Sudden exposure of nonacclimatized individuals to high altitude can easily lead to high altitude illnesses. High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is the most lethal form of high altitude illness. The present study was designed to investigate the ability ofRhodiola crenulataextract (RCE), an herbal medicine traditionally used as an antiacute mountain sickness remedy, to attenuate hypoxia-induced pulmonary injury. Exposure of animals to hypobaric hypoxia led to a significant increase in pathological indicators for pulmonary edema, including the lung water content, disruption of the alveolar-capillary barrier, and protein-rich fluid in the lungs. In addition, hypobaric hypoxia also increased oxidative stress markers, including (ROS) production, (MDA) level, and (MPO) activity. Furthermore, overexpression of plasma (ET-1), (VEGF) in (BALF), and (HIF-1α) in lung tissue was also found. However, pretreatment with RCE relieved the HAPE findings by curtailing all of the hypoxia-induced lung injury parameters. These findings suggest that RCE confers effective protection for maintaining the integrity of the alveolar-capillary barrier by alleviating the elevated ET-1 and VEGF levels; it does so by reducing hypoxia-induced oxidative stress. Our results offer substantial evidence to support arguments in favor of traditional applications ofRhodiola crenulatafor antihigh altitude illness.

Rapid global population aging has led to a considerable increase in the number of people with dementia, which was estimated at 50 million by the World Alzheimer Report 2021 with an expected increase to 152 million by 2050. As diseases progress in older adults, significant resources are invested for treatment, with an estimated cost of […]

Background: Poor eye–hand coordination is associated with the symptoms of the early stage of cognitive decline. However, previous research on the eye–hand coordination of older adults without cognitive impairment is scant. Therefore, this study examined the effects of interactive cognitive-motor training on the visual-motor integration, visual perception, and motor coordination sub-abilities of the eye–hand coordination and cognitive function in older adults. Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with older adults. Sixty-two older adults were randomly assigned to the experimental (interactive cognitive-motor training) or active control (passive information activity) group, and both groups received 30 min of training each week, three times a week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was eye–hand coordination, which was further divided into the sub-abilities of visual–motor integration, visual perception, and motor coordination. The secondary outcome was cognitive function. The generalized estimating equation was used to examine differences in immediate posttest, 3-month posttest, and 6-month posttest results between the two groups. Additionally, the baseline effect sizes were compared with the effect sizes of the immediate posttest, 3-month posttest, and 6-month posttests for the experimental group. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups. The only statistically significant difference between the groups was in the attention dimension of cognitive function (p = 0.04). The visual–motor integration results showed a small to moderate effect size for pre post comparisons. Conclusions: The 24 sessions of interactive cognitive-motor training showed no difference to an active control intervention. In the future, this intervention could be further investigated to establish whether it can be superior to an active control group in other populations. Trial registration: The study protocol has been published on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) (registry no.: ChiCTR-IOR-14005490).

Exposure to hypoxia leads to impaired pulmonary sodium transport, which is associated with Na,K-ATPase dysfunction in the alveolar epithelium. The present study is designed to examine the effect and mechanism ofRhodiola crenulataextract (RCE) and its bioactive components on hypoxia-mediated Na,K-ATPase endocytosis. A549 cells were exposed to hypoxia in the presence or absence of RCE, salidroside, or tyrosol. The generation of intracellular ROS was measured by using the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA, and the endocytosis was determined by measuring the expression level of Na,K-ATPase in the PM fraction. Rats exposed to a hypobaric hypoxia chamber were used to investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanism of RCEin vivo. Our results showed that RCE and its bioactive compounds significantly prevented the hypoxia-mediated endocytosis of Na,K-ATPase via the inhibition of the ROS-AMPK-PKCζpathway in A549 cells. Furthermore, RCE also showed a comparable preventive effect on the reduction of Na,K-ATPase endocytosis and inhibition of AMPK-PKCξpathway in the rodent model. Our study is the first to offer substantial evidence to support the efficacy ofRhodiolaproducts against hypoxia-associated Na,K-ATPase endocytosis and clarify the ethnopharmacological relevance ofRhodiola crenulataas a popular folk medicine for high-altitude illness.

Gravity in the head-to-toe direction, known as +Gz (G force), forces blood to pool in the lower body. Fighter pilots experience decreases in blood pressure when exposed to hypergravity in flight. Human centrifuge has been used to examine the G tolerance and anti-G straining maneuver (AGSM) techniques of military pilots. Some factors that may affect G tolerance have been reported but are still debated. The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological responses and anthropometric factors correlated with G tolerance. We retrospectively reviewed the training records of student pilots who underwent high G training. Variables were collected to examine their correlations with the outcome of 7.5G sustained for 15 s (7.5G profile). There were 873 trainees who underwent 7.5G profile training, 44 trainees (5.04%) could not sustain the test for 15 s. The group with a small heart rate (HR) increase (less than 10%) during the first 1–5 s of the 7.5G profile had a nearly ten-fold higher failing chance compared with the large HR increase group (adjusted odds ratio: 9.91; 95% confidence interval: 4.11–23.88). The chances of failure were inversely related to the HR increase percentage (p for trend <0.001). Factors, including body mass index, relaxed and straining G tolerance, and AGSM, were found to be negatively correlated with the outcome.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of music therapy in reducing anxiety in hospitalized psychiatric patients.