resistance exercise training might enhance muscle mass without hepatotoxicity. However, future study may be needed to obtained detailed results and practical suggestions.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of grasshopper (Oxya chinensis sinuosa) powder ingestion with/without aerobic exercise (treadmill running) on energy metabolism. To achieve this purpose, 28 Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were divided into four groups: normal diet control group (CON), a normal diet with exercise control group (COEX), a grasshopper powder-supplemented diet group (GH), and a grasshopper powder-supplemented diet with exercise group (GHEX). Duration of the powder ingestion and aerobic exercise training were 6 weeks. Body weight gain ratio was not significant. Fat mass significantly decreased in GH and GHEX. There were no changes in blood glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels between groups. Glucose transporter type 2 and glucose transporter type 4 protein levels were not significantly different between groups. Fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 level was the highest in GHEX. AMP-activated protein kinase level significantly increased in GHEX compared to the levels in the other groups. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta protein level was reduced in GHEX compared to that in CON. These results suggest that grasshopper powder ingestion and endurance exercise training influence energy metabolism.

This study investigated the effect of exercise training and garlic powder ingestion on blood lipids and antioxidants activity in rats. Twenty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet with or without garlic powder (500 ㎎/㎏) for four weeks as grouped in control (CON), exercise (EXE), garlic (GAR), and garlic + exercise training (GAREXE), respectively. EXE and GAREXE were trained on the treadmill for the same periods. Weight of fats (mesentery, perirenal, and epididymal) were weighed and blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and high density lipoprotein- cholesterol (HDL-C) were analyzed and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) for lipid peroxidation were analyzed in liver tissue. Body weight in GAREXE was significantly lower in the statistics than that in other groups (p＜0.05), and the volume of fat in GAR and GAREXE was also much lower (p ＜0.05). Blood glucose was significantly lower in EXE and GAR (p＜0.05), however, there was no effect of exercise training. Blood TG was lower in GAR and GAREXE (p＜0.05), however, there was no effect of exercise training. HDL-C was significantly improved in EXE and GAR compared to CON (p＜0.05), and GAREXE was higher than EXE (p＜0.05). MDA content was considerably lower in GAREXE compared to EXE (p＜0.05), and SOD activity was much higher in other groups compared to CON (p＜0.05). In addition, GAREXE was significantly higher than EXE and GAR, thus there was significant increase when a garlic diet was carried out together with exercise (p＜0.05). These results suggested that garlic powder ingestion during the training periods had a beneficial effect of lowering glucose and enhancing blood lipids profiles. Moreover, it also has antioxidant effects, which means that it could possibly suppress aging. It is necessary to inspect various effects of garlic with a variety of research methods regarding sampling process, production process, intake method, etc.

[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of the vinegar, which is made of 4-year-old mountain-cultivated ginseng ripened into 4-year-matured persimmon vinegar, on the blood lipids level and inflammatory cytokines concentration in obese female adolescents. [Methods] Subjects ingested the vinegar, so-called 'mountain-cultivated ginseng persimmon vinegar (MPV)', without meals every day for 6 weeks with activities control. Subjects were grouped into control (CON), persimmon vinegar (PV), and MPV with 10 people in each group. Blood lipids, triglyceride (TG), total-cholesterol (TC), and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were analyzed. Also, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were analyzed for the hepatotoxicity. Blood cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) were analyzed. [Results] Subjects showed a high reduction in body weight and body fat. Their blood lipid level was effectively improved, and the secretion of inflammatory cytokine was suppressed as well, except for TNF-α. However, the change ratio of the cytokines was high in PV and MPV. Such results were similar to those from research subjects who took persimmon vinegar only (PV), but the effect of the vinegar (MPV) was more remarkable. Besides, this mixture was found to have no effect on the hepatotoxicity. [Conclusion] The significance of this study is that all the experiments were conducted without controlling research subjects' daily lives, and it is suggested that the vinegar may be recommended as a kind of health supplement food to suppress obesity. Especially, since these two products are traditional foods of Korean people, which have been taken for ages, it is expected that the fusing of two foods may be better applied to ordinary people who are concerned about obesity.