Frontiers in Physiology最新文献

{"title":"MRI assessment of sacral injury location and analysis of influencing factors after high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation for patients with uterine fibroids.","authors":"Ao Zhou, Xin Feng, Furong Lv, Yunyue Tan, Yuhang Liu, Zhibo Xiao","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1523018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1523018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Exploration of the location of sacral injuries following ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) ablation for uterine fibroids and analysis of its influencing factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective analysis was conducted on 663 patients with uterine fibroids treated by USgHIFU ablation. Patients with vertebral injuries were identified based on postoperative MRI images, with specific locations of the injuries documented. Additionally, the condition of muscle damage around the vertebral body was assessed. Patients were divided into Upper group and Lower group based on the location of vertebral injuries. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the influencing factors. The χ² test was used to explore the relationship between the location of vertebral injuries and postoperative clinical adverse events, as well as muscle damage.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Postoperative MRI examinations revealed that 42.3% (281/663) of the patients experienced vertebral injuries, which were localized to the range from L5 to S5. The injuries from L5 to S2 were classified as Upper group, accounting for 45.2% (127/281), while those from S3 to S5 were classified as Lower group, accounting for 54.8% (154/281). Multivariate analysis revealed that the distance from the ventral side of the fibroid to the abdominal wall skin, uterine position, and T2WI signal intensity were positively correlated with the location of sacral injuries (p < 0.05). Additionally, the location of sacral injuries was significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative sacrococcygeal pain (p < 0.05). 162 patients (57.6%) with sacral injury were accompanied by piriformis and gluteus maximus muscle injuries, with piriformis injury accounting for 95.06%. The location of sacral injury was significantly correlated with piriformis injury (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Postoperative MRI images of some patients with uterine fibroids treated with USgHIFU ablation show vertebral and surrounding muscle injuries, mainly involving sacrum and piriformis. For those with a retroverted uterus, a large distance between the ventral side of the fibroid and the abdominal wall, or fibroids exhibiting high signals on T2-weighted images (T2WI), the location of postoperative sacral injuries tends to be more inferior. Additionally, these patients face an increased risk of concurrent piriformis injury and a higher likelihood of experiencing sacrococcygeal pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1523018"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143979112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nailfold capillary patterns in ballgame and endurance athletes.","authors":"Takeshi Otsuki, Kazuya Suwabe, Toru Yoshikawa, Kiwamu Kotani, Asako Zempo-Miyaki","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1568972","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1568972","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Nailfold capillary patterns can be observed noninvasively using light microscopy. Nailfold capillaries are straight, U-shaped, and densely looped in healthy individuals and may be altered by disease or lifestyle factors, such as diet. However, the effects of daily physical activity and exercise training on nailfold capillary patterns remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise training on nailfold capillary patterns by investigating these patterns in endurance athletes, ballgame athletes, and sedentary healthy men.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Five healthy men participated in nailfold capillary pattern measurements on three consecutive days to test the reproducibility and bilateral differences in the nailfold capillary loop density, length, and width measured using light microscopy and a commercial analysis system. The nailfold capillaries of 10 endurance athletes (endurance group; eight long-distance runners and two triathletes), 10 ballgame athletes (ballgame group; seven soccer players and three basketball players), and nine sedentary healthy men (sedentary group) were then examined using light microscopy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The day-to-day coefficient of variation for the nailfold capillary loop density, length, and width were 4.9% ± 1.6%, 7.5% ± 1.3%, and 4.2% ± 1.5%, respectively. No significant differences in these measurements were observed between the dominant and non-dominant hands. Nailfold capillary density was greater in the ballgame group than in the endurance and sedentary groups. Capillary loop length was shorter in the ballgame group than in the endurance and sedentary groups. No significant differences in capillary loop density and length were observed between the endurance and sedentary groups. No significant intergroup differences were observed in capillary loop width.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results suggest that the nailfold capillary patterns of male ballgame athletes differ from those of endurance athletes and sedentary healthy men. Ballgame training may affect nailfold capillary patterns in sedentary healthy men.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1568972"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12040917/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143973174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testosterone levels positively linked to muscle mass but not strength in adult males aged 20-59 years: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Wei Zhang, Zhaohui Cui, Dayong Shen, Li Gao, Qingyun Li","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1512268","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1512268","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The relationship between testosterone levels and muscle mass and strength remains contentious. This study aimed to explore the relationship among total serum testosterone levels, muscle mass, and strength in young to middle-aged adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The analysis included 4,495 participants (age 39.2 ± 0.2 years, mean ± SE) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2011 and 2014. Weighted regression models were used to assess the association of testosterone levels with muscle mass and strength.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For male participants, log₂-transformed testosterone levels were positively associated with appendicular lean mass adjusted for body mass index (β: 0.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-0.07, <i>P</i> < 0.001) and negatively associated with low muscle mass (odds ratio: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.24-0.67, <i>P</i> = 0.006). However, no significant association was found between testosterone levels and grip strength (β: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.26 to 2.58, <i>P</i> = 0.086) or low muscle strength (odds ratio: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.25-1.04, <i>P</i> = 0.059). For female participants, no significant association was observed between testosterone levels and muscle mass (β: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.02 to -0.01, <i>P</i> = 0.294) or muscle strength (β: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.73, <i>P</i> = 0.508). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear relationship between total testosterone levels and appendicular lean mass adjusted for body mass index in male participants (nonlinear: <i>P</i> = 0.367).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study indicates that testosterone levels are positively associated with muscle mass but not with muscle strength in young to middle-aged males.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1512268"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143967507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, oxidative stress and myocardial infarction.","authors":"Timothy N Estep","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1551932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1551932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Development of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) for use as temporary blood replacement solutions and treatment of hemorrhagic shock has been hindered because of evidence HBOC infusion increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To gain insight into potential toxicity mechanisms, MI incidence from later stage clinical testing of five HBOCs was compared to pharmacokinetic and biochemical parameters to identify correlations suggestive of cause-and-effect hypotheses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There are positive correlations between MI incidence and HBOC dose, size, intravascular half-life and area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC). Furthermore, MI incidence is positively correlated with initial rates of HBOC autoxidation, oxidation by nitric oxide, and AUCs estimated for these HBOC oxidation products.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These observations imply that increased MI risk after HBOC infusion is due to intravascular reactions which exacerbate oxidative stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1551932"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037374/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143984192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Insect physiology aspects of environmentally friendly strategies for crop pests and invertebrate vector control, volume II.","authors":"Marcelo Salabert Gonzalez, Guenter Artur Schaub, Norman Arthur Ratcliffe, Ana Claudia do Amaral Melo","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1601424","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1601424","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1601424"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037540/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144011335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do first-time avian migrants know where they are going: the clock-and-compass concept today.","authors":"Nikita Chernetsov, Gleb Utvenko","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1562569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1562569","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>What if your life depended on finding a place you've never been-without a GPS device, a guide, or any way of knowing where to go? For young songbirds, this is the reality of their first migration. While this once puzzled researchers studying bird migration, advances in the field have since uncovered that many songbirds rely on an inherited genetic program to guide their remarkable solo journeys. Today, the most widely accepted theory explaining how young birds of species that migrate solitary and do not follow experienced conspecifics find their way to wintering grounds is the 'clock-and-compass' concept. According to this concept, naïve migrants follow a certain compass direction for a pre-defined period. In the simplest case, when the program runs out, they find themselves in their species-specific non-breeding range. However, recent research suggests that this process might be significantly more complex. New data indicate that first-time migrants may not have a complete map but rather a system of beacons. This system could be based, for example, on geomagnetic cues or other cues that help first-year birds navigate their location along the migration route. To date, a significant body of evidence has been gathered to revise the classic 'clock and compass' program. It is likely that first-time migrants of many species (although perhaps not all) are capable of varying degrees of location control based on innate information. The question of what data sources they use and how precise their control remains open for further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1562569"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143962098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomechanical and clinical differences in muscle tone, stiffness, range of motion, and pain perception in children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Ramón González-Matilla, Vanesa Abuín-Porras, Isabel Mínguez-Esteban, Alberto M Heredia-Rizo","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1588084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1588084","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Spasticity and altered muscle tone are key features in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly cerebral palsy (CP). They impact movement, range of motion (ROM), and pain perception, influencing functional abilities and quality of life. Understanding the intrinsic muscle differences in children with CP can help improve clinical assessment and therapeutic interventions. This study aims to evaluate differences in muscle tone, stiffness, ROM, and pain perception between children with CP and typically developing peers using objective biomechanical measures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with 40 participants of both sexes (20 children with CP, 20 typically developing peers). Muscle tone and stiffness of the lower limb muscles were measured using the Myoton PRO device. ROM was assessed by goniometry, and pain perception was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale during a Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test. A generalized linear mixed model was used to detect differences in myotonometry, ROM, and pain perception measurements. In participants with CP, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient analysis was used to explore possible associations between clinical features and muscle tone and stiffness.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Children with CP exhibited reduced ROM, with a significant group effect for hip flexion (P < 0.001; η² = 0.843), knee extension (P < 0.001; η² = 0.355), and ankle flexion (P < 0.001; η² = 0.959) and higher pain perception during the SLR test (P < 0.001; η² = 0.831), compared to controls. Myotonometry revealed significantly increased muscle stiffness of the rectus femoris (P = 0.004; η² = 0.112) and adductor muscles (P = 0.019; η2 = 0.074) in the CP group, with no differences in muscle tone between the groups. Sex-related differences were found for muscle tone and stiffness, with males showing higher values. Correlation analyses indicated that adductor muscles stiffness was associated with CP severity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Children with CP demonstrate significant changes in ROM, pain perception, and muscle stiffness, emphasizing the need for targeted therapeutic interventions. These findings support the use of objective biomechanical tools for assessing muscle properties in clinical settings, contributing to better management strategies for spasticity-related impairments.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1588084"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037481/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143962096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alteration of vasopressin-aquaporin system in hindlimb unloading mice.","authors":"Marianna Ranieri, Maria Venneri, Giuseppina Storlino, Angela Ferrulli, Mariagrazia D'Agostino, Mariangela Centrone, Annarita Di Mise, Roberta Zerlotin, Grazia Tamma, Maria Grano, Giovanna Valenti","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1535053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1535053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Murine hindlimb unloading (HU) is considered a model of choice for simulating the physiological effects of microgravity on several functions, including fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. Microgravity causes changes in blood redistribution, modulating vasopressin secretion, a major hormone controlling water reabsorption through the vasopressin-sensitive water channel AQP2. In this study, mice were hindlimb suspended over 4 weeks or rested in the ground as controls, and vasopressin levels, along with renal aquaporins expression were investigated. Copeptin, a stable precursor of the hormone vasopressin, significantly increased as early as 1 week of unloading which correlated with a significant increase in AQP2 total protein expression and decrease in serum osmolality, suggesting early activation of the vasopressin/AQP2 axis in this model. Conversely, in 4 weeks HU suspended mice, copeptin decreased significantly and both AQP2 mRNA and AQP2 total protein expression were significantly reduced. Consistent with a downregulation of the vasopressin/AQP2 axis an increase in serum osmolality was observed at 4 weeks HU. The basolateral water channels AQP3 and AQP4 were, on the other hand, unaffected. Immunolocalization studies confirmed reduced expression of AQP2 in renal collecting ducts of HU mice at 4 weeks. A significantly increased amount of the expressed AQP2 was found phosphorylated at Ser261, a site regulating AQP2 protein stability and degradation. In line, p38-MAPK, committed to phosphorylate Ser261 and to increase miR137 expression, an AQP2 mRNA-targeted microRNA, was significantly increased in HU, suggesting that reduced AQP2 expression was mainly due to increased protein degradation and downregulation of AQP2-mRNA translation. Our results suggest that vasopressin/AQP2 axis is upregulated as early as 1 week and may be involved in the antidiuretic response also observed in early spaceflight period in astronauts. Contrariwise, the vasopressin-AQP2 system is downregulated after 4 weeks HU, likely to counteract the persistent central venous pressure due to cephalic shift of fluids.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1535053"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037502/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143984125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term exposure to high-altitude hypoxic environments reduces blood pressure by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system in rats.","authors":"Delong Duo, Junbo Zhu, Mengyue Wang, Xuejun Wang, Ning Qu, Xiangyang Li","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1565147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1565147","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study assesses the effects of chronic high-altitude hypoxia on blood pressure regulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, focusing on cardiovascular remodelling, hemodynamic alterations, and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) modulation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eight-week-old male SHR and WKY rats were divided into four groups: the SHR high-altitude hypoxia group (SHR-H), WKY high-altitude hypoxia group (WKY-H), SHR control group (SHR-C), and WKY control group (WKY-C). The hypoxia groups were exposed to 4,300 m (PaO₂: 12.5 kPa) for 10 weeks. Blood pressure was measured via non-invasive tail-cuff method, cardiac function via echocardiography, and right heart pressures via catheterization. Histopathological analysis included haematoxylin and eosin and Masson/Weigert staining for organ damage and vascular remodelling, whereas RAS components were assessed using immunohistochemistry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that chronic hypoxia significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure in SHR-H rats, but not in WKY-H rats. SHR-H rats showed a reduced ejection fraction, fractional shortening, systolic left ventricular anterior wall thickness, and diastolic left ventricular anterior wall thickness, increased left ventricular diastolic diameter, and left ventricular systolic diameter, whereas WKY-H showed only ejection fraction and fractional shortening decline. Both groups developed elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular systolic pressure, and right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. SHR-H rats displayed aortic medial thinning, elastic fibre degradation, increased blood viscosity, and multi-organ damage (myocardial necrosis, pulmonary fibrosis), whereas WKY-H rats showed medial thinning and erythrocyte hyperplasia without fibrosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed suppression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-angiotensin II (Ang II)-angiotensin II type I (AT1) axis in SHR-H, whereas WKY-H exhibited reduced Ang I/II without ACE2 and Mas receptor (MasR) changes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Long-term hypoxic exposure at high-altitude reduces blood pressure in SHR rats, which may be attributed to a combination of cardiac functional compensation failure, vascular remodelling, and simultaneous inhibition of the ACE-Ang II-AT1R and ACE2-Ang1-7-MasR axes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1565147"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037635/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143990396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of whole-body electromyostimulation on visceral adipose tissue volume in overweight-to-obese adults with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled study.","authors":"Benazir Burkhardt, Oliver Chaudry, Stephanie Kast, Simon von Stengel, Matthias Kohl, Frank W Roemer, Klaus Engelke, Michael Uder, Wolfgang Kemmler","doi":"10.3389/fphys.2025.1544332","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1544332","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Physical exercise favorably affects visceral adipose tissue (VAT), which is a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. However, many people are unable or unwilling to conduct frequent and intensive exercise programs that have favorable effects on VAT. The present study aimed to determine the effect of time-efficient and joint-friendly whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) technology on VAT volume in overweight-to-obese adults with osteoarthritis of the knee.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In total, 46 women and 26 men (58.4 ± 7.0 years; BMI: 30.2 ± 4.2 kg/m²) with femuro-tibial knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to WB-EMS (n = 36) with 1.5 × 20 min/week for 29 weeks or a usual care control group (CG: n = 36) with six sessions of physiotherapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a non-contrast enhanced two-point Dixon gradient echo volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination determined the VAT from mid L2 to mid L3.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In summary, VAT volume increased non-significantly in the CG (p = 0.246) and decreased non-significantly in the WB-EMS group (p = 0.143). We failed to determine significant WB-EMS-induced effects, i.e., group differences for absolute changes in the VAT volume (p = 0.090). However, we observed gender differences with significantly higher effects in men than in women (p = 0.032).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>We conclude that low volume, non-superimposed WB-EMS is not a perfect tool for decreasing VAT, particularly in overweight-to-obese women.</p>","PeriodicalId":12477,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Physiology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1544332"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037472/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144010420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}