Teroxirone

This study investigated the effectiveness of wearable robot-assisted gait training compared to treadmill gait training for improving balance and walking ability in stroke patients.

Sixty stroke patients (67.13 ± 11.36 yrs; 37 males and 23 females) undergoing physical therapy were recruited from C Hospital in Seoul, Korea. Patients were randomly assigned to either the wearable robot-assisted gait training group (n = 30) or the treadmill gait training group (n = 30). Both groups received 30-min training sessions 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Balance ability was assessed using the L-symmetry, and Berg Balance Scale and motor recovery by Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Lower Extremity. Cadence, step length, and stride length were measured to evaluate walking ability. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 16 wks.

After 8 wks of treatment, the wearable robot-assisted gait training group demonstrated significant functional improvements in motor ability and balance (Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Lower Extremity, P < 0.001; L-symmetry, P = 0.049; Berg Balance Scale, P < 0.001) and walking ability (cadence, P = 0.017; step length, P = 0.038; stride length, P = 0.042). At the 16-wk follow-up, the wearable robot-assisted gait training group maintained significant gains in motor ability and balance (Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Lower Extremity, P < 0.001; L-symmetry, P = 0.025; Berg Balance Scale, P = 0.011) and walking ability (cadence, P < 0.001; step length, P = 0.025; stride length, P = 0.001).

The overground wearable robotic device used in this study, wearable robot-assisted gait training was found to be more effective than treadmill gait training in improving motor ability and balance, and walking ability in stroke patients.

Tripterygiumwilfordii, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been used for treating autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Tripterygium glycoside tablets (TGT), derived from this herb, is widely used in clinical practice in China. However, the therapeutic effects of TGT on Multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly through its active component triptolide (TP), remain insufficiently understood.

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of TGT and TP on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

TGT and TWPT were chemically characterized using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The therapeutic effect of TGT, TWPT, and TP was evaluated in the EAE model. Proteomics analysis and Western blot analysis were validated the signaling pathways.

TGT and TP significantly alleviated EAE symptoms in mice, including reduced weight loss and neurological deficits, whereas TWPT (TGT without triptolide) shows no significant therapeutic effect. Histological analysis revealed that TGT and TP reduced demyelination and inflammatory cell infiltration in the spinal cord. TGT and TP decreased systemic inflammatory cytokines (IL-17A, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6) and the mRNA expression of the transcription factors T-bet and ROR-γt in the spinal cord. Proteomic analysis indicated that TP significantly upregulated the expression of PACAP and activated the cAMP signaling pathway. Furthermore, TGT and TP modulate PKA, PI3K-AKT, NF-κB, and apoptosis-related signaling pathways, contributing to the reducing inflammation, apoptosis and demyelination in EAE mice.

TGT and TP exert anti-inflammatory and demyelination-improving effects to alleviate both clinical and pathological manifestations of EAE in mice via the PACAP/cAMP signaling axis, suggesting TGT as promising therapeutic strategies for MS.