Search results for "Contraction"

Localization of Bradykinin B2Receptors in the Endometrium and Myometrium of Rat Uterus and the Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone1

1999

In the uterus, bradykinin is a potent inducer of smooth muscle contraction, which is mediated by the bradykinin B2 receptor subtype. However, little is known about the distribution or regulation of this receptor in this tissue. The aim of this study was to localize the B2 receptor in the uterus and determine whether the levels of this receptor were altered during the estrous cycle and modulated by estrogen and/or progesterone in ovariectomized rats. At diestrus, uterine B2 receptors were localized to both the circular and longitudinal smooth muscle layers of the myometrium, the endometrial stroma, the glandular epithelium, and the layer subjacent to the luminal epithelium. B2 receptor level…

Motor imagery and cortico-spinal excitability: A review

2016

International audience; Motor imagery (MI) has received a lot of interest during the last decades as its chronic or acute use has demonstrated several effects on improving sport performances or skills. The development of neuroimagery techniques also helped further our understanding of the neural correlates underlying MI. While some authors showed that MI, motor execution and action observation activated similar motor cortical regions, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies brought great insights on the role of the primary motor cortex and on the activation of the cortico-spinal pathway during MI. After defining MI and describing the TMS technique, a short report of MI activities on…

Branched-Chain Amino Acid Deprivation Decreases Lipid Oxidation and Lipogenesis in C2C12 Myotubes

2022

Impaired lipid metabolism is a common risk factor underlying several metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that include valine, leucine and isoleucine have been proven to share a role in lipid metabolism and hence in maintaining metabolic health. We have previously introduced a hypothesis suggesting that BCAA degradation mechanistically connects to lipid oxidation and storage in skeletal muscle. To test our hypothesis, the present study examined the effects of BCAA deprivation and supplementation on lipid oxidation, lipogenesis and lipid droplet characteristics in murine C2C12 myotubes. In addition, the role of myotube contract…

Motor unit activation and spinal excitability in young and elderly males during isometric and dynamic muscle actions

2013

Walking and Running Require Greater Effort from the Ankle than the Knee Extensor Muscles.

2016

The knee and ankle extensors as human primary antigravity muscle groups are of utmost importance in a wide range of locomotor activities. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how these muscle groups work, and specifically, how close to their maximal capacities they function across different modes and intensity of locomotion. Therefore, to advance our understanding of locomotor constraints, we determined and compared relative operating efforts of the knee and ankle extensors during walking, running, and sprinting.Using an inverse dynamics biomechanical analysis, the muscle forces of the knee and ankle extensors during walking (1.6 m·s), running (4.1 m·s), and sprinting (9.3 m·s) were quant…

Electromyographic Studies in Abdominal Exercises: A Literature Synthesis

2008

Abstract Objective The purpose of this article is to synthesize the literature on studies that investigate electromyographic activity of abdominal muscles during abdominal exercises performance. Methods MEDLINE and Sportdiscus databases were searched, as well as the Web pages of electronic journals access, ScienceDirect, and Swetswise, from 1950 to 2008. The terms used to search the literature were abdominal muscle and the specific names for the abdominal muscles and their combination with electromyography, and/or strengthening, and/or exercise, and/or spine stability, and/or low back pain. The related topics included the influence of the different exercises, modification of exercise positi…

Acute (0-2h) and delayed (2-8D) effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness on elbow target movements.

2011

The aim was to examine the acute and delayed effects of exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness on elbow target movements (TM) performance and control. Ten males performed an exercise of 50 maximal eccentric elbow actions. TMs were performed at three movement ranges. Maximal forces, active stretch reflex and TM were tested, and muscle soreness, creatine kinase and elbow joint stiffness were determined acute (after and 2 h) and delayed (2, 4, 6, 8d) postexercise. Both the long lasting muscle soreness and force drop were observed after the exercise. Joint stiffness was increased at 2 h postexercise. The highest deterioration in flexion-TM performance was found at the time (2 h) and at the…

Duodenal contractile activity in dystrophic (mdx) mice: reduction of nitric oxide influence.

2003

The present study was undertaken to analyse duodenal contractility in adult dystrophic (mdx) mice. The spontaneous changes of the isometric tension and the responses of longitudinal duodenal muscle to nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) nerve stimulation and to exogenous drugs were compared between normal and mdx mice. Duodenal segments from mdx mice displayed spontaneous contractions with higher frequency than normals. N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) increased the frequency of contractions in normals without affecting that in mdx mice. In normals, NANC nerve stimulation elicited a transient relaxation abolished by L-NAME. In mdx mice a frank relaxation was not observed, the…

Muscle deficits persist after unilateral knee replacement and have implications for rehabilitation.

2009

BackgroundKnee joint arthritis causes pain, decreased range of motion, and mobility limitation. Knee replacement reduces pain effectively. However, people with knee replacement have decreases in muscle strength (“force-generating capacity”) of the involved leg and difficulties with walking and other physical activities.Objective and DesignThe aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent of deficits in knee extensor and flexor muscle torque and power (ability to perform work over time) and in the extensor muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) after knee joint replacement. In addition, the association of lower-leg muscle deficits with mobility limitations was investigated.Methods…

Effects of muscle activation on shear between human soleus and gastrocnemius muscles

2015

Lateral connections between muscles provide pathways for myofascial force transmission. To elucidate whether these pathways have functional roles in vivo, we examined whether activation could alter the shear between the soleus (SOL) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. We hypothesized that selective activation of LG would decrease the stretch-induced shear between LG and SOL. Eleven volunteers underwent a series of knee joint manipulations where plantar flexion force, LG, and SOL muscle fascicle lengths and relative displacement of aponeuroses between the muscles were obtained. Data during a passive full range of motion were recorded, followed by 20° knee extension stretches in both pass…