BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Mechanical forces have profound effects on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The mechanism by which mechanical stimuli regulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and regulation has yet to be elucidated. We investigated the effect of cyclical mechanical stretching on regulation of the VEGF gene in VSMCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cultured rat VSMCs gro...

PURPOSE To examine the effects of static stretching during the recovery periods of field-based team sports on subsequent repeated sprint ability (RSA) and change of direction speed (CODS) performance. METHODS On four separate occasions, 12 male team-sport players performed a standardized warm-up, followed by a test of either RSA or CODS (on two occasions each) in a counterbalanced design. Bot...

Static stretching was once recognized as a method of preparation for physical activity that would inhibit performance and increase risk of injury. However, a growing body of research suggests that static stretching may not have an inhibitory effect. Regardless, the data have not examined gender differences or the fatigue index (FI) and flexibility effects of static stretching on the back squat ...

Tension is necessary to maintain and restore the mechanical properties of soft connective tissues. Conversely, reduced tension states such as produced by immobilization weaken mechanical properties and facilitate joint contracture. We assessed the effect of low torque-long duration stretching to increase the range of motion (ROM) and to restore the mechanical properties of contracted joints in ...

The influence of mechanical stretching on epithelial (E) cells was examined by culturing E cells derived from the epithelial cell rests of Malassez on a flexible plastic substrate and stretching the substrate by means of an orthodontic screw. A significant increase in the number of E cells synthesizing DNA was observed after just 30 min of stretching. In 17 experiments the ratio of cells labell...

Akt/protein kinase B is a well-known cell survival factor and activated by many stimuli including mechanical stretching. Therefore, we evaluated the cardioprotective effect of a brief mechanical stretching of rat hearts and determined whether activation of Akt through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K) is involved in stretch-induced cardioprotection (SIC). Stretch preconditioning reduced infar...